Individual Products
- Disability Insurance
Keeping a Dream Alive
Dave and Cindy Morgan make a great team. They're husband and wife; parents of David, 15, and Jordan, 11; and operate a popular restaurant and banquet facility in Utica, N.Y.
Their personalities provide a balance that's good for business. Dave's wit and high-energy persona have him always thinking of new ideas. Cindy's eye for detail adds the personal touch that keeps their customers coming back. Like any solid team, it takes communication, dedication and a lot of hard work to make things run smoothly.
Their foray into the restaurant business started small when Cindy opened a barbeque stand with a friend. Helping out in his spare time, Dave soon realized he had found his calling and decided to focus on the business full-time. The Morgans ran the barbeque stand for five years, during which Dave had his mind on their next venture.
"Every day we would drive over the bridge, Dave would look down and comment about this place and how it would make a beautiful restaurant," Cindy said.
When the property located on the Erie Canal came up for lease, it didn't take long for Dave's vision to become a reality. They opened Kitty's on the Canal in 2003. The Morgans were busier than ever, but things were working well.
Then, life as they knew it changed one evening in March 2006. After a long day at the restaurant, the couple made plans to go out with friends. Dave was closing the restaurant and said he would meet the group when he finished. Just seconds away from Kitty's on the Canal, the driver of a truck lost control and smashed into the vehicle Cindy was riding in. Shaken, Cindy didn't even realize she was injured. Later that night, the excruciating pain set in. Diagnosed with bulging discs in her spine, the once-active mother and businesswoman now struggles with even the smallest activities. She continues physical therapy, but has been declared partially disabled.
Cindy's disability could have devastated their business. Fortunately, they teamed up with Mutual of Omaha 18 months earlier when they met representative Ed Waszkiewicz, a lunchtime regular at Kitty's on the Canal.
"Ed showed us how this insurance could keep the restaurant running if something were to happen to one of us," Cindy said. "It just made sense and it was very affordable."
The disability insurance covers overhead expenses such as utilities, loan interest and the salaries of other employees who must now fill Cindy's role. While they can't hire someone to contribute Cindy's unique touch, having the disability insurance has been a relief. Without it, they may have had to close Kitty's on the Canal and plans for their newest business would have been on hold. In June, the Morgans opened The Blue Flag, an elegant banquet facility located in a renovated art deco train station.
"I lost a key spoke in my wheel when Cindy was hurt," Dave said. "But disability insurance helped save our business - our livelihood - from ruin. Anyone who owns a business can't afford not to have this type of insurance."
