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Just as Dallas is home to hundreds of entrepreneurial start ups, Atlanta has quietly become home to a particular kind of business.  If you’re hungry to work at a company that will help you if you’re hungry now… You’re in the right place. 
Atlanta is the home of tons of fast food restaurants!   Chick-fil-A, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Church’s Chicken, Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, Atlanta Bread Co., Huddle House, Blimpie International, and of course, The Waffle House are all based  here.  Recently, Arby’s also moved here. 
So what makes Atlanta so hot for this kind of business?  Atlanta has lots of franchise and advertising associations for those franchises.  As the franchisees grow, their companies become as large of the master branding companies themselves.  It then makes sense to merge or to at least merge services that the headquarters and franchises would share.  It both reduces costs and allows for a more consistent product across the stores. 
What does this mean for the local economy?  In the case of the Arby’s move, it means 140 new corporate jobs for Atlanta.  It also means that the income from the franchise fees goes into our economy. 
It also means that Atlantans influence the tastes and preferences of the nations fast food eaters as a whole.  McDonald’s, for example, introduced a new ‘Southern Style‘ chicken sandwich to compete with the home town original.  So make your choices carefully.  People in Pierre are counting on you. 

The Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts wants you.  If you’re not familiar with ACPA, they are a vital organization in Atlanta.  They provide patrons with the Atlantix booths, sell gift certificates and run one of the most popular websites to let people know what’s going on in the arts. 
For performers, they coordinate a unified audition for all the companies in town and help provide emergency medical funding.  For producing organizations, they do a lot.  They sell the half price ticket,s help market the theaters, lobby community organizations, and help provide event insurance and accounting assistance. 
Now they have both opportunities and issues to face.  The next three months are a major cash crunch… It takes employees to run both the Lenox and Underground booths and they need the cash to pay the folks.
What they have are marketing opportunities galore.  Atlantix does not have a primary sponsor, nor does the organization itself.  They are ripe for a really good marketing partnership.  If your company wants to partner with a non-governmental organization that works metro-wide to strengthen the arts, get in touch!
If you’re patron, make a donation or use the Atlantix service!  Either way, you’ll help keep the booths open and people going to shows.

Does Anyone have a problem with the Masthead of the Atlanta Journal Constitution on June 04?  Look Closely.  That’s not Atlanta!!! The AJC folks put the Seattle Skyline on our paper! 
Can you imagine any New York Paper doing this?  The Daily News?  Not a chance!  The Post?  Forget it.  Chicago Papers too!  The Sun Times would never put Atlanta’s skyline above the lead story.  The Empire State Building will not be part of the Tribune Masthead.
Yes.  I know there is an article about the Seattle art scene.  That’s great.  Really!  Arts coverage is fantastic. 
But when you put their skyline on your mast head, you’re admitting you have no civic pride.  The Atlanta Constitution is a paper with a noble past and has historically tied itself to the city.  It has great reporters who work hard and try to be incisive.  Somewhere, it’s leadership have lost the clarion call as the bully pulpit that moves Atlanta toward a better future. 
Again, look at the stories above the fold.  What is the first story?  The lead?  Whale Sharks.  Not examination of the City of Atlanta or the choices voters will face in the upcoming primary season, but hey!  More Fish!  Even the political story on the front page is not a piece of public journalism, but a process story.   The publisher is not even a known force in Atlanta!  Think about.  Names 6 things about John Mellott right now.  Go ahead!  Try Googlism.  It won’t help! 
Julia Wallace, the Editor, is trying various programs to improve the paper, but she’s not focused on leadership of the city.  Newspapers do more than report.  They have a leadership role.  Ken Edelstein at Creative Loafing understands that.  The Newspaper represents the city.   Ours apparently represents Seattle.