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Highlands Today

Snowbirds Help Pick Up Winter Business

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Dottie Young a snowbird from Lancaster, Ohio serves herself from the buffet at Homer's recently in Sebring. Young came with a large group for a Good Sam Club meeting.

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: February 9, 2009

SEBRING - Despite the sagging economy, some area businesses are going good thanks to snowbirds.

One such place is Homer's, a smorgasbord restaurant, located in the Sebring Square Shopping Center. It benefits from snowbirds, especially when groups hold their state-themed reunions there.
Vern Birkey, general manager of Homer's, said Friday that business has thrived despite economic woes. He's worked in the buffet business since 1963.

"We're just right up there with last year," said Birkey. "And last year was a good year. We've been doing a good job of holding our own."

He's got people from 50 miles away, coming in for Illinois Days or Michigan Days, or the Ohio Snow Birds.

He also has groups from counties within states, like Charleston, Ill. who have a themed day of their own.

"I had eight groups yesterday," he said. "Two-hundred fifty, 40, 35, 77, and four others," he said. "It's important to point out this is only the month of February. I book February dates a year ahead of time."

He expects this will drop off by the end of March.

"But when it's over, it's over," he said.

Tipping? "That's a little tighter," he said. "Everything has tightened up. It's tightened up for the girls out front as well as the girls in the back."

Things like the economy and increases in the minimum wage are a factor, but he allows his staff to work as much as they want, including overtime, rather than bringing in new employees.

"Our people are realizing they need to do what they can," said Birkey. "Staff is looking for all the time they can get."

They don't want him to hire anyone else, he said.

"I have people who have been with us 15 years, two, three, four, five, seven years," he said. "It could be tough with labor, but I have people who really want to work here."

He's got eight to 10 people a week calling or walking in looking for work. He's had to turn them down.

Of course food costs have skyrocketed, he said. So in the buffet business, wasted food adds up as an expense.

"We want to give them all they want to eat, but you don't want to see people wasting food," he said. "And people realize that somewhere down the line, someone's got to pay for it."

His beverage costs have risen by 10 percent, but he still supplies the beverages as a part of the cost of a meal.

"Rice went from $15 to $18 for a 50 pound bag to $30," he said.

The costs of shortening and flour fluctuate, but are on the rise.

Another problem Birkey has experienced due to the economy is getting all of his orders filled. There are a lot more things getting back-ordered from the warehouses than before because, "They're not stocking as much," he said.

He's just concentrating on giving his customers the best he can give them.

"We're only as good as our last meal," he said. "They won't remember the price but they'll remember the burnt biscuits."

James Henry, food quality manager for the Bob Evans Farms Restaurant, in Sebring, said business is about the same as last year. He's been with the restaurant since it opened, Dec. 16, 2003.

"Bob Evans has always done well in Highlands County," he said. "We love our people, whether they're winter guests or locals - we appreciate all of them. The people of Highlands County have blessed us."

He attributed much of the success to loyal employees.

"They're committed people," he said. "They've taken care of us and we've taken care of them."

He could think of at least six or seven employees who were there from the beginning and a few who started shortly after.

Henry said he hasn't heard any comments from staff regarding tips being off.

Triangle Hardware store in Sebring is owned by Daniel Selph and was started by his father, L.E. Selph, nearly 50 years ago.

Store Manager Bruce Baker said it seemed to him like the winter visitors came a little later this year, but said the volume of business has definitely picked up.

"Usually business picks up after Thanksgiving," Baker said. "But this year it came after the first of the year. I don't know if it was the combination of the economy and the election.

"I've recognized some old faces and I've heard people mention they came later, but I didn't hear any excuses why."

Baker said his winter customers often come in for toilet supplies.

"Because some people let them sit dry all summer and the seals get dry," he said. "Some come in for faucet stems and washers. We sell a lot of cleaning products to wash the mildew off of the mobile homes that sat all summer.

They sell a lot of lawn and gardening tools to people gardening or repairing their sprinklers.

"We do a good business with sprinkler supplies," he said.

What they really have to offer is service.

"A lot of these older people come here because we take the time to help them," he said. "Often in the big stores they have to look and find it on their own.

"We also make a lot of keys and, of course, we rekey locks, too."

"I can't disregard our local clientele," Baker added. "The agricultural growers, the ranchers, the contractors; they keep us going in the summers."

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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