Blind operator Bob Mager bade farewell to his customers at the Pinellas County Courthouse Kricket's Kafe Friday.
By MEGAN SCOTT
Published March 6, 2004
CLEARWATER - Bob Mager made the decision with tears in his eyes.
And as each customer came through the lunch line Friday, he told them the news. He was moving to Jacksonville to take over a restaurant there.
Mager, the legally blind man who runs the cafe at the Pinellas County Courthouse, decided to throw in the towel Friday morning, five months after learning the County Commission wanted to allow others to compete for his space.
"It appears we lost the battle," said Mager, who took over Kricket's Kafe last fall. "Pinellas County just wants way too much money to operate, so it looks like everything is going to fall through. We put up a good fight."
Mager rents the space in the courthouse at a discount through a county arrangement with the Florida Division of Blind Services, which paid his overhead and helped him get started with the cafe. The county has had an arrangement with the state agency for more than 40 years.
But last June, county commissioners decided to allow others to compete for the space, saying the open competition would attract more money and improve the level of service.
However, after dozens of e-mails poured into the county supporting Mager, officials began searching for a way to work with Blind Services.
Despite Mager's departure, that plan remains unchanged, said Assistant County Administrator Keith Wicks.
"We've been given directions to negotiate with Blind Services and obtain the best negotiated agreement we can with them," he said. "We'll see what our negotiation brings. We're kind of saying that we have no objection to the operator continuing on."
Mager hopes to take over a standalone cafe in Jacksonville around April 1.
There, he plans to create a larger, updated Kricket's Kafe, serving up similar fare such as soups, Greek salads and sandwiches. Another vendor from Blind Services will finish out his contract in Clearwater, which ends in June.
County officials are hoping to secure an agreement similar to the one struck by Blind Services over a cafeteria in the Hillsborough County Courthouse. Under the agreement, Blind Services pays for utilities and other costs.
Mager now pays the county 1.5 percent of his gross - about $2,100 a year, while the operation costs the county about $13,000 a year in utilities, garbage collection and maintenance.
In Hillsborough, the cafeteria earns $40,000 a month, compared to Kricket's $12,000, Mager said.
Craig Kiser, director of Florida's Division of Blind Services, has said that it is unusual for entities that use the program to make a profit from the venture.
But the commission sees a way to use the cafe to generate money without raising taxes. The cafe will close in June for renovations that will improve its appearance and allow an expansion of the menu.
County officials would like to keep Blind Services serving food during the construction. Perhaps a catered wagon or a cart, where the vendor could sell vending machine snacks and prepackaged meals, said Carl Barron, the county's director of general services.
Mager, who is one of 150 blind vendors who operate in Florida, used to be a plumber until his failing vision stole his career. He and his wife took over the cafe in September, cleaning it up and adding staples to the menu, such as lasagna and taco salad. He increased monthly profits by $4,000.
"We really wanted to stay here," he said. "We put a lot of heart and soul in this place. but there's really no chance. I have a family to take care of."
Customers on Friday were sad to hear the news.
About 300 of them had signed a petition supporting Kricket Kafe. Dozens more had e-mailed county commissioners, asking them to keep Mager in business.
"I come here just about every day for lunch and breakfast," said Willye Shaw, who works in recording services. "I don't know what we'll do without him."
