Restaurant Development in NW Arkansas

[ecity3138]

46 minutes ago, comreguy said:

I hope you prove me wrong, would be great for the northwest Arkansas market. 

I agree. To be honest, they should have been put a location in Arkansas. A lot of people from Arkansas dine at the Cheesecake Factory locations across the country and rave about their huge portions and signature cheesecakes. I'm sure the corporate received numerous requests about  possible locations in Arkansas (more specifically Northwest or Central Arkansas). 

It would perform very well if they placed it in a right location. I think the company having a hard time finding the right spot for one as the reason for the delay.

Edited February 7, 2017 by ecity3138

[comreguy]

Rumor has it that Starbucks will have a new Dickson Street location soon, taking the building that currently houses Dead Swanky on the corner of N College.

[wmr]

5 hours ago, comreguy said:

Rumor has it that Starbucks will have a new Dickson Street location soon, taking the building that currently houses Dead Swanky on the corner of N College.

They are really looking to saturate the Fayetteville market.  It wasn't too long ago that they weren't even here, other than in Barnes & Noble.  Fayetteville is a good coffee-drinking town, though.

 

I believe that corner is one of the few in the city that has a high height-limit assigned to its zoning category, but it is owned by the episcopal church so they are more interested in passive long-term income than getting a big lump sum out of it.

[TheyLookUpToMe]

@comreguy perhaps you can do us all a solid and follow up on uptown Fayetteville rumor claim with Cheesecake Factory to see if any recent sudden change of heart from them?

[ecity3138]

13 hours ago, nupe said:

@comreguy perhaps you can do us all a solid and follow up on uptown Fayetteville rumor claim with Cheesecake Factory to see if any recent sudden change of heart from them?

I emailed Uptown Fayetteville as to where they find this rumor and they stated a reliable source from the Bentonville area made an unconfirmed report of the restaurant coming to Northwest Arkansas (possibly Pinnacle Hills Promenade) . They stated that an update on the rumor will be shared as they get more information.

[wmr]

Here's a good article about the new JJ's Brewery in Uptown Fayetteville:

 

https://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2017/02/14/jjs-beer-garden-brewing-co-nears-opening-day/

[comreguy]

Big Orange Burgers of Little Rock has pulled their plumbing permit for the Pinnacle Hills Promenade, presumably the Fish City Grill space. 

[TheyLookUpToMe]

@comreguy does that mean they are not coming here anymore?????

[comreguy]

7 hours ago, nupe said:

@comreguy does that mean they are not coming here anymore?????

No it means they have received a permit and should start construction soon

[TheyLookUpToMe]

Whew 

[jb1087]

Looks like that "Altar'd State" or whatever that store was called next to the old Fish City in the promenade closed.  Never went in, but seemed like some kind of knock-off of Anthropologie.  I guess the Big Orange could expand into that space if they wanted a larger location?  Or maybe the Promenade will want to keep that space open for a retailer since it's a fairly prime location in the mall.

[krt479]

Big Whiskey's is set to open soon in Bentonville & a Zoe's Kitchen is being built next to Abuelos in Rogers. 

 

[TheyLookUpToMe]

Big whiskey is now for dinner close 11:30(pre grand opening). Grand opening is Saturday 

[KJW]

(Comreguy, I don't want to restart the bandwagon but...I've maintained that we'd know how big this area really is when the area fills in between south Rogers and north Springdale along I-49, and when the airport gets a decent (i.e. 4-lane) road to its gates.  Both are becoming co-located now.  That being said, there's no doubt in my mind now that a Cheescake factory in the right place (i.e. near Chuy's, or Pleasant Grove) will clean up in NWA.

Don't get me wrong, you and your real estate compatriots at the C.F. must be very wise and have guidelines, and there are excellent, critical reasons for that.  But NWA is becoming a place that there's not quite a model for.  Again, the "flip" of the FSM/NWA TV market, with television stations moving their main from the center of the market to the very edge of it, is pretty much unprecedented in America.  I almost couldn't believe some of the things I saw yesterday on visiting Bentonville/Fayetteville from out-of-state.

This place is becoming a wonderland.)

[comreguy]

14 hours ago, KJW said:

(Comreguy, I don't want to restart the bandwagon but...I've maintained that we'd know how big this area really is when the area fills in between south Rogers and north Springdale along I-49, and when the airport gets a decent (i.e. 4-lane) road to its gates.  Both are becoming co-located now.  That being said, there's no doubt in my mind now that a Cheescake factory in the right place (i.e. near Chuy's, or Pleasant Grove) will clean up in NWA.

Don't get me wrong, you and your real estate compatriots at the C.F. must be very wise and have guidelines, and there are excellent, critical reasons for that.  But NWA is becoming a place that there's not quite a model for.  Again, the "flip" of the FSM/NWA TV market, with television stations moving their main from the center of the market to the very edge of it, is pretty much unprecedented in America.  I almost couldn't believe some of the things I saw yesterday on visiting Bentonville/Fayetteville from out-of-state.

This place is becoming a wonderland.)

I don't know why y'all keep doing this to yourselves. Our big format restaurants here currently don't do a big volume, our malls are below average on sales per square ft. Yes, the market is growing and is getting on the radar of some good cool stuff, but there isn't anywhere close to the demos, income and retail sales to draw Cheesecake. 

[jb1087]

On 3/12/2017 at 1:43 PM, comreguy said:

I don't know why y'all keep doing this to yourselves. Our big format restaurants here currently don't do a big volume, our malls are below average on sales per square ft. Yes, the market is growing and is getting on the radar of some good cool stuff, but there isn't anywhere close to the demos, income and retail sales to draw Cheesecake. 

I would tend to agree, but to play a devil's advocate role on the mall piece specifically, I'd ask is it the chicken or the egg?  Is the Promenade not generating high sales per square footage because of the area or because of the offering?  (And off the record, IMHO, the mall management did a horrendous job at the initial and subsequence store layout/locations).  I'd suggest it's even harder to measure that now because of the declining trend of malls on a high level.

Edited March 14, 2017 by jb1087

[comreguy]

11 hours ago, jb1087 said:

I would tend to agree, but to play a devil's advocate role on the mall piece specifically, I'd ask is it the chicken or the egg?  Is the Promenade not generating high sales per square footage because of the area or because of the offering?  (And off the record, IMHO, the mall management did a horrendous job at the initial and subsequence store layout/locations).  I'd suggest it's even harder to measure that now because of the declining trend of malls on a high level.

I agree completely that the mall lacks the character and amenities that would draw shoppers. The developers downsized the product significantly in 2006 and delivered a watered down version. There is no compelling reason to go there. Further, with JC Penney's impending closure and Gordman's bankruptcy, they'll potentially be losing two more big tenants. So, I can't see CF looking in this area anytime soon.

[Rory12]

2 hours ago, comreguy said:

I agree completely that the mall lacks the character and amenities that would draw shoppers. The developers downsized the product significantly in 2006 and delivered a watered down version. There is no compelling reason to go there. Further, with JC Penney's impending closure and Gordman's bankruptcy, they'll potentially be losing two more big tenants. So, I can't see CF looking in this area anytime soon.

Do you think it'll be the Promenade JcPenney closing vs. the Fayetteville? Or both? 

[TRB]

1 hour ago, Rory12 said:

Do you think it'll be the Promenade JcPenney closing vs. the Fayetteville? Or both? 

If they keep one and I think they will, It'll be Fayetteville. With their move into appliances and such, it offers more square footage at likely less rent.

What will Fayetteville do with a shuttered Sears. The logistics circles in Memphis say they'll be gone after Christmas 2017. 

 

 

Would make for a good location for Fresh Foods 

Sears chased a soft like s rabbit down the hole and neglected their core Hard Line bonfires and it's caught up to them two decades later.

Edited March 14, 2017 by TRB

[wmr]

2 hours ago, TRB said:

Would make for a good location for Fresh Foods 

I'd be surprised to see that, given that you could see both Natural Grocers and Whole Foods from the mall parking lot.

I've heard talk that one of the big apartment developers isn't done yet in the uptown area, so maybe the mall could sell off some of its land to those guys.

[jb1087]

7 hours ago, TRB said:

What will Fayetteville do with a shuttered Sears.

I hate to continue this mall talk in the restaurant thread, but I'd even ask what is Fayetteville going to do with their essentially shuttered mall.  Yes Dillard's and Penny's will remain and do fine, but all of the in-between is a mess and has been for years...if not close to a decade.

[UrbanArkie]

Brick and Mortars need to offer something one cannot do online. 

[ecity3138]

21 hours ago, comreguy said:

I agree completely that the mall lacks the character and amenities that would draw shoppers. The developers downsized the product significantly in 2006 and delivered a watered down version. There is no compelling reason to go there. Further, with JC Penney's impending closure and Gordman's bankruptcy, they'll potentially be losing two more big tenants. So, I can't see CF looking in this area anytime soon.

The mall needs to add entertainment destinations (Top Golf, Main Event, Adult Bowling and Laser Tag Center, etc) other than just a regular movie theater in order to lure people back to the malls. People are no longer going to the mall just to shop but will dine at popular local or national restuarants as well as an entertainment destinations for nightlife activities such as the ones mentioned above. I agree with you in regards to Cheesecake Factory not coming here (despite Uptown Fayetteville rumors last month about them coming here) because there are no market for it. Most of their locations are in top performing shopping centers (ex: Wolfchase Galleria in Memphis, TN; Mall at Green Hills in Nashville, TN; Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa, Ok; and Penn Square Mall in Oklahoman City, Ok) that generate millions of dollars in sales. I can't see them generate that much revenue at the Pinnacle Hills Promenade or anywhere else around Northwest Arkansas. The same goes for other high volume restaurants (ex: Pappadeaux) that are typically found in larger cities.

Edited March 15, 2017 by ecity3138

[ecity3138]

9 hours ago, UrbanArkie said:

Brick and Mortars need to offer something one cannot do online. 

Maybe the department stores can add a coffee or an ice cream shop as well as an Internet cafe in order to lure people back. They can also bring back the concept of having a full service restaurant inside a department store. JC Penny's and Sears are in deep trouble and could took advantage of these ideas.

 

Edited March 15, 2017 by ecity3138

[TRB]

19 hours ago, wmr said:

I'd be surprised to see that, given that you could see both Natural Grocers and Whole Foods from the mall parking lot.

I've heard talk that one of the big apartment developers isn't done yet in the uptown area, so maybe the mall could sell off some of its land to those guys.

I only go by what I've seen elsewhere and in the Poplar/Perkins area in Memphis there's Whole Foods and Fresh Market right across from each other and if anything, they compliment each other. As they do in Germantown as well plus you can throw in Spouts.