The clock is ticking for everyone's favorite purveyor of Ham Bowls to open up shop in NYC: Crain's notes that after Walmart wined and dined us last summer, it's now acting all "Oh we'll call you next week." In two years, the company will likely have to deal with an anti-Walmart mayor (although Christine Quinn has flirted with the store), and polling may not be so generous, so it's crucial that they don't squander the goodwill. “Walmart doesn't know how to be a good winner," a "political insider" says. Will they finally bust out the Wet kiwi strawberry intimacy gel and consummate this thing?
Most concerning for the company is that they haven't announced a location yet. They've toyed with a parcel in East New York but are far from closing the deal. "The development time on any of these deals is an eternity," a real estate executive notes. "What seems like it's taking a long time to the layman really may be racing to the finish line and moving along quite well."
Another barrier: figuring out how to keep costs down in New York. This Acu-Hoop Pro Massaging Hoop Exerciser with Magnets has to cost the same in Brooklyn as it does in Boise. "Every decision will be a C-suite decision, so that takes time," the executive adds. Not to mention appeasing the labor unions for opening what Charles Barron referred to as a "roving planation."
We're confident that they'll pull through. The Observer notes that it took the chain eight years before opening their first Chicago store. For Walmart, "no" means "maybe, if Gracie Mansion gets a trampoline."
