109 replies to this topic

[The Escapists]

Yeah I saw that too, and was talking about it with a friend the other day. I wonder what the rent is in that space; Molly Mac's was a good tenant for that space - but you can't assume that you could sell enough $8 scotch every day to make costs work. I just don't think there are enough people with enough disposable income right now. So I wondered if they were just blind to that, or if the only way they could make their lease rate work was to sell $8 scotch.

Basil Thai is right across the street and I think they're doing fine business...

[49er]

Geez, this storefront has been a revolving door for 10+ years now. I would say that half a dozen or more failed restaurants is a sign that it should perhaps have a different use. Maybe a retail storefront instead of restaurant?

[ricky_davis_fan_21]

Honestly about the only things that would work here would be a mega chain or one of the more successful Local Chains, 141 Main (is that the name?) or Big Daddys (Bad Daddys?)

[dbull75]

^131 Main I'm not sure of the closest coffee shop, but why not a Starbucks if there's not one near by? That will draw traffic on it's own and may even spur other activity near by.

[caterpillar2]

How about a great European bakery that has wonderful European breads, couissants, and other such items. It could serve European breakfasts like hard rolls, cheeses, couissants, pruchutto, muclix, ,and other specialties along with some usual dishes.  For lunch,they would specialize with great bagette sandwiches. The wonderful aroma of fresh baked bread would be the draw.  At night, it could be a great place for light dinners and wine, etc. Other than Dean and Deluca, I can't think of anything uptown in that category.

[ricky_davis_fan_21]

caterpillar2, on 08 November 2011 - 12:26 PM, said:

How about a great European bakery that has wonderful European breads, couissants, and other such items. It could serve European breakfasts like hard rolls, cheeses, couissants, pruchutto, muclix, ,and other specialties along with some usual dishes.  For lunch,they would specialize with great bagette sandwiches. The wonderful aroma of fresh baked bread would be the draw.  At night, it could be a great place for light dinners and wine, etc. Other than Dean and Deluca, I can't think of anything uptown in that category.

That'd go out of business in a heartbeat, plus isn't there an Amelie's downtown too? It honestly needs to be a destination restaurant, local chain, or god awful chain for anything to survive there... There just isn't the residential capacity to support anything interesting :-(

[nonillogical]

nibletodell, on 08 November 2011 - 03:22 PM, said:

That'd go out of business in a heartbeat, plus isn't there an Amelie's downtown too? It honestly needs to be a destination restaurant, local chain, or god awful chain for anything to survive there... There just isn't the residential capacity to support anything interesting :-(

I tend to agree. It's a pretty good size space and COULD be well-used as a retail store but since that is so unlikely, a chain bar/restaurant is most likely, especially given its proximity to the 5th street bar strip. Not as cool as Molly's, but I think a Taco Mac would succeed there.

[ricky_davis_fan_21]

I agree 100%

[Spartan]

dbull75, on 08 November 2011 - 10:42 AM, said:

^131 Main I'm not sure of the closest coffee shop, but why not a Starbucks if there's not one near by? That will draw traffic on it's own and may even spur other activity near by.

There are two Starbucks within as many blocks. One on Trade, one in Overstreet in BofA Plaza...

caterpillar2, on 08 November 2011 - 12:26 PM, said:

How about a great European bakery that has wonderful European breads, couissants, and other such items. It could serve European breakfasts like hard rolls, cheeses, couissants, pruchutto, muclix, ,and other specialties along with some usual dishes.  For lunch,they would specialize with great bagette sandwiches. The wonderful aroma of fresh baked bread would be the draw.  At night, it could be a great place for light dinners and wine, etc. Other than Dean and Deluca, I can't think of anything uptown in that category.

Fourth Ward Bread Co (on Graham St) is going to take care of most of that.

[dubone]

Coyote Ugly anyone?   Haha,  I only went into Molly McPherson twice, and it was just not somewhere I really would go.  The Amelies uptown is just a tiny thing in the Visit Charlotte tourism center, right?  It would seem like maybe Amelies could try to do a real place, and snag after hours people walking from the clubs and morning coffee people at the banks.

The physical space, though, really needs work.  Almost everyone avoids the sidewalk next to the Ivy's for the same reasons discussed ad nauseum in this thread.  I walk through that stretch constantly and only walk that side of the street when I'm in a hurry and the other side is full.  The entrance to this is that weird cut through inside the corner and it hasn't been upgraded in forever.  Molly's had decent awnings but they really didn't catch the eye at all.  

I think the only hope for this space is a chain (local or otherwise) that people will think about and go there.  It is a shame that the Zink owners moved it to SouthPark, because it would have been the type of place that may have made the right upgrades inside and enough name recognition to draw people in.