CONSTRUCTION THREAD: ONE Greenville (Main @ Washington)

[gs3]

More facade and window framing present now.

I'm liking the "weave" pattern of the facade on the 11 story part. Looks great in person. Hopefully, the beauty of this portion will detract from the ugly, bland look of the elevator shaft on the 9 story part.

Edited November 25, 2012 by gs3

[gman430]

Don't be surprised if you see a retail announcement this week or next.

It is a restaurant so I was wrong on the retail part. Sneak peek:

Edited November 28, 2012 by gman430

[adrockc2]

Cheesecake Factory?

[gman430]

Cheesecake Factory?

Nope. It's a cafe style regional restaurant chain. Due to WYFF not releasing the info yet, I will for you guys: Around 90 people to be hired with opening in mid-late 2013 from what I heard at the press conference.

Edited November 28, 2012 by gman430

[adrockc2]

Awesome! Thanks, gman.

[greenvilleguy]

Seriously????? A $100 million dollar project and THIS is the best they could come up with?? Not Cheesecake Factory? Not Maggiano's? Not McCormick and Schmicks? But THIS? This project is rapidly going the way of Magnolia Park. They better blow me away with their retail tenants. I am so disgusted right now...

[Greenville]

I'm still expecting the announcement about Brooks Brothers.

[gman430]

Seriously????? A $100 million dollar project and THIS is the best they could come up with?? Not Cheesecake Factory? Not Maggiano's? Not McCormick and Schmicks? But THIS? This project is rapidly going the way of Magnolia Park. They better blow me away with their retail tenants. I am so disgusted right now...

Wow. You obviously have never eaten at Tupelos have you? The company has won numerous foodie awards and has stellar reviews from many popular magazines. It's wayyyy better than boring and overrated Cheesecake Factory. Just because something is a national chain doesn't mean it's good. Oh and Hughes went to them not the other way around. He wanted them within this development.

In a review of Tupelo Honey, Frommer's Travel Guide said: "No other restaurant in Asheville so effectively captures the imagination of both the down-home breakfast crowd and, on Friday and Saturday nights, the very-late-night supper crowd … It's a place where Sunday-morning breakfast crowds line up and wait (in some cases, for up to an hour) for an available table. Students at the nearby university also drag their parents here for a sense of how much Asheville really does respect old-fashioned Southern virtues and cooking."

Here is Southern Living's take on them: https://tupelohoneycafe.com/press/SouthernLiving.pdf

Edited November 28, 2012 by gman430

[StrangeCock]

I actually think this is a great fit. It's a respected regional name. Small enough to be unique, but recognizable to have some draw.

It's a nice balance between the Main Street we all love and the King Street everyone reviles.

[Lib]

Tupelo Honey is the best fit for this that I can imagine!

It's high quality food without being pricey or pretentious. It's Southern without being gimmicky and it's not a chain. All things we need more of downtown. The fact that they've made a name for themselves in the restaurant community just goes to show they're good at what they do. So happy to welcome them to Greenville and I want to say serious kudos to the visionaries who thought beyond chains on this one!

[ausrutherford]

Seriously????? A $100 million dollar project and THIS is the best they could come up with?? Not Cheesecake Factory? Not Maggiano's? Not McCormick and Schmicks? But THIS? This project is rapidly going the way of Magnolia Park. They better blow me away with their retail tenants. I am so disgusted right now...

Main street should not have that many national chains. If Cheesecake factory wants to come to downtown...then builds off Main.

[HomerJay]

Main street should not have that many national chains. If Cheesecake factory wants to come to downtown...then builds off Main.

Yes. Some folks really want to turn downtown into a small scale version of Times Square, a place for dumb tourists to come, spend some money on flashy national chains, and leave. Tupelo will be good for tourism, but also good for locals.

[mallguy]

I want more national chains downtown--I want downtown Greenville to be something like downtown Princeton, NJ, downtown Greenwich, CT, downtown Westfield, NJ, etc.- all very unique, beautiful and with great shopping, and with plenty of national chains yet some locals as well, and with enough destination retail to make downtown somewhere where you can get everything you need, without having to trek to Haywood or Woodruff Roads.

National chains does not mean Times Square, which is an abysmal mix of Myrtle Beach-meets-NYC stores.

Tupelo Honey Cafe may be fine, but I was expecting something else.

[scgubers]

Seriously????? A $100 million dollar project and THIS is the best they could come up with?? Not Cheesecake Factory? Not Maggiano's? Not McCormick and Schmicks? But THIS? This project is rapidly going the way of Magnolia Park. They better blow me away with their retail tenants. I am so disgusted right now...

Dramatic much?

[GvilleSC]

I've heard nothing but good things about Tupelo Honey. I've never eaten there, but I'm excited to have the opportunity! Which tenant space will they fill?

[gman430]

I've heard nothing but good things about Tupelo Honey. I've never eaten there, but I'm excited to have the opportunity! Which tenant space will they fill?

They're going directly next to Anthropologie. Retail space #3 here: http://onegreenville.com/retailers.php

Edited November 29, 2012 by gman430

[greenvilleguy]

First of all, I have eaten at Tupelo Honey. Secondly, I never said anything about the quality of there food or their establishment. I'm just having a hard time believing that a development of this magnitude wouldn't try to land something a little bigger. And as for the Greenville/King Street correlation, Main Street Greenville will never be King Street for obvious reasons. Charleston does not have a high end shopping destination other than King Street. Certainly not Citadel Mall and certainly not Mt. Pleasant Town Center. With powerhouses like Haywood Mall, Greenridge, and possibly Magnolia Park, it is highly unlikely that Main Street will turn into King Street and to keep comparing the two is absurd. It just seems odd that everyone was so excited about Anthropologie coming but when it comes to national chain restaurants they should stay away or stay off the beaten path. Seems like you want to be anti-chain or anti whatever with the way the wind blows. I just don't understand why there can't be a nice mix of both. And what's wrong with having places where tourists are more familiar spending their money? And as far as national chains being bland or boring, they didn't gain the popularity or the fame for serving bad food. Apparently a lot of people didn't think they were too bland. It should be up to the shopper to decide where to spend his money. Mom and pop shops that Walmart put out of business shouldn't be mad at Walmart but at their "loyal" customers that thought the grass was greener on the other side with Walmart. And no I'm not a Walmart advocate as I haven't stepped foot in one in almost 8 years. Just thought our downtown was deserving of something a little bigger.

[ausrutherford]

First of all, I have eaten at Tupelo Honey. Secondly, I never said anything about the quality of there food or their establishment. I'm just having a hard time believing that a development of this magnitude wouldn't try to land something a little bigger. And as for the Greenville/King Street correlation, Main Street Greenville will never be King Street for obvious reasons. Charleston does not have a high end shopping destination other than King Street. Certainly not Citadel Mall and certainly not Mt. Pleasant Town Center. With powerhouses like Haywood Mall, Greenridge, and possibly Magnolia Park, it is highly unlikely that Main Street will turn into King Street and to keep comparing the two is absurd. It just seems odd that everyone was so excited about Anthropologie coming but when it comes to national chain restaurants they should stay away or stay off the beaten path. Seems like you want to be anti-chain or anti whatever with the way the wind blows. I just don't understand why there can't be a nice mix of both. And what's wrong with having places where tourists are more familiar spending their money? And as far as national chains being bland or boring, they didn't gain the popularity or the fame for serving bad food. Apparently a lot of people didn't think they were too bland. It should be up to the shopper to decide where to spend his money. Mom and pop shops that Walmart put out of business shouldn't be mad at Walmart but at their "loyal" customers that thought the grass was greener on the other side with Walmart. And no I'm not a Walmart advocate as I haven't stepped foot in one in almost 8 years. Just thought our downtown was deserving of something a little bigger.

We already have national chains on Main. Mellow Mushroom and Sticky Fingers to name a couple. A Main Street of a city of our size defines the city. Tourists do not like to see a national chain on every corner because they can get that ANYWHERE. Tourists flock to places that offer something unique. You dont see a Hershey store on Mackinaw Island, etc. The trick is to provide the national chains on the side with local businesses taking the front.

 

Id like to have a Chick fil a downtown, but not on Main. Id like to have a Starbucks, but not on Main. 

[GVLbikeNboard]

"And what's wrong with having places where tourists are more familiar spending their money? And as far as national chains being bland or boring, they didn't gain the popularity or the fame for serving bad food."

 

I know that many, many tourists (and locals, too) will flock to these huge chain restaurants, though I don't understand it. I imagine they're just playing it safe...maybe people even think it's the best food you can eat. When I'm in another city/state/country I always look for local places to try something new that I haven't had before. I've been to a Cheesecake Factory a few times and sure, it's good food, but it isn't anything special. The menu is full of generic options you see on any other chain restaurant menu, except you have a billion different options to choose from and they throw a lot on the plate. Again, it's good food for what it is but I've had better food in small, local restaurants that some tourists wouldn't even consider!

 

I'm not too familiar with Tupelo Honey, but from what I hear it's excellent. If it lives up to the hype then I'll gladly take it over Cheesecake, Maggiano's, etc any day.

Edited November 29, 2012 by GVLbikeNboard

[gman]

We already have national chains on Main. Mellow Mushroom and Sticky Fingers to name a couple. A Main Street of a city of our size defines the city. Tourists do not like to see a national chain on every corner because they can get that ANYWHERE. Tourists flock to places that offer something unique. You dont see a Hershey store on Mackinaw Island, etc. The trick is to provide the national chains on the side with local businesses taking the front.

 

Id like to have a Chick fil a downtown, but not on Main. Id like to have a Starbucks, but not on Main. 

There is a Starbucks on Main. 

[goodbye]

First of all, I have eaten at Tupelo Honey. Secondly, I never said anything about the quality of there food or their establishment. I'm just having a hard time believing that a development of this magnitude wouldn't try to land something a little bigger. And as for the Greenville/King Street correlation, Main Street Greenville will never be King Street for obvious reasons. Charleston does not have a high end shopping destination other than King Street. Certainly not Citadel Mall and certainly not Mt. Pleasant Town Center. With powerhouses like Haywood Mall, Greenridge, and possibly Magnolia Park, it is highly unlikely that Main Street will turn into King Street and to keep comparing the two is absurd. It just seems odd that everyone was so excited about Anthropologie coming but when it comes to national chain restaurants they should stay away or stay off the beaten path. Seems like you want to be anti-chain or anti whatever with the way the wind blows. I just don't understand why there can't be a nice mix of both. And what's wrong with having places where tourists are more familiar spending their money? And as far as national chains being bland or boring, they didn't gain the popularity or the fame for serving bad food. Apparently a lot of people didn't think they were too bland. It should be up to the shopper to decide where to spend his money. Mom and pop shops that Walmart put out of business shouldn't be mad at Walmart but at their "loyal" customers that thought the grass was greener on the other side with Walmart. And no I'm not a Walmart advocate as I haven't stepped foot in one in almost 8 years. Just thought our downtown was deserving of something a little bigger.

Two points:

1. Your argument that, "apparently a lot of people didn't think [national chains like The Cheesecake Factory] were too bland" is kind of weak considering other chains like McDonald's are thriving as well.
2. Tupelo Honey is an excellent business that will occupy the smallest retail space available in the ONE development.  In other words, there is still plenty of space available for a large national chain.

[goodbye]

We already have national chains on Main. Mellow Mushroom and Sticky Fingers to name a couple. A Main Street of a city of our size defines the city. Tourists do not like to see a national chain on every corner because they can get that ANYWHERE. Tourists flock to places that offer something unique. You dont see a Hershey store on Mackinaw Island, etc. The trick is to provide the national chains on the side with local businesses taking the front.

 

Id like to have a Chick fil a downtown, but not on Main. Id like to have a Starbucks, but not on Main. 

Mellow Mushroom is on Augusta Street, not Main Street.  Starbucks is on Main Street, across from Falls Park.

[mallguy]

Id like to have a Chick fil a downtown, but not on Main.

There used to be one, in the bottom of the Landmark Building. It closed, probably because the visibility was so poor.

 

Main had plenty of mall-type stores until the early '80s, that Woolworth's until the mid-90s, and even recently I recall the GNC that was on N. Main. 

 

I agree with greenvilleguy.  If people don't like chains, well, don't shop at them.  Let the rest of us shop where we want to as well.

Edited November 30, 2012 by mallguy

[scgubers]

Knox White and Nancy Whitworth do not want chains such as the Cheesecake Factory on Main Street. They are looking for a certain type of national chain or regional chain. Anthropologie, Brooks Brothers and Tupelo Honey are perfect examples of what the City wants downtown and specifically on Main Street. Expect to see more of these types of chains as the City does not want to become a Downtown Charleston or worse Gatlinburg. Tupelo Honey reminds me of a breakfast place in Chicago named Butterfield's, clean, classy, simple, and tasty. The Cheesecake Factory and other national chains of the like have more of a contrived tourist feel that is not and should not be placed downtown. So everybody upset about those types of national chains get your panties out of a wad. They won't be on Main Street and shouldn't be. Downtown will likely become a hybrid of Asheville and Charleston, leaning more towards Asheville, simply because of the desires of City leaders. A contrived place that targets tourists is not what Downtown will become. And instead it will hopefully balance local, regional, and national retailers in a way that will not detract from the established feel of Main. 

[HomerJay]

I agree with greenvilleguy.  If people don't like chains, well, don't shop at them.  Let the rest of us shop where we want to as well.

How does this contribute to the discussion?  Why not - If people don't like interesting, local or regional busineses, don't shop at them?  Let the rest of us shop where we want to..

 

I know my reactions to these issues can sometimes be more pointed than they should, but there are legitimate issues to discuss here.  My position is that Tupelo Honey will help make downtown Greenville more memorable and economically viable than would a Cheesecake Factory (or something even more generic and common, like an Applebees or Chilis).  You certainly don't have to agree, and I'd like to hear other perspectives on the subject, but why dismiss that position by just telling me to get out if I don't like it?