Preston Hollow People September 2021

Page 20

20 September 2021 | prestonhollowpeople.com

Business

The Root of All Irresponsibility? The impact of the pandemic upon college students who work to pay for education exL I B BY M AG L I O LO penses is going to present some tricky choices and temptations. Even before we tuned in to a labor shortage among restaurant workers and some retail jobs, we knew students tend to be cheaper to hire and are seen as more motivated and energetic. Those traits will be attractive now as employers monitor labor costs. Freshmen and sophomore college workers might be tempted to take on too many hours and jeopardize academic success. Student-workers can prevent this by establishing at the onset clearly defined work schedules. There is research indicating that students working more than 15 hours a week could be trouble. Managers must be made aware of when classes are and be flexible during exams. Students and parents should not get carried away with the buying power a job affords. Building healthy financial habits is crucial. Inspired by his favorite store in South Africa, Mervyn Sacher has created a Preston Hollow institution on the westside of Preston Royal Village. (PHOTOS: KERSTEN RETTIG)

NEUHAUS CAFÉ: FROM THE KID IN THE CANDY SHOP

M

ervyn Sacher’s eyes twinkle when he talks about his early career as a candy buyer for a large department store he calls “the Walmart of South Africa.” “I loved the colors, shapes, creative packaging, the smells, everything about it.” More than 40 years later, his eyes also light KERSTEN R E T T I G up when he talks about the Belgian chocolates he imports and sells at his Preston Hollow institution, Neuhaus Café. Mervyn, his wife Linda, and their young children arrived in the United States from South Africa in 1980 with dreams of opening a gourmet chocolate shop like one he’d been enamored with at home. The Swiss Miss Café in Cape Town was perfectly merchandised: rows upon rows of pralinés, as chocolates are called in Europe, colorful candy, biscuits, and truffles showcased with discipline and care. The café had fabulous coffee drinks, and guests could linger with biscuits and chocolate. It was charming, filled with Mervyn’s beloved candy, and would be the reason for his great American success story. Except the owners of South African Swiss Miss didn’t want to share their name

with Mervyn, which was a moot point anyway because Swiss Miss cocoa owned the trademarks. On to Plan B. What started as four locations in Dallas, including cafés in Prestonwood Mall, NorthPark Center, and the Galleria, is now just one in the heart of Preston Hollow. The lone survivor, despite economic downturns, tornadoes, and COVID-19, doesn’t just survive; it thrives. Guests like Britt Brookshire rave about Sacher’s work ethic and how his team got through COVID-19 with to-go and delivery options. “I see the details here. I see Mervyn and his staff on top of everything - food, service, operations, and connecting with guests.” Brookshire knows a thing or two about service. His grandfather founded Brookshire’s supermarkets which requested employees “Pay obsessive attention to each customer.” “And,” Brookshire adds while eating one, “Neuhaus has the best Reuben sandwich in Dallas.” It’s also the best-selling item on the menu. Sandwiches, soups, salads round out the menu with top sellers, including the

hamburger and Cobb salad. The Neuhaus menu is inspired by his travels, especially to New York, where Sacher took photos of menu items from delis and cafés and brought them home to recreate. Mervyn has also relied on his good f riend Greg Katz, owner of Beverley’s, for advice on operating the restaurant. Neuhaus has a full bar and plenty of gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. But the pièce de résistance of Neuhaus is candy. Guests must pass a table tollgate of beautiful ballotins to get near the immaculate bi-level cases filled with truffles and chocolates, mostly Neuhaus from Belgium, which has produced them since 1857. Just like Swiss Miss, Neuhaus’ candies occupy one-third of the space and are lined up on the counter and tucked in colorful corners. Old fashioned in the very best way, Neuhaus is a generational gem worth a visit. Follow Kersten Rettig, a Park Cities-based writer with more than 30 years’ experience in food and beverage marketing and public relations, on Instagram @KerstenEats.

I loved the colors, shapes, creative packaging, the smells, everything about it. Mervyn Sacher

1. Create a budget and stick to it. Start with your monthly inflows: scholarships and grants, part-time job income, the odd f reelancing gig, or teaching assistant earnings. Next, list monthly outflows: food, transportation, and phone bill costs, as well as discretionary expenses such as entertainment. Subtract the outflows from the inflows to check how much you make monthly. If it’s positive, great! Keep it up and try to increase that number over time. If it’s negative, you’re creating debt. 2. Beware of the small costs. Even the occasional $3 coffee and $8 fast-food lunch will add up, so keep those in check. 3. Watch your credit. Though a credit card helps you build credit and get past temporary cash shortages, irresponsible use defeats its function. The card is a short-term loan that must be paid back in full. Carefully tracking your credit card expenses and starting with a low credit limit ($500 per month or so) are good strategies for avoiding a hefty bill at month’s end. Libby Magliolo is an alumna of the SMU Dallas Cox MBA program. She leads a sales training team at Southwest Airlines and teaches college students (including those bound for SMU) about personal f inance fundamentals.


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