Inside Look: Getting Real

Jennifer Zurko

I’m choosy about my reality shows. I don’t watch any of those “Real Housewives” or “Bachelor/Bachelorette” shows. I like the ones on the Spike and Travel channels, like “Tattoo Nightmares” and “Hotel Impossible”—shows that take something bad and turn it into something amazing.

Lately, I’ve been addicted to “Bar Rescue.” If you’re not familiar with the premise, a man named John Taffer comes into your failing, (and usually) disgusting, rat-infested bar and with the help of the owner and staff, transforms it into a modern, clean, smoothly-run establishment.

Most of the time, the changes John make are so simple, I find myself wondering why the owner didn’t realize them sooner. Like switching to an electronic POS system instead of struggling with stacks of paper receipts. Or only making drinks with four or less ingredients for bars that tend to have large crowds at specific times (like when the show lets out of the theater next door). Or even washing the floor! (I know, crazy, right?)

It’s these simple changes that can literally take a business from red to black.

This month’s cover story allows us to be bystanders during Chris Beytes’ conversation with John van Wingerden, an industry icon who’s a member of horticulture’s best-known families. John’s philosophy is that growers need to “right-size for reality,” meaning you should be planning for the average season—not banking on having another good spring like we did last year. And you have to invest for production and presentation, says John. He tells a story about how one of those simple changes I was talking about helped them sell more and reduce shrink.

And speaking of simple, we included some new products in this issue that can make your life easier. Check out new hardgoods for 2015 and see what’s new and improved in online tools, apps and software.

Oh, and as we’ve done the last three years, this issue features illustrated covers. This time, both covers of GrowerTalks and Green Profit have been created by Junyoung Kim, an artist who studied at the New York School of Visual Arts. We like to act like we’re cultured at Ball Publishing at least once a year.

Wishing you a successful and healthy 2015!