Open Letter from Lucy Buffett
Posted: May 8, 2004 9:32 am
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Dear Friends,
Life is good and even every challenge is a blessing. Our mission at LuLu's has always been to serve the best food, with the greatest service, the happiest employees, and the most delightful ambience possible, so that our customers who are paying their hard earned money, can have the time of their lives. That ambience has always included live quality music by local professional musicians.
When the State of Alabama didn't renew my lease on Weeks Bay, that challenge turned into a blessing. We found a new beautiful home in Gulf Shores. In the ten short weeks that we have been open, we've served over 107,000 people and have been overwhelmed with compliments and beautiful images from gorgeous sunsets to grandfathers dancing with barefoot children in the sand. I am humbled and grateful at the enormous response we have received from our local neighbors and our visiting friends from all over the country.
Yes, we have had some problems. Every new business does. And yes, we have had some complaints about our music. Each time, we have responded to those complaints with action. We have met repeatedly with the Chief of Police of Gulf Shores and promptly discontinued our live music outside after 6:00 p.m. We have canceled some performers that may not fit into the format that is friendly for the neighborhood. We have lowered awnings and turned speakers to different directions to respond to our neighbors' needs. We want to be good neighbors but we're also going to continue to serve our customers and provide stable employment for over 160 Baldwin County residents.
My name is Buffett. I grew up in a simple home in Mobile, Alabama that played Frank Sinatra every evening before Walter Cronkite. Each Saturday morning was started with the soundtrack from South Pacific and Nelly Forbush singing about washing that man right out of her hair or some other Broadway musical and every night all three children, LuLu, LaLa, and Bubba fell asleep to WABB AM playing on our transistor radios. I love music. My family loves music. And apparently, thousands of you do too.
When the noise issue escalated this past week garnering public attention, I was quite frankly puzzled. I'd rather talk about scotch bonnet peppers and my new Jamaican cookbook rather than city ordinances. I'm a cook and a business woman, not a politician. But that challenge has also blossomed into a blessing because thousands of you have e-mailed or contacted us in support of what we are doing here in Gulf Shores.
Thank you for caring about LuLu's as much as we care about LuLu's and Gulf Shores. If you want to make your voice heard, please contact the Mayor and the members of the City Council of Gulf Shores at:
http://www.ci.gulf-shores.al.us
Life is short. Let's all be friends and live well.
Love,
LuLu
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Dear Friends,
Life is good and even every challenge is a blessing. Our mission at LuLu's has always been to serve the best food, with the greatest service, the happiest employees, and the most delightful ambience possible, so that our customers who are paying their hard earned money, can have the time of their lives. That ambience has always included live quality music by local professional musicians.
When the State of Alabama didn't renew my lease on Weeks Bay, that challenge turned into a blessing. We found a new beautiful home in Gulf Shores. In the ten short weeks that we have been open, we've served over 107,000 people and have been overwhelmed with compliments and beautiful images from gorgeous sunsets to grandfathers dancing with barefoot children in the sand. I am humbled and grateful at the enormous response we have received from our local neighbors and our visiting friends from all over the country.
Yes, we have had some problems. Every new business does. And yes, we have had some complaints about our music. Each time, we have responded to those complaints with action. We have met repeatedly with the Chief of Police of Gulf Shores and promptly discontinued our live music outside after 6:00 p.m. We have canceled some performers that may not fit into the format that is friendly for the neighborhood. We have lowered awnings and turned speakers to different directions to respond to our neighbors' needs. We want to be good neighbors but we're also going to continue to serve our customers and provide stable employment for over 160 Baldwin County residents.
My name is Buffett. I grew up in a simple home in Mobile, Alabama that played Frank Sinatra every evening before Walter Cronkite. Each Saturday morning was started with the soundtrack from South Pacific and Nelly Forbush singing about washing that man right out of her hair or some other Broadway musical and every night all three children, LuLu, LaLa, and Bubba fell asleep to WABB AM playing on our transistor radios. I love music. My family loves music. And apparently, thousands of you do too.
When the noise issue escalated this past week garnering public attention, I was quite frankly puzzled. I'd rather talk about scotch bonnet peppers and my new Jamaican cookbook rather than city ordinances. I'm a cook and a business woman, not a politician. But that challenge has also blossomed into a blessing because thousands of you have e-mailed or contacted us in support of what we are doing here in Gulf Shores.
Thank you for caring about LuLu's as much as we care about LuLu's and Gulf Shores. If you want to make your voice heard, please contact the Mayor and the members of the City Council of Gulf Shores at:
http://www.ci.gulf-shores.al.us
Life is short. Let's all be friends and live well.
Love,
LuLu
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