SNAZOLA! (And Other Signs of Life)

Folks are looking over their shoulders. The waning pangs of societal Long-COVID are exacerbated by waves of uncertainty. Everywhere one looks they are not sure what they are seeing.

I was visiting recently with a prominent Walla Walla winery owner. He pointed out that pre-pandemic, Washington wine growers had planted close to 65,000 acres. By the end of 2025 that figure will be close to 40,000 acres, a reduction of approximately 40%.

Meanwhile, British Columbia and Ontario issued orders that all American alcohol products be removed from shelves. Thousands of cases of wine orders dressed up for shipment have appeared back in inventory. He told me, “Whatever happens, when all is said and done there are going to be wineries, and we will be one of them.” Inspiring! That set my heels. At our location, with our customers, our staff, our stakeholders, we are bound to be the place you come to when we are looking back on this time. I’m here to tell you, “When all is said and done there will be restaurants, and we will be one of them!” So there.

We have known many of you since the beginning, now 16 years ago. We have been through much together. To those of you that are not coming in as often, perhaps more frequently ‘glancing over your shoulder,’ we get it. The tremors at Intel weigh on many of our neighbors, as has restructuring at Nike. In our networking with fellow restaurateurs we learn that they, like us, are experiencing a decrease in year-over-year sales. This is a first for us. I’m reminded that there is no such thing as brains in a bull market. It is in how one meets adversity that they are ultimately measured. So… let’s get on with it.

π

Radii Pi got off to a slow start. It is mostly my fault as I selected a point of sale provider that did not pass muster. It took well over a month to get delivery set up, which disabled our ability to advertise. Once delivery was in place we were able to pop our heads up and the result has been a steady stream of new customers. Janet has been on Koin AM Extra, the Beaverton Valley Times gave us a nice write-up, as did the Portland Tribune. Of course, we were the smash hit of Pi Day.

I got a lot of grief from the kids over naming the shop Radii Pi. “Why?” they asked. “What does that even mean?” “What is the story?” They have since come to appreciate my genius, or at least they should have. Radii Pi is a hit. Soon I will break out my secret weapon, and I can hear the wailing already. There is a word, a powerful word, that compels people to act. Once I unleash this word there will be no stopping Pi. That word is… SNAZOLA! Remember, you heard it here first.

SNAZOLA!

See? Did you notice how that riveted your gaze? There you have it! Now that I have your attention, I want to ask a favor. Order a pizza! Maybe two. Use “Snazola” as a coupon code and get one of Ryan’s famous sourdough chocolate chip cookies free with your order. This is a $5 value, though we sell it for the Pi-esk price of $3.14.

LOVE YOUR LIBRARY

We have continued our opening promotion of selling all slices for $3.14. Although, you are invited to pay more. Upgrade your purchase price to $4 and we will donate your bonus to the library. 

ADAPTING TO UNCERTAINTY

Pizza at the Table

Folks still reminisce about our early days when the 15-foot cooler was in the dining room and the bookshelves were stocked with intriguing (often borrowed/stolen) reading material and kids’ toys. There is now a common perception that we are a fancy place and many families are hesitant to bring the munchkins along. We still have toys, colored pencils and menus to color. We still bring fruit to your table early to head off the low blood sugar upon arrival.

And now we serve pizza in the restaurant. We serve it gladly! The Pi shop closes down at 8 PM so we can’t serve it all night. And until we merge both operations into one point of sale system we are not able to offer pizza on Friday night. But that will change soon. We hope that by lowering the bar on what it takes to grace our tables that we will see you more often. Drop in anytime!

Bethany’s Table Is A Place To Meet

We are at our shiniest when hosting events. These are often corporate dinners, family reunions, memorials, weddings, milestone birthdays, etc. We simply nail it. The flow of events we can control are those we generate, such as our winemaker dinners. 

Janet has decided to build on this legacy by using our space on Saturdays to provide entertainment and educational opportunities for our neighbors. These may include game days co-hosted by our friends at Piccolo Mondo, “Meet The Maker” wine tastings and wine education parties, Bridgerton-themed tea parties, Pizza Parties, Wine Pairing Dinners.. Just to name a few. If you have an idea, or something you’d love to see us do, let us know. This is your Table, too.

In times of disruption, we do what we’ve always done: cook, serve, host, adapt, and persist. We are here. We’re not going anywhere. And we’re glad you’re with us.