There can only be one winner of the $10,000 dollar prize, but as Jen Ferris-Glick, the co-owner of Above to Below explains, "Honestly, an ideal story would be someone who has beaten all odds. Somebody who really needs that extra push, mentorship, to push their idea to the next level." In line with her statement, Tanzilli lists an additional goal of potentially recruiting some of the participants in this competition, who are not already Point Park students, into the Rowland School of Business to provide the mentorship and guidance Ferris-Glick mentions.

 

What is scarier than opening a business? Opening a business during a pandemic. Still, Karl Horn, owner of Tootie's Famous Italian Beef, a new Market Square food establishment, insists that, "I know this location is going to be an absolute success."

When asked why Horn feels this location and restaurant is going to be a success he explains that he doesn't see anyone doing what he is doing. His sandwich shop is unique and its feature dish is an Italian beef sandwich, which is also how the shop got its name. His mother's nickname was Tootie and it was her recipe that he uses. The ingredients for this star sandwich consist of roast beef, giardiniera and provolone served on a soft Italian roll. When describing why this is their specialty, Horn elaborates that the taste has, "flavors you can't get anywhere else."

The food is in such demand that Horn even mentions that he has routinely had people ask if they can invest in his business. While he has not explored or pursued franchising yet, it is something he mentioned during the interview. While the store is just settling into the downtown area, because this location has just welcomed Horn and his staff on July 6, he has already started delivery and has noticed that business gets better every day.

Currently, delivery is limited to the Golden Triangle, but Horn plans to expand into Lawrenceville, the South Side and the Strip District soon. The two primary obstacles he sees for the continued success of his sandwich store, is speed of consumption and point of service. COVID-19 has accelerated the need for a hyper convenient point of service, but like with any business plan, there are obstacles to overcome.

For instance, Horn discusses how delivery apps can cut into profits because when stores opt into the apps' service they come with agreements. These agreements generally include a same price as store clause, which means that the consumer does not pay a higher fee, but that the middle man, the app being used, has to take their cut. This means that businesses must choose whether to operate their own delivery service or deal with the conditions of the app.

However, Horn discusses how the speed of service is something almost entirely in his control, while the point of service has more external factors to weigh. He thinks that he can get the ordering time down to 45 seconds as well as the pickup time and out the door for a delivery time, down to an additional 45 seconds. 

Months ago, Downtown Pittsburgh was the heartbeat of culture and vibrancy that allowed for the lifeblood of Pittsburgh's city neighborhoods, suburbs and exurbs to find a sense of unity where there are not many commonalities. Now, that same area where all of these communities were tied together into a larger unified grouping is a shell of its former self. No more concerts, limited availability to dine in and empty streets dominate the atmosphere. 

In light of this present reality in Downtown, we decided to speak with Steve Irwin of Leech Tishman: Legal Services, a man who has worked in various parts of Downtown and has done so much for Downtown Pittsburgh.

Irwin has worked in buildings like the Frick building, the Grant building and now at 525 William Penn Place. In addition to being a partner at a law firm, he has worked as the Banking and Securities Commissioner for 8 years at the State Office Building. If neither of those prove that he knows the downtown area, then his recreational habits like: being a Pirates season ticket holder, a Pittsburgh Symphony subscriber and his work with the Cultural Trust should suffice.

More important than his credentials is what he thinks Pittsburgh needs to do across the board. While he believes that connecting virtually is here to stay and that some people may choose to keep working from home, we still need to foster and build community. A community cannot always happen online, sometimes it takes a face to face interaction to make a lasting connection. This is why Irwin has always tried to make time to get out of the office and just be in the city so he can talk to people he can't just stumble across on his computer or phone.

While there is something uniquely human about random interactions in an urban environment, Irwin also points out that, "culture is not just on a flat-screen." TV shows, video games and films all come from a reality and culture that is shaped by people out there living life. This is where he adds that many of the businesses and restaurants suffering are not just establishments, but dreams of chefs and entrepreneurs too. When the business goes, the dream dies too.

Right now, Irwin accepts that "this is temporary but not short-lived." He hopes we will adapt to the times and at least in Downtown one thing he sees as a possibility is closing down certain roads to allow more open-air dining in the streets. He sees it as a way to bring more vibrancy to a gloomy atmosphere while also helping to solve capacity issues for restaurants due to social distancing.

One solution will obviously not help all businesses in the downtown area, but he understands that it will take more creativity and flexibility from government agencies, businesses and people in general, to make it through the pandemic. One of the more hopeful things he said during our conversation is a great call to action, "There is a tremendous opportunity to remake things, but you have to have a vision."