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Lake Drive Changes.

EastownLeo

By EastownLeo
in Grand Rapids

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Pattmost20 Hamlet

Pattmost20

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17 minutes ago, EastownLeo said:

Have any lasted more than 2 years?

No Clue, I thought SIP was there for a while. I feel like the Kingsley building will at least give them good viability, maybe people will feel bad after going to D'arts Donuts and try to redeem themselves with a juice cleanse, detox, or whatever marketing term they are using nowadays. 

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EastownLeo Hamlet

EastownLeo

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28 minutes ago, Pattmost20 said:

No Clue, I thought SIP was there for a while. I feel like the Kingsley building will at least give them good viability, maybe people will feel bad after going to D'arts Donuts and try to redeem themselves with a juice cleanse, detox, or whatever marketing term they are using nowadays. 

Speaking of Dart's Donuts.

They have been closed Since Dec. 21st.

Not sure they are coming back.  They had such good potential.  I hope I am wrong.

They just need to work on the quality, flavors and it always seemed like they had 20 people working there when they only needed 5.

 

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EastownLeo Hamlet

EastownLeo

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32 minutes ago, wingbert said:

So you're saying that other than the quality and the flavor, the donuts are great?  :sick:

They serve a specific type of donut. Its pretty hard to compete with Van's, Marge's, or the Donut Conspiracy.  They needed to step up their game.  Quality = 3 out of 5 stars.  Flavors = 3 out of 5 stars.

If they could have had a better product they would have have more return customers.  Like I said I hope I am wrong and that they open back up.  But recent Facebook posts really make me question if a retail space is working for them.

 

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Pattmost20 Hamlet

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18 hours ago, wingbert said:

So you're saying that other than the quality and the flavor, the donuts are great?  :sick:

My thoughts on it were their basic flavors were good but no better than Marge's or Sandy's. However their unique flavors were delicious, and stuff you couldn't find elsewhere, like the Maple Bacon Doughnut. I know Donut Conspiracy is supposed to have interesting flavors, but I'm rarely out on the Beltline.

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EastownLeo Hamlet

EastownLeo

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4 hours ago, jdkacz said:

I thought it was just electrical issues and that they'd reopen (or is that just cover for something else?). They always seemed steady when I was there.

Just seems odd to change your hours to be closed on Monday Tuesdays and Wed.  then 2 weeks later, close up, saying you have electrical issues.  then almost a month later, not being open at all.  Knowing that the building had a full renovation recently and before that, a full solar setup was setup on the roof, maybe it has to do with that.  But who knows.

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walker Burg

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On 1/17/2018 at 10:12 AM, jdkacz said:

I thought it was just electrical issues and that they'd reopen (or is that just cover for something else?). They always seemed steady when I was there.

On my walk today I took this photo of the latest post on their door:

HPIM3196.thumb.JPG.345829dd7f7b195e5c66e6eb093ea204.JPG

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

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Hi Chris Knape, surprising you didn't know D'arts was closing months ago like the rest of us. 

On 1/16/2018 at 4:04 PM, EastownLeo said:

Speaking of Dart's Donuts.

They have been closed Since Dec. 21st.

Not sure they are coming back.  They had such good potential.  I hope I am wrong.

They just need to work on the quality, flavors and it always seemed like they had 20 people working there when they only needed 5.

 

I didn't see this post previously. Pretty funny. :lol:

"But other than that, what a great business model." 

Maybe having a complete retail business that revolves around donuts isn't a great business. Even Krispy Kreme gives you a hard time when you DON'T order a dozen because their machines are set up to kick out a dozen at a time. 

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EastownLeo Hamlet

EastownLeo

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12 hours ago, GRDadof3 said:

Hi Chris Knape, surprising you didn't know D'arts was closing months ago like the rest of us. 

I didn't see this post previously. Pretty funny. :lol:

"But other than that, what a great business model." 

Maybe having a complete retail business that revolves around donuts isn't a great business. Even Krispy Kreme gives you a hard time when you DON'T order a dozen because their machines are set up to kick out a dozen at a time. 

A donut/pastry shop in Eastown, is/was a good idea.  There is high foot traffic in the early hours, especially on weekends. There is also a large amount of passing business traffic headed to and from the city that picks up donuts on the way into the office.  There are no "cheap" breakfast/snack options in the area, other than the incidentals at a place like early bird.  Dart's could have turned the knob up to 9 or 10, i just don't think they could.  Put a place like Portland Oregon's Voodoo Donuts there and it would be packed.

I hope somebody takes over the space and does well there.  It had been vacant for far too long and now it sits vacant again.  

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

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6 hours ago, EastownLeo said:

A donut/pastry shop in Eastown, is/was a good idea.  There is high foot traffic in the early hours, especially on weekends. There is also a large amount of passing business traffic headed to and from the city that picks up donuts on the way into the office.  There are no "cheap" breakfast/snack options in the area, other than the incidentals at a place like early bird.  Dart's could have turned the knob up to 9 or 10, i just don't think they could.  Put a place like Portland Oregon's Voodoo Donuts there and it would be packed.

I hope somebody takes over the space and does well there.  It had been vacant for far too long and now it sits vacant again.  

I think donut shops are tough though, precisely because they're like fast food breakfast places, and fast food only seems to survive with big multinational support behind them. I'm certainly not celebrating their closure but it's a tough business. The upside is there's probably not a lot of waste because they take a pretty short time to make, like a coffee shop has very little waste at the end of the day from what I can imagine. Even Krispy Kreme has gotten into catering to stay in business (have you seen the fleet of catering trucks there on 28th?)

I believe the Dunkin Donuts on Plainfield closed and wasn't that old? The Tim Horton's at the Beltline and Northland Drive also closed. 

All the kids in my daughters' school keep Donut Conspiracy alive, apparently. 

 

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egrguy Burg

egrguy

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On 2/13/2018 at 9:25 AM, iK1NkY said:

I wouldn't mind a Sweetwater's Donuts from Kalamazoo going into this space ^_^

I loved Sweetwater's from my time at WMU. To be honest, I feel that them and Marge's are the clear leaders in best tasting donuts in the West Michigan region.

 

On 2/13/2018 at 9:18 AM, EastownLeo said:

A donut/pastry shop in Eastown, is/was a good idea.  There is high foot traffic in the early hours, especially on weekends. There is also a large amount of passing business traffic headed to and from the city that picks up donuts on the way into the office.  There are no "cheap" breakfast/snack options in the area, other than the incidentals at a place like early bird.  Dart's could have turned the knob up to 9 or 10, i just don't think they could.  Put a place like Portland Oregon's Voodoo Donuts there and it would be packed.

I hope somebody takes over the space and does well there.  It had been vacant for far too long and now it sits vacant again.  

Voodoo is expanding with locations in several states (CA, CO, FL).  Maybe we'd get one :), they do have a fun vibe to them and I agree it'd fit well in the neighborhood.

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Prankster Burg

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11 hours ago, jdkacz said:

Voodoo is expanding with locations in several states (CA, CO, FL).  Maybe we'd get one :), they do have a fun vibe to them and I agree it'd fit well in the neighborhood.

Voodoo would be the gold standard for a donut shop. Now if you through in a  Stumptown Coffeshop with it, you would have an unbeatable combination. 

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EastownLeo Hamlet

EastownLeo

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The building has been built out with some features not found in many of the area for a commercial space.

"The Lake Drive storefront features a 49-seat cafe setting with solar panels that power the radiant floor heating to provide heat in the winter and hot water in the summer; a mix of LED, natural light, and solar tubes; and a rustic industrial interior with high top and bar seating plus free Wi-Fi."

I could see a interesting business take this space over and do well.  Know anybody? Eastown needs tacos and burritos back.  (Monster Burrito R.I.P) or a 24 hour diner.

 

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Allison Slater Town

Allison Slater

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On 2/13/2018 at 3:53 PM, GRDadof3 said:

I believe the Dunkin Donuts on Plainfield closed and wasn't that old? The Tim Horton's at the Beltline and Northland Drive also closed. 

 

Tim's also had another location just down the road on Plainfield.  I'm sure the two were cannibalizing each other for business.  The Arby's in that location closed, too, with another Arby's just down the road on Plainfield.

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walker Burg

walker

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On 2/8/2018 at 6:54 PM, EastownLeo said:

Dart’s Donuts seems to be done. 

All social media seem to be deleted. Lake drive location closed. Not sure about the food truck. 

Here’s the latest sign on their door.  Took this photo yesterday on my walk:

5a900ae8898c3_Dartsrelocating.jpg.1ba776162dbd600192bace62dce4d5af.jpg

I’m only reporting what I saw; I can’t verify the credibility of any relocation plans.

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