You are never shy when it comes to shopping. We admire that.

One-hundred-and-fifty-five readers responded to a call for “Dear George” letters, making their pitch to new Auburn Mall owner George Schott for stores and restaurants they want to see here, or asking him some burning question.

The tally included 46 students from Minot Consolidated School.

No surprise: Olive Garden garnered the most pleas (54.) Christmas Tree Shops and Target were next. Readers asked for everything from Macy’s to more Chinese restaurants, and everything in between. Three asked when he’s going to plant more trees.

Schott agreed to answer five reader’s letters and here they are, edited for space:

Dear George,

I bet a lot of people put a bug in your ear about a Christmas Tree Shop. I’d like to put one more bug in your ear about that store. That has something for everyone.

Thank you, George.

Georgie Lagassey, Lewiston (Pat’s mom)

(She sent this in a Christmas card)

Dear Georgie,

We’d love to have them, we’ve got the location. They’ve started building smaller-scale stores, which we could accommodate in space like Porteous. So I’m hopeful …



Mr. George Schott,

Please listen to my plea!

I’d really like to see the Olive Garden Restaurant go in the Auburn Mall.

It has a reputation for good food at reasonable prices, which is really needed in this area.

I believe it would be an asset to other businesses as well.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Bernie Conant

Dear Mrs. Conant,

Yes, we’d all love an Olive Garden in Lewiston-Auburn. And I thought we had an ideal location for them. We were talking with Olive Garden this spring, but they decided to go to Topsham instead.

I wonder what Olive Garden would think if a lot of people wrote to them and let them know just how much we want one here? It sure couldn’t hurt.

(Sun Journal editors – who also want to eat at Olive Garden – found the address: Olive Garden, P.O. Box 592037, Orlando, Florida, 32859-2037; phone, 800-331-2729; or e-mail, [email protected])



Dear George,

Please help the people of L-A. I live in Minot, retired, and only go to Wal-Mart on Thursdays. I would love to be able to go to Target and out to lunch at Olive Garden. Please bring both to the L-A area.

Thank you in advance.

Dolores Cormier, Minot

Dear Dolores,

I’m afraid the situation with Target is similar to Olive Garden’s, something I call “triangled.” Because they have locations in three other markets that are near enough to drive to, they feel they’re already getting to our customers. I don’t agree with that, and I think Kohl’s will prove the point. I’d really like to have both here and will keep trying.



Dear George,

The best restaurant around is Texas Roadhouse! I am telling you, if you open one in Auburn there will be a line at the door every single night and the wait time will be 3 hours or more always! Bangor has the only one in Maine – let’s put one in Auburn!

Dori-Anne Tarr, New Gloucester

(I used to baby-sit your kids for you when I was a kid!)

Dear Dori-Anne,

They talked to us a month or two ago. Their Bangor restaurant is doing fabulous. I actually think we’re more likely to get a Texas Roadhouse than an Olive Garden. They haven’t decided where to build yet. Perhaps you’d like to encourage them?

(This time, the Sun Journal’s meat-loving editors came through: Texas Roadhouse Support Center 6040 Dutchmans Lane, Suite 400, Louisville, KY 40205; phone: 502-426-9984 or 800 839-7623; e-mail form at texasroadhouse.com)

Dear Mr. Schott,

I believe that the L-A area needs a restaurant that serves healthy, inexpensive food. A Panera Bread Cafe would be a wonderful addition to this area. It serves whole grain breads and nutritious soups and salads. It is fast food for people on the go who care about their health. And it gives a percentage of its profit back to the community for local hunger relief.

I have enclosed their menu for you to look at.

Karen Johnson, West Paris

Dear Ms. Johnson,

Thank you for the menu, but you’ll see that some of the prices are higher-than-average for this area. I think we don’t have the household income that other markets do at the moment, but I’m optimistic that will change. I look to the new Wal-Mart Distribution Center and the expansion of Banknorth as examples of economic development that lead to better-paying jobs. As our wages improve, so will our demographics. And that will help us land retailers like Panera Bread in the future.