In my comments above, I noted that I was mistaken about this being a company-owned store. The fact that the owner used the corporate “Chunk Mail” list to get her message out gave me that impression. As I said, I have never been in that store nor signed up for that individual store’s mailing list.

Insurance is a cost of doing business and should be factored into regular expenses. By the way, according to the Insurance Institute of America, “Business interruption coverage is not sold separately. It is added to a property insurance policy or included in a package policy.”

“Feasible”? Now who’s talking out their ass? It might well be that coverage added to the owner’s existing liability policy is only a few more dollars a month. What if the store had a fire? Or an electrical problem that made all the Cherry Garcia melt? Those are the things such a policy would cover.

More at http://www.iii.org/individuals/business/basics/interruption/

Where is your apology for blaming the Big Corporation for this?

Stick to something you know, if there is anything in that category.

Hello? That’s what business interruption insurance is for! Or at the very least, maintain a reserve of working capital to see you through.

The owner maintained that she started her website “to answer questions” from her existing customers. That’s fine. So why did she use the corporate email tool (I signed up for “ChunkMail” on the B&J corporate site) to solicit donations from *everyone* who lives around her shop and not *just those customers* who asked questions? I’ve never once been in this particular scoop shop (the line’s usually too long and nowhere to park) and didn’t know about the issue with her business until I was emailed.

We’re not talking about a business that’s crucial to the community like the only grocery store in a rural area. It’s a yuppie ice cream shop!

Again, this happenstance was not a surprise to the business owner. I don’t have any sympathy for someone who didn’t have the foresight to manage their business properly.

As for making a donation to keep the Chunky Monkey flowing to downtown Kirkland? I’m sending my cash to more worthy causes like the American Diabetes Association.

The request for donations may not be the ideal way to ask for help, but rather than trashing every property owner who tries to redevelop his property, the franchise owners have taken the high road and spoken in support of downtown redevelopment.