We have been receiving hundreds of messages from our Glenview customers, thanking us for our commitment to quality and telling us how sad they are that we're gone. We're sad, too.
Closing Glenview was a very hard decision for us - but our rent there was just astronomical. We know our Hinsdale location is too far for most people to drive, but we are still there, and we're looking into joining forces with a home delivery service, something which many Glenview customers said they would be interested in.
I didn't understand until I took over last September how hard it is for small businesses to be successful. We have to pay the same licensing fees and insurance as the big guys, our utilities are expensive, every sale we make the credit card companies and the credit card processing companies take a chunk, we have to pay an accountant to do the taxes, we want to pay our employees a living wage, we're required to pay workman's comp, equipment breaks and needs to be fixed, and all of this is on top of paying for the fish. The large volume retailers can absorb these costs better than us small guys. Eventually, all the small specialty retailers will be gone.
We have always tried to maintain a very high standard of quality, by buying only the best fish from small boats and top restaurant suppliers who do the same. So many of the Glenview customers said things like "Oh no, where am I going to get my really good fish from?"
My request to you all - please support the small business that you love - the butchers, the bakers, the flower shops, the gift shops - and the fish mongers. It's not enough to just come at Christmas, we have to pay the bills all year long.
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