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Grand Rapids Restaurant Rumor Mill

dbrok

By dbrok
in Grand Rapids

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numstead
numstead

It's a testament to the efficacy of the building codes. That duct on the side of the building is fire-rated by code, and protected the rest of the building for enough time for the fire department to r

GVSUChris
GVSUChris

So I was downtown the other night with a group of friends and we noticed that this space has signs in all the window for Korean BBQ and Korean Karaoke. For some people that might seem a little odd but

EastownLeo
EastownLeo

The old Chili's near the Knapp Celebration Cinema will be turned into a Buddy's Pizza

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getemngo Whistle-Stop

getemngo

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Old news, but the cat cafe met its funding goal on Kickstarter. They posted a Facebook update on October 20 stating that they're still looking for a location.

And for those who missed it in the downtown retail thread, Gita Pita is open at the SE corner of Fulton and Jefferson. I went last night and the food was tasty and the service fast, though that came courtesy of a very short line at 5:30 pm. Considering that One Stop Coney Shop isn't even open for dinner, this neighborhood must be more active at lunch.

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wingbert Burg

wingbert

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Barfly re-branding McFadden's.     From what I recall, when they bought this place, it was always their intent to eventually change things up.

Wow, that's great.  I know a key lesson in business, when acquiring an enterprise that has successfully survived in the same location through economic ups and downs, one of the first things you do is completely change it.  I mean, dive bars with original character and unique environments are a dime a dozen downtown.  Everywhere you go in Grand Rapids everyone agrees, what the downtown needs is a restaurant / pub / nightclub.  You can't find anything like that for literally feet in any direction from McFadden's.

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walker Burg

walker

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On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2015‎ ‎7‎:‎06‎:‎23‎, mpchicago said:

Barfly re-branding McFadden's.     From what I recall, when they bought this place, it was always their intent to eventually change things up.

 

On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2015‎ ‎2‎:‎13‎:‎43‎, wingbert said:

 

Wow, that's great.  I know a key lesson in business, when acquiring an enterprise that has successfully survived in the same location through economic ups and downs, one of the first things you do is completely change it.  I mean, dive bars with original character and unique environments are a dime a dozen downtown.  Everywhere you go in Grand Rapids everyone agrees, what the downtown needs is a restaurant / pub / nightclub.  You can't find anything like that for literally feet in any direction from McFadden's.

 

Its current and soon to end incarnation as an Irish Pub is no more authentic than this new “food inspired by British Commonwealth” theme.  If you want an authentic dive bar atmosphere then it ought to be converted back to being a blues and jazz bar as it was at one time.  Back in the age of de facto segregation, from the 1920’s to the mid-sixties, this was a Black bar and hotel.  Take a look at the note section of the link below:

Waldron Building History

That’s the cleaned up history.   Here’s more history than you probably want to know.  The business came into the possession of prominent African American attorney Alphonse Lewis in the sixties.  At that time it was known as Barnett’s Bar.  Here is the appeal brought by the city of a lawsuit that Lewis had won claiming the city had discriminated against him regarding the license transfer:

Lewis v City of Grand Rapids

I was around back then but I don’t remember how the appeal came out.  But I find it’s a pretty interesting look into what went on in GR in the sixties.  So what should it be, a fake Irish Pub or a fake British Pub? 

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wingbert Burg

wingbert

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4 hours ago, walker said:

 

 

It’s current and soon to end incarnation as an Irish Pub is no more authentic than this new “food inspired by British Commonwealth” theme.  If you want an authentic dive bar atmosphere then it ought to be converted back to being a blues and jazz bar as it was at one time.  Back in the age of de facto segregation, from the 1920’s to the mid-sixties, this was a Black bar and hotel.  Take a look at the note section of the link below:

Waldron Building History

That’s the cleaned up history.   Here’s more history than you probably want to know.  The business came into the possession of prominent African American attorney Alphonse Lewis in the sixties.  At that time it was known as Barnett’s Bar.  Here is the appeal brought by the city of a lawsuit the Lewis had won claiming the city had discriminated against him regarding the license transfer:

Lewis v City of Grand Rapids

I was around back then but I don’t remember how the appeal came out.  But I find it’s a pretty interesting look into what went on in GR in the sixties.  So what should it be, a fake Irish Pub or a fake British Pub? 

 

OK, you win.  Of course, way before that a native American once had a campfire there and cooked a  rabbit.  So maybe to be honest even the blues and jazz bar was fake.

I just rolled my eyes so far back in my head I think I saw my brain.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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5 hours ago, walker said:

 

 

It’s current and soon to end incarnation as an Irish Pub is no more authentic than this new “food inspired by British Commonwealth” theme.  If you want an authentic dive bar atmosphere then it ought to be converted back to being a blues and jazz bar as it was at one time.  Back in the age of de facto segregation, from the 1920’s to the mid-sixties, this was a Black bar and hotel.  Take a look at the note section of the link below:

Waldron Building History

That’s the cleaned up history.   Here’s more history than you probably want to know.  The business came into the possession of prominent African American attorney Alphonse Lewis in the sixties.  At that time it was known as Barnett’s Bar.  Here is the appeal brought by the city of a lawsuit the Lewis had won claiming the city had discriminated against him regarding the license transfer:

Lewis v City of Grand Rapids

I was around back then but I don’t remember how the appeal came out.  But I find it’s a pretty interesting look into what went on in GR in the sixties.  So what should it be, a fake Irish Pub or a fake British Pub? 

 

A blues and jazz club would be an excellent idea for that spot. Like Rhythm Kitchen Cafe used to have. 

Or they could go back to having women dance on tables like the movie Coyote Ugly (I knew one of the table dancers, she's mortified to even admit it now). 

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