Norfolk Stores and Retail and Resturants

[Weaver24]

Kirklands is closing in MacArthur Center in Norfolk (sales going on now and everything must go), as well as Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News (will close next week). They closed their location at Greenbrier Mall last year and I believe they had one either at Lynnhaven or Chesapeake Square. There must be a problem with this retailer.

It looked like Crabtree and Evelyn is either remodeling or closing, either one.

A couple of seasonal stores will close soon in MacArthur as well.

[Weaver24]

Along with the closing of Kirkland's in MacArthur Center....Crabtree and Evelyn (which was a store exclusive in the HR market) closed... Kids foot locker, ladies foot locker, and a couple of jewelers are closing (the one on the first floor near Dillard's)

[urbanvb]

I realize higher end retail is going to suffer most during these tough times but geesh, MacArthur sure has been hit pretty hard by closures lately.

[Weaver24]

I realize higher end retail is going to suffer most during these tough times but geesh, MacArthur sure has been hit pretty hard by closures lately.

Yes it has but hopefully MacArthur management has plans to fill some of the vacancies/upcoming vacancies, but with the economy, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Waldenbooks is also closing in Military Circle Mall, which is a loss to the area due to no other bookstores (Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.) in that area of Norfolk plus the lack of variety in that mall. I hear something new is going to come in the food court in that mall.

On pilotonline.com today, Circuit City will close ALL of it's stores due to the failure to find a buyer and unprecedented pullback in customer spending. Below is the link to the article. This will hurt alot of malls and big-box shopping centers in the nation. In Norfolk, they just built a new CC in JANAF shopping center. Its sad because the shopping center across where Ollie's Bargain Outlet lost CompUSA last year. Hopefully BestBuy or something good will take the space of the JANAF CC in the future. It is a good location that is visible from Military Hwy so hopefully somebody will be interested, but I'm not going to hold my breath on this one either. The problem is that Best Buy will not have any real direct competition (well they do have Wal-Mart and Target) so they could raise some prices and not work as hard to be competitive.

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/01/circuit-ci...ling-find-buyer

[urbanvb]

I also thought about the lack of competition which could indeed be a bad thing. The newer CC in Janaf is pretty nice as I found a gps there last year I was looking for.

[spiker3]

On pilotonline.com today, Circuit City will close ALL of it's stores due to the failure to find a buyer and unprecedented pullback in customer spending. Below is the link to the article. This will hurt alot of malls and big-box shopping centers in the nation. In Norfolk, they just built a new CC in JANAF shopping center. Its sad because the shopping center across where Ollie's Bargain Outlet lost CompUSA last year. Hopefully BestBuy or something good will take the space of the JANAF CC in the future. It is a good location that is visible from Military Hwy so hopefully somebody will be interested, but I'm not going to hold my breath on this one either. The problem is that Best Buy will not have any real direct competition (well they do have Wal-Mart and Target) so they could raise some prices and not work as hard to be competitive.

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/01/circuit-ci...ling-find-buyer

Best Buy would never open up in Janaf, completely wrong demographics in the area (i'm not talking about race, i'm talking about per capita income and average household income)

[Weaver24]

Best Buy would never open up in Janaf, completely wrong demographics in the area (i'm not talking about race, i'm talking about per capita income and average household income)

I don't think the demographics are that bad in that area. Of course they not as affluent as Va Beach or Chesapeake, but it is a blue collar area. The area also have a lot of traffic and is accessable to Norfolk, and some Va Beach residents. It also has a close proximity to the airport and alot of companies. I heard in the past that Best Buy was interested in Janaf but couldn't put a store there because CC was there. But with the state of the economy, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[urbanvb]

A great article about DT Norfolk being ripe for retail which is what we have been saying all along. If we can get some retail going amongst all the restaurants things will really heat up. The company that is helping with this, Downtown Works, appears to have done some wonderful things.

Downtown Works has completed similar plans in other cities including St. Louis; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Milwaukee.

Five to six years after developing a plan in downtown St. Louis, that city now boasts 100 new stores and restaurants, McCauley said.

Downtown Norfolk in prime position for more retail

Edited January 20, 2009 by urbanvb

[mikeas]

New moderately priced designer clothing in Ghent.

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/01/new-busine...dial-provisions

[Weaver24]

Steak Escape left MacArthur Center last weekend. I heard another tenant supposed to come which is good. I hope it isn't a Subway.

[mikeas]

Steak Escape left MacArthur Center last weekend. I heard another tenant supposed to come which is good. I hope it isn't a Subway.

A Chick-fil-a would be an excellent replacement.

[varider]

A Chick-fil-a would be an excellent replacement.

Definately..

I mean no offense but when it comes to quick food Greenbrier and Lynnhaven have better food than Macarthur.

[spiker3]

Steak Escape left MacArthur Center last weekend. I heard another tenant supposed to come which is good. I hope it isn't a Subway.

This was expected, any new vendor will be very small. On a related note, I ran into the GM of MacArthur last weekend. It's virtually official that HMSHost (Burger King, Nathans, Lotus, Cajun, Cheesecake, Hersheys and Starbucks) will not have their contract renewed after expiration in December 2010. Even in the event that the mall would want to re-up their contract, which they do not, HMSHost doesn't look like want to re-up either. So we look like we're looking at an all new food court next year sometime!

The person who resulted in me leaving the food court and proceeded to run it into the ground was demoted and is transfering out of state, but the damage has been done.

[Weaver24]

Definately..

I mean no offense but when it comes to quick food Greenbrier and Lynnhaven have better food than Macarthur.

Yes, I totally agree. Lynnhaven has the best food court in comparison to ALL the malls in the area, including MacArthur and Patrick Henry. I would frequent that mall alot more if it was more centrally located like MacArthur Center and Military Circle. I just hope the tenant that is coming to replace Steak Escape, is a desireable tenant. I know it isn't a Chick Fil A because I asked somebody who works in the mall. They are not at liberty to reveal the upcoming tenant. I wish it was a Chick-fil-A, because there should be one downtown. I just hope it is not the nondescript, ubiquitous, boring and disgusting (well in my opinion) Subway. I mean there are too many Subways in the area but I wouldn't be suprised if they take the space of Steak Escape. Was Steak Escape even good? I never eaten there...and I preceive a lot of others haven't as well due to their departure.

[Weaver24]

This was expected, any new vendor will be very small. On a related note, I ran into the GM of MacArthur last weekend. It's virtually official that HMSHost (Burger King, Nathans, Lotus, Cajun, Cheesecake, Hersheys and Starbucks) will not have their contract renewed after expiration in December 2010. Even in the event that the mall would want to re-up their contract, which they do not, HMSHost doesn't look like want to re-up either. So we look like we're looking at an all new food court next year sometime!

The person who resulted in me leaving the food court and proceeded to run it into the ground was demoted and is transfering out of state, but the damage has been done.

Now it's great that we will be getting a better selection in the food court, but I hope we can keep the Cheesecake Factory Cafe. That place have pretty good salads and it is a "unique to the area" vendor, something that the mall keeps loosing every year.

[Weaver24]

Fred Meyers Jewelers and Icing by Claire's closed in MacArthur recently. Icing by Claire's also closed it's store in Lynnhaven Mall in Va Beach. A few other seasonal stores closed as well.

[brikkman]

Yes, I totally agree. Lynnhaven has the best food court in comparison to ALL the malls in the area, including MacArthur and Patrick Henry. I would frequent that mall alot more if it was more centrally located like MacArthur Center and Military Circle. I just hope the tenant that is coming to replace Steak Escape, is a desireable tenant. I know it isn't a Chick Fil A because I asked somebody who works in the mall. They are not at liberty to reveal the upcoming tenant. I wish it was a Chick-fil-A, because there should be one downtown. I just hope it is not the nondescript, ubiquitous, boring and disgusting (well in my opinion) Subway. I mean there are too many Subways in the area but I wouldn't be suprised if they take the space of Steak Escape. Was Steak Escape even good? I never eaten there...and I preceive a lot of others haven't as well due to their departure.

Steak Escape was par (still good IMO), nothing like a "philly style steak subs on tidewater drive near little creek rd.

I think it was pretty good, just slightly over priced for what it was.

[spiker3]

Now it's great that we will be getting a better selection in the food court, but I hope we can keep the Cheesecake Factory Cafe. That place have pretty good salads and it is a "unique to the area" vendor, something that the mall keeps loosing every year.

That definitely won't happen, it's a small miracle that it's lasted this long. Cheesecake Factory was looking at franchising small cafes ten years ago, it only created two locations (MacArthur and Dulles Airport I think) but since they were created there has been no feedback or communication besides check writing with CCF in the last five years. It's amazing CCF hasn't pulled the name yet, but it certainly won't keep a marginal franchise in a failing location (six straight years of declining sales, down from a high of $1.5 million) I get your point about the exclusivity, but it's as good as gone.

[Norfolk4Life]

I don't think the mall food court is a good place for a CCF anyway. the food court should be made up of fast food type restaurants. A place like CCF should have a spot, say, on the ground level of the Well Fargo (formerly Wachovia) Center. Same thing if we could get a Panera's or something downtown. They should be in high visiblility, high foot traffic locations for passerbys to see, not in the mall.

[Mobius57]

Are you crzy? Subways the best thing since sliced bread! Disgusting O_O -.- *cries*

<---subway fan

[Weaver24]

Steak Escape was par (still good IMO), nothing like a "philly style steak subs on tidewater drive near little creek rd.

I think it was pretty good, just slightly over priced for what it was.

Yes, that place on Tidewater Drive is great. I'm not a huge fan of subs but I like that place. The salads are good there too. It's good that we have local places in this area. Also, a Bojangles will be constructed in the future in front of the new Wal-Mart on Tidewater Drive close by. It will be where the old video store (Pricebusters, PlanetVideo or something like that) used to be, which is adjacent to the Advance Auto. They started tearing the old video store location down this week and we should see the Bojangle's built there in the future. Their chicken and dirty rice is great, especially when the chicken is fresh...just can't eat it every day because it's fried.

[Weaver24]

That definitely won't happen, it's a small miracle that it's lasted this long. Cheesecake Factory was looking at franchising small cafes ten years ago, it only created two locations (MacArthur and Dulles Airport I think) but since they were created there has been no feedback or communication besides check writing with CCF in the last five years. It's amazing CCF hasn't pulled the name yet, but it certainly won't keep a marginal franchise in a failing location (six straight years of declining sales, down from a high of $1.5 million) I get your point about the exclusivity, but it's as good as gone.

I get your point. When it leaves, that means the only place to get Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake is the restaurant in Va Beach Town Center. It was easier to get it in MacArthur in my opinion but I see what you saying. I'm suprised that sales were declining for six years....I can see them decreasing now with the economy but for six years...that is not a good look in retail.

Are you crzy? Subways the best thing since sliced bread! Disgusting O_O -.- *cries*

<---subway fan

We all have opinions...lol but Subway stinks and their stuff seems too processed, but I guess since they are so everpresent...a lot of people have a favorable opinion about them. I personally like Quizno's and Zero's a lot better.

[mlsimons]

Yes, that place on Tidewater Drive is great. I'm not a huge fan of subs but I like that place. The salads are good there too. It's good that we have local places in this area. Also, a Bojangles will be constructed in the future in front of the new Wal-Mart on Tidewater Drive close by. It will be where the old video store (Pricebusters, PlanetVideo or something like that) used to be, which is adjacent to the Advance Auto. They started tearing the old video store location down this week and we should see the Bojangle's built there in the future. Their chicken and dirty rice is great, especially when the chicken is fresh...just can't eat it every day because it's fried.

OMG, WHAT....HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS?

BOJANGLES IS MY FREAKIN FAVORITE, but the Northampton Blvd one sux. IM GOING TO LIVE HERE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

The only way you could make my life any better today is if you told me that Zaxby's was coming to town! hahah

Edited February 6, 2009 by mlsimons

[Chesapeake Pirate]

I am very pleased to see that Virginia will apparently very soon become a place where smoking is no longer allowed in restaurants. While I am not interested in debating that, I am interested in what impact there will be on our Norfolk restaurants. I suspect that a few establsihments that cater to the heavy smoking and drinkers may have some troubles...perhaps serious troubles, but I think overall more restaurant business will result because people will no longer have to worry, wonder or perhaps avoid certain restaurants because of the concern with smoke.

[Mobius57]

Mabe Norfolkians don't like chesse cake? -.-

Edited February 7, 2009 by Mobius57