***** I Just Don’t Get It-Do You? *****
***** I Just Don’t Get It-Do You? *****
For your consideration, Jeff Eats has reprinted a PR piece that he recently received from Rapoport’s Restaurant Group.
“Esteemed Restaurateur Burt Rapoport, founder of Rapoport’s Restaurant Group, is giving back to the local community and kicking off the summer season in South Florida by celebrating his 2013 ‘Dream Big Small Business of the Year’ recognition by the United States Chamber of Commerce with a fun filled community event for all ages from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11th at the all new Delray Marketplace Amphitheater.
Headlined by original Beach Boy Founder David Marks and the Surf City Allstars, the charity concert and evening of food, drink and live entertainment will directly benefit two local 501(c)(3) organizations, Boca Raton’s Golden Bell Education Foundation and the Achievement Centers of Delray Beach. The entire community is involved to “Surf into Summer” and enjoy the festivities. This will be the first official concert held at the amphitheater.
The charity concert is a way for Rapoport to thank their loyal customers while giving back to the local community and The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. Without their support, Rapoport’s Restaurant Group would not have been nominated and selected one of seven regional finalists out of over 1,000 applicants for the 2013 DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year.”
Contact Rapoport’s at 561.826.1790 for sponsorship opportunities!
For more information, please visit www.rapoportsrg.com/surf
*****
Now I maybe dead wrong here, but when I first read “this”…it seemed to me that Rapoport’s was throwing a FREE EVENT for the community. I figured that, Rapoport’s was really doing “this” to promote its brand new restaurant Burt & Max’s which recently opened in the Delray Marketplace in Delray Beach. Between you, me and the bedpost—it sounded like a great public event and a great way for Burt & Max’s to advertise itself.
Low and behold as I later learned…this isn’t a free anything. Tickets are $30, $60, $100, Kids under 12 are $10…with a ticket you do get 2 drinks and some food samplings.
Look, nothing for nothing…Jeff Eats has been in the entertainment/music industry for over 45 years. For what it’s worth, the Surf City Allstars are very good, but trust me, they ain’t The Beach Boys. This group is basically just a TRIBUTE BAND that for this date- is being fronted by David Marks who was an original member of The Beach Boys who was “fired” early on in their career.. What I’m trying to tell you is, that an act like this- (unless some booking agent totally robbed the sponsors of this “event”) is not an expensive band to book. Now, there are all kinds of “booking” considerations—but Jeff Eats has seen Beach Boys’ tribute acts in South Florida who play at the level of the Surf City All Stars (if not better) and they were priced in the $1,250-$2,500 range. Not that it really matters, the members of the Surf City Allstars use various configurations and band names such as Califonia Surf Inc. “cashing in” on their claimed Beach Boys’ connections.
All Jeff Eats can say is…Rapoport’s Restaurant Group you really do yourself a disservice when you write and claim and I quote–“The charity concert is a way for Rapoport to thank their loyal customers while giving back to the local community…”
The way you THANK LOYAL CUSTOMERS and GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY is by throwing a FREE CONCERT…not charging $30-$60-$100-$10 to see a TRIBUTE BAND that- if you know what you are doing can be bought “dirt cheap.”–and you write a decent sized check to the charities you linked up with.
Now, Jeff Eats hasn’t checked the “books”—but my money says that this “event” if all goes to (its) plan—won’t cost the Rapoport’s Restaurant Group one red cent.
One final note…as you guys know–Jeff Eats wasn’t too impressed with the Delray Marketplace (2/26/13 Delray Marketplace)…for the record, I thought that its amphitheater was extremely amateurish looking. If I recall the setup correctly, I am almost positive that you can see the stage without sitting/standing on the theater’s grass. With that in mind, unless Rapoport’s constructs a huge-high barrier around the perimeter, you should, if you want-see the band from the “mall’s” general areas. For sure, you will definitely be able to hear the music from the general areas.
To: Rapoport’s Restaurant Group:
You should be ashamed of yourself promoting this event as being a community event.
Call it what it really is.
You are staging an event to promote your new restaurant…you are charging for tickets…you are tying a charity into the event.
AND “your loyal customers” and “the community” who don’t pay for a ticket CAN’T COME!
I Just Don’t Get It-Do You?
**Between you and me, Jeff Eats GOT IT and I know you GOT IT.
jeff, this group when its routed maybe gets top 5500. Just looked at their schedule and it doesn’t look like they are in our area right before or right after the date in delray. The sponsors may have got done in here by an agent. You never book a group like this unless they are in your area.
So let me get this straight.
They want me to pay 100 bucks to see a band fronted by a guy who got kicked out of The Beach Boys in the very beginning of their career! Are they nuts.
This band should be free.
I got a strange feeling that some clever agnet robbed Rapoport’s and charged them an arm and a leg for this Tribute Band.
I agree with you 100%.
This is a charity event.
This is not a public event.
This is an event to promote the new restaurant.
The original Beach Boys were,
Carl Wilson
Dennis Wilson
Brian Wilson
Mike Love
Al Jardine
David Marks
the Wilson’s father was the group’s manager and he fired Marks. When Brian didn’t want to tour he was replaced by Bruce Johnston.
The group for this show is nothing more than a Tribute Band.
Jeff,
Two of the best Beach Boys tribute bands in the USA are Phil Dirt & The Dozers and Papa Doo Run Run.
Phil works Florida pretty steadily in the winer months.
Papa comes in every so often from California.
On a good routing the Surf City All Stars should cost $4500-$5000.
No matter how they slice it, they are just a tribute band.
This a community event like im one of the beach boys. im as much a beach boys as the guys in the group.
this is a tribute band.
something like this should be a free show.
This nothing more than a promotion for a new restaurant.
This isn’t an event for for the general public.
This is a “charity” event tied into a new restaurant.
If you are a member of the general public and don’t have a ticket this event isn’t intended for you.
We got it.
Jeff got it.
Any person with any sense gets it!
Explain this to me, please!
Im a loyal customer.
I eat at Henry’s, Bogart’s Max’s. and deck 84 a whole lot.
How is Rapoport thanking me as the pr indicates?
they aren’t giving me anything for free.
All they have done is set up a concert that you have to buy tickets for.
Anyone can buy those tickets.
So whats my being a loyal customer got to do woth this thing?
The answer absolutely nothing.
This is just a way to try and get people to delray Marktplace.
Jeff, once again you point out things that show how full of bs many people are.
I’m also a LOYAL CUSTOMER.
I don’t get it.
Why do I have to pay for tkts if im a loyal customer?
This is a phony deal.
A tribute band for $30, I don’t think so.
Should be for free.
This has absolutely positively nothing to do with rewarding loyal customers. This is solely a marketing ploy for the new restaurant.
How come loyal customers have to pay to go.
You’d think it would be free.
How does a charity thank loyal customers?
If I got to buy a ticket then what’s that to do with having been a so called loyal customer?
This is a bogus scam.
Based on my calculations the charitable donation will be very small.
This concert is just a pr stunt.
Joke!
If its a charity event call it a charity event.
Don’t call it a community event and a thank you to loyal customers.
So the guy puts up the upfront money to book the shows book the theater and pays for the advertising. Then gives the proceeds to charity and you guys bitch. Yea he gets advertising for it too but tell me you also bitch when ATT sponsors a golf turney and then gives millions to charity.
How are loyal customers being repaid if they have to buy a ticket?
Like others I have been eating at their various restaurants for years so Im probably one of their loyal customers.
So how come I have to pay for a ticket?
Jeff,
Rapoport’s is having a concert with a TRIBUTE ACT. By no stretch of the imagination is this The Beach Boys.
Tickets are 10-30-60-100.
To be honest with you, if the PR had indicated right off the bat that this was a fund raiser I would be fine with this. But it doesn’t. What it says is that Rapoport’s is doing the community and loyal customers a real big favor and giving them this great concert.
This PR is very dishonest.
It really doesn’t matter who the performer is, the adv. is deceptive.
One of my buddies is a member of the actual
Beach Boys touring group; he’s a member
of the Cowsills family…for any of you who were
around in the Stone Age.
Anyway, this Rapoport is a con. His restaurant
manages to draw a decent crowd at this jinxed
white elephant of a waste of commercial space
a/k/a Marketplace.
I believe in karma.
What goes around comes around.
Gypping folks out of $30-100 for a tenth rate
tribute band, giving away two drinks and some nibbles…all to pitch their new eatery…
get real!
It’s Coney Island hype, nothing more.
very bad pr piece,
with a no name band this should be a free concert.
When will you review Gotrock”s in Margate?
Jeff, Just read a good one on GIGSALAD about this band.
The band comes in all sizes, 3-4-5-6 etc.
Someone hired the band and it was either 3-4 pieces.
They complained that the band didn’t sound good.
The band said well you didn’t buy all the harmony parts so what did you expect.
Now, I would expect that the band wouldn’t book the gig if they couldn’t sound right, thtat what I would expect.
Tickets should be free.
That’s how you give back.
Jeff,
I agree with you 1000% this should be a free show opened to the public.
I agree with you that this is PR event for the new restaurant.
This show has nothing to do with customer loyalty reward or giving back to the community.
By the way, the mall itself is a disaster.
Terrible parking and most of the stores will die fr lack f customers.
Good call jeff
The show should be a freebee.
Scam
I thought it was a free concert.
What a freaking money grabbing stunt.
This latest “event” being thrown by the
Burt/Max’s honchos is a joke. A bad one.
Charging up to 100 bucks to sit on a blanket(?)
or a lawn chair and hear some 5th rate tribute
band, with a couple of drinks and tidbits thrown
in…are you kidding?
Has anyone seen the size of the Promenade?
Passing through yesterday I stopped to take
a closer look and I doubt that the grass in front
of the band shell can accommodate more than 200 people, max.
It would serve these weasels well if a group
of “concertgoers” headed over to the nearby
Publix, grabbed a brew and a sandwich and
caught the action from any of the sidewalks
or parking spaces adjacent to the band shell.
Has anyone noticed that the Marketplace
is about 30% unleased, and if you look closer
you’ll note that of the stores announced to be
opening, there are no construction crews working inside at least 50% of those leased
properties.
If there was more parking available, this
future ghost town might be a great site
for an outlet mall…bit of trivia: does anyone
know that Sawgrass Mills is the 2nd most visited tourist spot in the state of Florida?!
Jill, I like your thinking here.
Just watch/hear the show from the common areas.
Loyal customers/community means FREE SHOW not some PR charity stunt.
They should be ashamed of themselves.
So when’s the free show?
Can I wear shorts?
Let me categorically state I am not involved, Nor do I work for Burt rapoport. But I can shed light on some details. Rapoport will pay the band, the equipment, hotels, etc and all other costs. The ticket money offsets the costs. he has also guaranteed the charity, who will not have to do any work, a minimum of $6,000 and any and all donations that come in. And donations are coming in. If the donations had not reached that amount, Rapoport would have to pay from his pocket.
And, the tickets did not come close to offsetting the costs.
Quite frankly, many businesses and personalities lend their name and businesses to this type of agreement. One can say that celebrities sing on TV for Sandy Hook to revive careers or sell records; business people use this agreement to promote businesses. Tough to tell whether it is truly charity…or promotion…but who cares if people get the help they need from a charity. And to my mind, $6,000 is nothing to sneeze at, no matter how much money you think someone has. Ask yourself….have you done as much, or anything, before reaming someone without having all the facts, and seeing the charity event as a free concert for yourselves. Just sayin….
Fred:
Just had a chance to read your comments.
Let me explain how this game should have worked.
There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to book a TRIBUTE BAND from out of state and incur hotel/travel/food costs. The only time you would ever use a band like the one booked is if they had other dates in the area. An act like this should get about $2000-3000 TOPS ON A GOOD DAY. They aren’t The Beach Boys.
Rapoport should have given the production to the charity and let them sell tickets…with them keeping the proceeds and any donations less the cost of the production.
Rapoport would therefore be in for $2000-$3000 plus food/drink giveaways at the worst…if no tickets were sold at all.
If you don’t think that this concert is primarily being held to promote Burt & Max’s I’ve got a Bridge in Brooklyn I want to sell you.
Finally, Jeff Eats’ bitch here is that the PR makes like this concert is a reward to LOYAL CUSTOMERS and the COMMUNITY AT LARGE…which as we know it isn’t.
I really think the problem here, is that Rapoport got hoodwinked into overpaying for a TRIBUTE BAND…
Anyway…thanks for reading.
Fred,
when i got an email on this show i read it as a free show.
so stop the nonsense.
that’s the way it was first advertised.
this whole thing is a restaurant promotion.
if it wasnt, why does the pr say to reward loyal customers.
rapoport as jeff and others figured probably over paid for this no name band that no one really gives two craps about.
Freddy baby
Look at how many people agree with Jeff and how many agree with you.
The freaking concert is a scam to pr a restaurant
End of story
I was approached by a customer to help raise funds for an organization benefitting disabled children. She was charging $25.PP and asked if I could close 1 hour early and have a fund raiser at my business. I was asked to supply labor and decorations, pass around hot and cold hors douvres, decorated fruit & vegetable trays, dips, chips and ass’t spreads, 4 hot chafing dishes with beef, chicken, fish and a vegetarian option, unlimited wine, cake, cookies, coffee and tea for 100 people @ $10. PP. My food and beverage cost was approx. $35PP, however I agreed and even supplied free entertainment. Not only did she raise $2500, but many who attended contributed additional funds totaling $2500. It was a beautiful evening, everyone had a great time and she raised a total of $5000 for her charity. When the event was over she sincerely thanked me and handed me a check for $1000 which I told her to keep for her charity. She couldn’t thank me enough and literally broke down and cried. The next day I was approached by many who claimed I did this to profit on the event and to promote my business. As the saying goes “No good deed goes unpunished” Since this experience I have anonymously donated to her charity and several others.
My wife and I and a couple of friends are going to catch the show for free. We’ll watch from the sidelines.
Absolutely a con job to promote the restaurant.
3 more days and show will have been played.
Have no idea as to how many people will come.
I suspect that ticket sales aren’t too good and Rapoport will give away plenty of free tickets just to get a big crowd there.
Ticket prices start at $30 per person and include complimentary tastings and two cocktails. So for 30.00 you get two drinks so figure 8.00 a drink so now your paying 17.00 for the concert then you get to taste food from the local resturants so figure 5.00 per person for the food now your paying 12.00 for the concert not a bad deal. I plan on going.
Mark:
Just had a chance to read your comments.
First, if you go have fun!
From what I see, the food is coming from Burt & Max’s not others in the center. There is no way Rapoport is going to promote other restaurants that didn’t kick in bucks for this thing.
From what I also see, there are no seats, so you will need to bring a blanket or a folding chair.
On your pricing, I kinda think assigning 8 bucks is waaaaaaaaaay on the high side. You let me know about that after the show, but I’ll bet you that the drinks probably cost Rapoport a few pennies each.
On the show itself this band isn’t even close to being The Beach Boys. For this show, it’s being fronted by David Marks who was an original Beach Boys who got fired from the group early on in their career.
I will tell you, that this TRIBUTE BAND will probably put on decent enough show.
Jeff Eats’ only bitch about this event is that the original PR misled– Jeff Eats and members of the public into believing that this show was a free deal for LOYAL CUSTOMERS and THE COMMUNITY…and as we know, this is really a publicity stunt tied in with a charity.
Like I said, have a great time.
Thanks for reading…
Jeff it does not matter how much the drinks cost the provider its the value you get from the ticket. When was the last time you bought a beer at a concert or sporting event not to mention a mixed drink. 8.00 is cheep. if the food is just from Burt and Max thats fine too they have good food and i know i can eat 5 bucks worth easy. And the tix is tax deductable and its a good cause not sure why your do against it.
Hey mark
You are right it’s a nice night out for $30.
Let us all know how it was.
Ive seen the group. $30 for a ticket is ok.
You’ll like them.
So Mark how was the event?
Jeff,
There is no question in my mind that the Public Relations on this concert paints a picture of a free concert.
The release clearly indicates that this concert is for loyal customers and members of the general community. There is no mention of buying tickets.
I agree with you, if I’m a LOYAL CUSTOMER why do I have to buy a ticket? It should be free.
What happenes if I’m a DISLOYAL CUSTOMER, couldn’t I still come just by buying a ticket? Of course I could.
Every sensible person here know that this concert is being held to promote the new Rapoport’s restaurant in the center. They tied a charity into the concert to generate more interest and to off set costs.
From what I am hearing ticket sales are virtually nonexistent.
Look for a load of free tickets to be given out by the Rapoport’s organization to fill up the crowd.
What should have been done was a free concert and a small donation made to the charity.
This is the wrong group to hire because they aren’t local. You have to pay all kinds of expenses just to get them into south Florida.
A cheaper local band would have drawn the exact same sized crowd and not cost rapoport’s so much money.
I don’t think I am wrong in what I am saying here.
Jeff
This should have been for free.
What happens if it rains?
Jeff, this was strictly a pr stunt for the restaurant.
we bought $100 tickets.
maybe there were a 150 people.
the opening band was horrendous.
the “beach boys” act was pretty good but it poured during their whole show so we couldnt even watch from our uncovered seats. we sat under an awning by the restaurant.
from the size of the crowd no one gave a crap about this event.
like i said just a pr stunt for rapoport’s restaurants.
Jeff,
Everything you said was true.
This was just a gigantic stunt for Rapoport’s restaurants.
Maybe 175 people showed up.
The band was good but the rain wrecked the show.
Just a waste of time.
I was there.
PR gal claims there were 300 guests.
I counted 27 poor schnooks sitting in the rain.
The opening emcee was an embarrassment.
By the time the concert was over you couldn’t
See what was being offered to eat, as there were
No lights inside the pop-up tents, just chefs taking
smoking breaks by the Shula property.
A disgrace.