Opinion
In Defense of Regan
Vicksburg famously doesn’t like change. Any time anyone so much as washes it’s windows someone is going to complain about how dirty windows were a hallmark of their grand daddy’s uncles first best friends neighbors restaurant. ‘I’ll never eat there again.’
Regan Nosser lost his dad not quite a year ago. For any of us losing a parent is traumatic. Losing a parent unexpectedly at such a young age is extremely traumatic.
Having a famous parent or even a big fish in a small pond parent puts some extra pressure on you as well. It is tough to make your own way and reaching the same success as your parent will be difficult. In Vicksburg, Regan Nosser took over three restaurants while suffering through the grief of losing his dad. That is about as tough as it gets. No matter what you do there is going to be someone just hoping you fail.
Regardless there was staff to be paid, vendors to be paid and people who wanted to be fed. Some folks would have just crumbled under. With the help of a loving and supportive family and community Regan jumped in. Within hours of burying his father, he went from a relatively carefree life to shouldering the burden of several families that counted on his business to feed them, put shoes on their kid’s feet and a roof over their heads. He took up the responsibility to ensure the people loyal to his father and his family business could meet their obligations. He did so in a thankless business where everyone is a critic and few understand how tough, or how many fail. And when it comes right down to it, it is a matter of survival. Survival for the people who work there, survival for the people who sell the business the product they make for the public and, yes, self-preservation as well.
As a business person you very quickly learn a couple of things. Number one is you have to pay the bills. In a highly competitive industry like food service and especially in a small town with a tight wallet like Vicksburg, that isn’t always easy. How many restaurants can you think of that have come and gone? How many of them did you really like and don’t understand why they aren’t here anymore?
That McDonald’s you walk into today is a vastly different business than the one of 30 years ago. Ray Kroc(the genius behind McDonald’s) would spin in his grave at the modern business he made famous. But, thank goodness after Kroc passed away some very smart people kept updating the business and the business model to keep it fresh and appealing to an ever-changing market. When McDonald’s came onto the scene eating out from a throwaway paper bag was a novelty. As time progressed they updated and changed their look dozens of times. They are at this very moment looking for the next move to make so they can stay in tune with the modern consumer.
Vicksburg famously doesn’t like change. Any time anyone so much as washes it’s windows someone is going to complain about how dirty windows were a hallmark of their grand daddy’s uncles first best friends neighbors restaurant. ‘I’ll never eat there again.’
Well, Vicksburg, change is here once again. The new owner of a local restaurant has decided to upgrade the location and change the venue. We will survive.
Regan, you’ve got this. In a couple of years they will all brag about how they knew you when you were whatever. Tough it out, kid. When you open the new place give us a heads up. We will gladly be your first paying customer.
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