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Sparkle City Eateries


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Well per the SHJ's website Captain Tony's, Roly Poly Sandwich shop, and King's Row Gifts have all bitten the bullet and closed. At Tony's its a shame as he just dressed up the patio area and he always had a cool bar and good food. They say they will reopenways a shaky proposition. Again, it appears the folks of Spartanburg don't like nice dining and prefer fish camps, Golden Corrals, & Ryans. Man thank goodness my wife can really cook or I would have starved by now.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20090109/...ng_down_in_city

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Well, we are in a national recession. I expect more restaurants will close, but others will take their place over time. Remember that some of our favorite restaurants (like Abbey's) closed not because of a lack of business, but because the owner didn't want to run the restaurant.

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Well, we are in a national recession. I expect more restaurants will close, but others will take their place over time. Remember that some of our favorite restaurants (like Abbey's) closed not because of a lack of business, but because the owner didn't want to run the restaurant.

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal reported that Ruby Tuesday (with two outlets in Spartanburg) is experiencing a serious drop in revenue and will close 30-40 restaurants in 2009. The casual dining sector is in a deep slump nationwide. Folks, this is not just a Spartanburg phenomenon.

Spartan, you're right about Abby's. When their tax abatement expired the owners packed it in.

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Well, we are in a national recession. I expect more restaurants will close, but others will take their place over time. Remember that some of our favorite restaurants (like Abbey's) closed not because of a lack of business, but because the owner didn't want to run the restaurant.

As a small businessman I am well aware of the national recession, but folks still have to eat and sometimes its good to go somewhere upscale if one prefers to do so. Is it expensive? Yes it is, but if you want to get away from the riff raff at the local Golden Corral/Ryans you sometimes have to pay for it. In the "SC", those few places are becoming extinct because no one chooses to support them. Its true new places will open, but the question is when or rather if.

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Thats why its important to support these local businesses when you decide to go out to eat. Big chains like Golden Corral and what not don't need your business. Supporting local business keeps money in the community. My guess is that if you're reading UrbanPlanet you already support local businesses.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another couple of shops have closed in Downtown. Interlude Coffee shop (formerly Crossroads) has closed. It was located in the basement of Lime Leaf Cafe'.

The pool hall across from the Chapman Cultural Center has also closed. These may be small businesses, but they contributed to what little activity and connectivity downtown has.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ok, so I'm at home this weekend, and my friends and I want to go someplace so we can sit outside and have a few drinks while enjoying this beautiful winter warm spell. So in trying to way our options we realize that we have very few.

Sonny's Brick Oven Pizza

Mellow Mushroom

Captain Tony's (Closed)

Wild Wing (Closed)

Notice a pattern?

My only criteria with outdoor seating are 1) that the restaurant has to have a large enough outdoor area that its not intimate (like Abbey's used to be), and 2) that the restaurant be open for business.

Can anyone help add to this list? Surely I'm missing a few.

Groucho's has some in the warm months. Justin's did at one point, but its not there anymore. The places on Ezell Street will have outdoor seating when they open.

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Ok, so I'm at home this weekend, and my friends and I want to go someplace so we can sit outside and have a few drinks while enjoying this beautiful winter warm spell. So in trying to way our options we realize that we have very few.

Sonny's Brick Oven Pizza

Mellow Mushroom

Captain Tony's (Closed)

Wild Wing (Closed)

Notice a pattern?

My only criteria with outdoor seating are 1) that the restaurant has to have a large enough outdoor area that its not intimate (like Abbey's used to be), and 2) that the restaurant be open for business.

Can anyone help add to this list? Surely I'm missing a few.

Groucho's has some in the warm months. Justin's did at one point, but its not there anymore. The places on Ezell Street will have outdoor seating when they open.

If you are looking to stay downtown, that is the sad collection we have right now with the exception of Justin's but they put their furniture up for the winter. If you are willing to drift from downtown there is Five Spices and it lovely view of Main St, Hickory Tavern has a pretty cool set up at Hillcrest, and City Range has a pretty awesome set up out at Westgate. Oh and you can sit outside and have a brew with your hot dog at Ikes over in Beaumont. Other than that, you're left with doing this at a cookout at a friend's house.

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Thats great news! I still think that a larger sign that is perpendicular to Church Street would help that Crossroads Coffee location.

This isn't a restaurant, but it's also worth mentioning that C. Edwards Cigars has outdoor seating in the back - it's a courtyard with a nice urban patio feel to it - bordered on all sides by the Palmetto Building apts. YOu can access it from Dunbar Street or from the cigar bar. The bar has wine, beer and bar snacks so it's a perfect place for a warm weather happy hour!

Also - Groucho's has outdoor seating (though not the ideal place to take friends to dinner...)

With that said.... i feel your pain. When I lived in Austin, I think I could count the number of times that I ate INDOORS on one hand....

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Chief's Wings and Firewater

Fuddruckers (I think)

Chandi's

also have outside seating.

Tidbits:

- I believe Starbucks on the eastside is going to make it. I asked about 2 weeks ago about the closing date, and they said they'd know one way or the other within 30 days (from the date I asked). Business picked up during Christmas, so who knows? The guy I asked said that their sales have been much higher than anticipated over the last couple of months.

- Jimmy Johns is looking for a place on the Westside in addition to their current store. They were close on an agreement to move into a portion of the old Pier One site, but it feel through. I think they are now looking at the strip complex going up across from Outback. Dunkin Donuts is also looking at the same location.

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Thanks for the tips. That new shopping center on Reidville Rd caught me off guard. I didn't realize it was going to be there. For that matter, most of that section of Reidville Rd has lost its residential character to strip retail.

I'm hoping that the Circuit City/Old Pier 1 shopping center will be redeveloped. That place is in desparate need of an overhaul.

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Thanks for the tips. That new shopping center on Reidville Rd caught me off guard. I didn't realize it was going to be there. For that matter, most of that section of Reidville Rd has lost its residential character to strip retail.

I'm hoping that the Circuit City/Old Pier 1 shopping center will be redeveloped. That place is in desparate need of an overhaul.

Dollar Tree and Office Depot are the only two stores left there. Not sure how the lease is structured, but the location would be much better served IMO with a complete teardown and rebuild. I'd still love to see a Whole Foods there, but I don't know if Spartanburg can support that.

That entire "triangle" of land, including the consignment shop, the XXX store....just about everything except Hooters, has so much retail potential. Sadly, we are probably not in the best of economic times for someone to pour in the type of money that it would take to redevelop it.

Edited by clemsonfn
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Dollar Tree and Office Depot are the only two stores left there. Not sure how the lease is structured, but the location would be much better served IMO with a complete teardown and rebuild. I'd still love to see a Whole Foods there, but I don't know if Spartanburg can support that.

That entire "triangle" of land, including the consignment shop, the XXX store....just about everything except Hooters, has so much retail potential. Sadly, we are probably not in the best of economic times for someone to pour in the type of money that it would take to redevelop it.

Whole Foods has drastically cut back on their expansion plans and may even close a few stores. That's why I doubt we'll see that chain anytime soon. Regarding the Circuit City Shopping Center I fear it will be an eyesore for while until economic conditions improve.

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...

Tidbits:

- I believe Starbucks on the eastside is going to make it. I asked about 2 weeks ago about the closing date, and they said they'd know one way or the other within 30 days (from the date I asked). Business picked up during Christmas, so who knows? The guy I asked said that their sales have been much higher than anticipated over the last couple of months.

...

That would be very good news, especially considering Starbucks' latest announcement regarding an additional 300 store closures by Fall '09. The next few months will likely be crucial in determining the store's continued "success" or failure.
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