Yesterday, just after I typed the third exclamation point on the end of tomorrow’s Omnivorous, the phone rang. It was Creative Loafing’s Big Boss Ben Eason, fresh out of federal bankruptcy court in Tampa, where he’d managed to fend off a takeover of the Reader and five other weekly papers from his creditors, Atalaya Capital Management.
“Sula,” he barked. “I want you to get down to the Michigan Avenue Bennigan’s. I hear they have a revolutionary sandwich called the Turkey O’Toole. Stop the press—I mean Tweet it—stat!”
“But I have a great column planned for tomorrow. It’s about this terrific new—”
“Get on down there now, Scoop.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, doesn’t Atalaya own Bennigan’s now? Didn’t they just invest $300,000 into the Michigan Avenue Bennigan’s? And shouldn’t you be busy mediating the company’s new reorganization plan with Atalaya?”
“Now you get it. Get going.”
So I put a fresh sheet of papyrus in the ol’ Underwood and began typing up a new lede for tomorrow’s new column:
Bennigan’s Turkey O’Toole is a revolutionary sandwich . . .
Watch for it tomorrow.