Restaurants Columbia Should Have

[gman430]

Overall I would say that is a strength, especially for local folks who don't want to go the other side of town. Had VAS not been built then Harbison would have remained and continue to grow as the region's premier (suburban) retail destination, and could have perhaps landed a PF Changs, etc. I don't know what Greenville has that we don't - do they have one major mall/retail district that attracts the lion's share of development? I mean, you do have Simpsonville/Mauldin, Taylors/Greer, and spreading out towards Seneca/Clemson, Anderson, and Spartanburg.

[gman430]

I think we will come back to the same problem - Columbia is a smaller market that does not have a large, critical mass of reliable upper-middle-income folks who are willing to regularly spend money at a Cheesecake Factory. Same reason why we don't have an REI, a Restoration Hardware, a Pottery Barn, etc. I suppose you could make an argument that either Harbison or VAS MAY be able to support one, and it would be a huge coup, but that is dependent on the continued growth of those areas and more income dollars being spent from households in Ballentine, Chapin, Wildewood, Spring Valley, etc. Putting one downtown poses a similar problem is that, again, you don't have a large enough critical mass of professionals, etc. who can reliably supply revenue. Our downtown is smaller than many suburban "edge cities" like Tysons Corner, VA or Perimeter Mall, GA where a Cheesecake Factory makes a lot of sense. I think you need to be a metro of about 1 million to 1.5 million to really get these chains' attention. Such establishments have only recently opened in larger metros like Charlotte and Raleigh.

Moreover with the economy the way it is now and food prices going way up, it is too much of a risk and challenge for a national chain of restaurants targeting that upper-middle disposable income market to make an investment in a smallish city that has more of a reputation of being a metro of fast-food eaters than destination restaurant-goers.

Honestly I would much rather have a local Thai restaurant in the Northeast than a major destination chain restaurant for the metro or region. I also think such a restaurant would be a more prudent investment.

[Chi2Midlands]

Just to prove you wrong, Asheville is getting an REI later this year and Greenville is getting one along with the Cheesecake Factory in late 2009/early 2010 at Magnolia Park. Columbia does have the population demographics to support several of the retailers/restaurants you listed. It's just the developments that are happening there are located in the wrong part of the metro area. Like I said, they should be located in the central core of the metro area not in the northeastern part.

[TheCarolinaKing]

I personally enjoy P. F. Changs. My family and I often travel to Charlotte to visit many of its more Middle/Upscale Eateries. I'm not a big fan of Cheese Cake Factory, besides the Cheesecake, but I think that Columbia could sustain chain restaurants such as these. I think one of the difficulties currently is that there is no one area that is ideal enough and caters specifically to the Middle/Upper Class. Columbia has done a great job of maintaining a mix of incomes in every area. The one area that seems like it may reach a point to where it caters mainly to the Middle/Upper Class is the Forest Acres area.

Unfortunately I had an unfortunate experience at the ne M Vista. A friend and I attempted to dine there about a week ago and were definately ignored. Upon entering were noticed that we were the only patrons at that time, but they were open for business. One of the wait staff walked from the back and saw us and went back into the kitchen. My dining partner and I sat at the bar and waited for about 10 minutes, yet not one other worker exsited the kitchen area. We sat laughing and joking loudly and we could hear a jovial commotion in the kitchen yet no matter how loud we attempted to be to get attention we were unsuccessful. Finally my dining companion decided to enter the kitchen and let the staff know that there were people waiting to be served. She noted that they were all joking and asked the one waitress who saw us when we entered why she didn't assit us. Her response was "Oh yeah I did see them sitting out there..." Finally one other staff memeber peered around a corner and saw that I was there. After my dining partner returned on staff memeber came out of the kitchen and begain folding napkins. Eventually she asked if we would like to see a menu. We were both very displease with the performance of the staff. I have been to other of the groups establishments and this is the first time I have experience such a blatent dissregard for patrons. We eventually ended up accross the street at the Carolina Ale House where we enjoyed a late lunch on the second level patio.

[waccamatt]

Wow, that is an awful experience. I bet if Michelle knew who did that they wouldn't be working there any more!

[scnative]

I don't think PF Chang's is going to open in Columbia anytime soon because the Miyo's/M Cafe/M Vista group has a firm hold on that market in Columbia and for that I am grateful. Unless a chain can bring something to Columbia that a locally-owned establishment can not offer, I'd rather not have them here. By the way, the Miyo's group will be opening in VAS and in Lexington in the near future, also.

[waccamatt]

What was your source for the opening of Miyo's in VAS and in Lexington? Any updates?

[krazeeboi]

Columbia is also unique in that you have two major retail districts with duplicate stores. I think this is unusual for a metro the size of Columbia. Big city chains may have a problem picking one over the other since there is not a clear concentration of wealthy people.

[CorgiMatt]

In one place the article makes it sound as though the high-income group is split in two between Harbison and Sandhill, but later it includes downtown's three main districts and Forest Acres as a third area with high enough incomes but still working on critical mass. So it sounds like some stores might end up putting three locations here, at least the ones that don't locate only in the suburbs.