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Exploding the myth of U.S. factory outlets It is just a myth. I had an opportunity this month to motor in the United States, and so I used some of the time to check out the "Bargain Wonderland". No doubt about it, some of the endâ€"ofâ€"season bargains are pretty good even though you have to add about 20% to the U.S. price in order to make a true comparison. That‘s for starters. But there are some hot bargains to be found here as well. seniors What interested me most were the so called "Factory Outlets". What do we consider a Factory Outlet? A room set aside in a factory where they get rid of 1) overruns; 2) broken lines; 3) seconds and similar. The factory has no more use for this merchandise and want to get rid of it... fast. So they price it, or should price it, at their actual cost â€" about 60% below established retail price. If the standard quality is any good, it should stand to reason there should not be much left over for clearances. But that is not the case. Time and again did we find towns â€" rather small towns â€" with "Factory Outlets". The names of the factories kept repeating themselves and there were locations with entire Shopping Malls of Factory Outlets. And then we also found chains of Factory Outlets offering various lines and to top all these absurdities, we also came across so called "Factory Outlets" of imported linens. To support this make believe, these enterprising entrepreneurs are helped by a lax advertising law. m Waterfront buttons The Oakville Chamber of Commerce is now selling Oakville Waterfront Festival Buttons in their office at 170 Country Squire Lane. The cost of a single admittance button is $5.00. Your button allows you to enjoy three days (June 25th, 26th, 27th) of events at the four festival locations. Office hours are seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. until the Labour Day weekend. The Oakville office of the INVESTORS GROUP presents "Canadian Snowbird Association" representatives speaking on concerns to travelling seniors: cost of travel health insurance, length of stay legislation, etc. The session will ollow a brief financial planning seminar on topics specific to seniors â€" such as retirement incote planning. The meeting will be held at the Bronte Quality Inn, June 15th, at 2 p.m. Reservations required, 847â€"7776. ~BUSINESS « » (Gee Myth‘ page 30) » Sheet Beer and Wine made at Uâ€"Brew facilities will be taxed 28 cents a litre starting in August. "The money savings are still very substantial for our customers. Even with this new tax, customers will only be paying $14.00 per case of 24 for beer and $3.21 per bottle of wine," says Wes Oliver, owner of THE BREWING EXPERIENCE in Oakville. Uâ€"Brews are brewery stores that consumers use to make their own commercial quality beer and wine. Until recently, beer and wine made at a Uâ€"Brew had an Excise tax free status. This was because the customers are involved in the production of their beer and wine in the facility. This customer involvement made them tax exempt. The province has removed some, but not all of this tax free status. Of the final cost of a case of 24 beer at the Beer Store, 52% is tax, says Oliver. Tax man hits Uâ€"brew outlets Food a passion for these brothers By HOWARD MOZEL Oakville Beaver Staff ne tricky part of opening any restaurant is coming up with an engaging name that has meaning to proprietors and patrons alike. The owners of Oakville‘s Trattoria Zone, however, had no such problem: their choice is as clever as their food is superb. After all, the "Zone" originates from brothers Roberto and Gianfranco Franzone who recently opened their place at Royal Windsor and Ford Drives. Couple this with a word that in Italian means a family establishment or home eatery and presto! Although the family has been involved in restaurants for years, Trattoria Zone is the first one they have owned. One might think going into business in the middle of a recession is risky but to hear Roberto explain it, the benefits far outweigh the pitfalls. "The word trattoria is still being respected in that way," says Roberto. "The atmosphere is simple but in its simplicity it‘s quite elegant." "We all love cooking. We all like to see the smiling faces of people eating. First and foremost I want people to be happy," he says. "It‘s a passion for us. When you‘re brought up in the Italian Roberto and Gianfranco Franzone of Trattoria Zone: passion for food. tradition, to eat, to drink and be merry is a part of that. We went into this business because we enjoy it as a hobby." Their decision to open has the added benefit of creating five fullâ€"time and five partâ€"time positions. "People are looking for jobs so it‘s good to help out," says Roberto, who has lived in Italy and France and whose photographs of Europe complete the Old World decor. Among those on staff is chef Ciro, a veteran of the kitchens of several prestigious _ restaurants. _ When considering his specialties, Roberto first covers a wide range of dishes before finally admitting "everything." Roberto Franzone. Trattoria Zone "We all love The budget did not raise taxes on commercially produced beer. "We were targeted by the big breweries for a tax because the big breweries blame us for a huge decrease in their sales. They lobbied the government hard for a tax on our industry," says Oliver. "Consumers want our products and services. We are a tax relief value for people and give people choice in product. Most of our customers want to make British and European style quality beers not bland, factory beer. Customers make their own for the fun experience of brewing and the quality they get. Large factory breweries spill more in a day than what we produce in a year. Our industry makes up only 1 1/2% â€" 2% of the whole beer industry, not 8% â€" 9% which the big breweries believe is our market share. We are a specialty niche player in the beer industry, giving customers what they want + great quality at a good value," says Oliver. In keeping with this effort to cover all the bases the restaurant also features The Pizza Zone â€" the takeâ€"out, delivery and even driveâ€"through half of the business â€" catering to quick meals of pizza, pasta and sandwiches. (Call 338â€"2001.) This has proven handy for working parents in the adjacent Clearview area who call for a pizza on their car phone and whisk up to the driveâ€"through then home. "As far as pizzerias go, we have the most services," said Roberto. Add to this an appealing "quality to quantity ratio" â€" the Franzones‘ philosophy of enough food to satisfy customers at a good price â€" and people keep coming back for more. "We get a lot of repeat customers. That‘s a good sign in any business," says Roberto, who explained that specials are featured throughout the week. "I don‘t have the prices I have because we‘re starting out. We‘re keeping them." These patrons range from those engaged in business lunches to workers in nearby factories dropping by for a slice. "We want all strata of people to frequent us. We want to appeal to the masses," says Roberto. "If you limit yourself to only business people, you lose out. So far we‘ve had a nice mix." FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1993 PAGE 26 (Photo by Peter McCusker)