
I want you to Run It Like A Rock Star!
Are you the owner of a bar, restaurant, winery, brewery, cidery, distillery, or a hotel/B&B and need help turning the corner, or want a game plan to fuel new growth? Or, are you a start-up in need of guidance and direction? I specialize in the hospitality industry, and I can help you Run It Like A Rock Star. Be a disruption in the marketplace before you get disrupted.
Chad Kimmel
Services
Why Main Street?
About Us

“Run It Like a Rock Star” was founded by Dr. Chad Kimmel in 2021 as a vehicle to help independent businesses stay alive and thrive in this post Pandemic culture. He has identified some time-tested growth strategies that can be immediately implemented for little or no cost, and has assembled a variety of other practices that can be staged over time.
Having spent two decades in Higher Education as a Sociology Professor and Researcher, and the last five planning, launching and growing one of the most popular and recognizable hard cider and
wine bars in Pennsylvania—Grand Illusion Hard Cider in Downtown Carlisle, PA—Chad is uniquely positioned to help independent business owners create and achieve their goals. His related teaching includes undergraduate courses in City & Community, and graduate courses in Business & Society and Leadership & Social Change. He has also authored numerous publications on community related issues. His 2010 grant funded research project on Main Streets in Pennsylvania resulted in a 300-page report, which was presented, at their request, to representatives of the Pennsylvania State Legislature. This yearlong project gave Chad the opportunity to identify those “best practices” used by 61 of Pennsylvania’s strongest Downtowns. He is on the Board of the Downtown Carlisle Association, and has served on boards and committees of some of the most important non-profit organizations in the community.
But outside of his expertise in grant writing—Grand Illusion was one of 31 nationally to win a $15,000 Main Street Hartford Grant—it is Chad’s use of sociology that really sets him apart from other business owners and consultants. Establishing and maintaining a positive work-place culture; demonstrating servant leadership; creating a welcoming sense of place for staff and guests; maximizing the powers of the experience economy; fostering “enlightened hospitality”; branding and marketing that engages the consumer; and knowing how best to package and sell “reactions.” These are just some of the areas that Chad could explore with you and your business.

“Run It Like a Rock Star” was founded by Dr. Chad Kimmel in 2021 as a vehicle to help independent businesses stay alive and thrive in this post Pandemic culture. He has identified some time-tested growth strategies that can be immediately implemented for little or no cost, and has assembled a variety of other practices that can be staged over time.
Having spent two decades in Higher Education as a Sociology Professor and Researcher, and the last five planning, launching and growing one of the most popular and recognizable hard cider and wine bars in Pennsylvania—Grand Illusion Hard Cider in Downtown Carlisle, PA—Chad is uniquely positioned to help independent business owners create and achieve their goals. His related teaching includes undergraduate courses in City & Community, and graduate courses in Business & Society and Leadership & Social Change. He has also authored numerous publications on community related issues. His 2010 grant funded research project on Main Streets in Pennsylvania resulted in a 300-page report, which was presented, at their request, to representatives of the Pennsylvania State Legislature. This yearlong project gave Chad the opportunity to identify those “best practices” used by 61 of Pennsylvania’s strongest Downtowns. He is on the Board of the Downtown Carlisle Association, and has served on boards and committees of some of the most important non-profit organizations in the community.
But outside of his expertise in grant writing—Grand Illusion was one of 31 nationally to win a $15,000 Main Street Hartford Grant—it is Chad’s use of sociology that really sets him apart from other business owners and consultants. Establishing and maintaining a positive work-place culture; demonstrating servant leadership; creating a welcoming sense of place for staff and guests; maximizing the powers of the experience economy; fostering “enlightened hospitality”; branding and marketing that engages the consumer; and knowing how best to package and sell “reactions.” These are just some of the areas that Chad could explore with you and your business.
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What Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe (not Pizza by Alfredo) Taught Me about Work Culture
On a recent trip to Scranton, PA, my family and I—all lovers of The Office—couldn’t leave without eating at Alfredo’s Pizza Café, a restaurant made famous in Season 4, Episode 3. Located in the South Side Shopping Plaza, this well-established Italian...