restaurants in the SBC

[jcasey]

I don't know how I missed this post.

Zaxby's = Cane's. Wow... there's no mistaking THAT influence in Canes' food!!

**Also: tomorrow is the day of the Regal Court announcements. I'll be checking ShreveportTimes.com around 9:00 am or so to see what's happening. I'm really hoping for big things. I did see the sign at the site today and I saw the tractors on-site. They're ready to roll, finally!

[dimebag1980]

So I am guessing that you agree with me!

I am so excited about tomorrow. Just the possibility of having a PF Changs makes me giddy! I will probably dream about it tonight. I just hope it is not a disappointing announcement. I hope it lives up to the hype.

[Rardy]

Zaxby's = Cane's. Wow... there's no mistaking THAT influence in Canes' food!!

[dimebag1980]

Nah...I'm biased. Zaxby's does NOT equal Cane's. We got the Zaxby's up here in the frozen hinterland of Memphis. I miss Cane's.

[Rardy]

The pictures on their websites look the same, so it's hard to know for sure.

I guess I'm going to have to drive to a damned Zaxby's just for comparison's sake.

[jcasey]

Canes not equal to Zaxbys in my comparison either. I was just giving my opinion on the possible origins of Canes. I love Canes too!

::Regal Court Update::

La Madeleine, Buffalo Wild Wings, Logan's Roadhouse and TGI Fridays are coming to Regal Court! Long-term plans call for a P.F. Changs and Capitol Grille. This La Madeleine and Capitol Grille look awesome. The Capital Grille looks high class!

Look at these exclusive locations for The Capitol Grille. If we get it, I think we're moving up! http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/locations/Main.asp

[Rardy]

Canes not equal to Zaxbys in my comparison either. I was just giving my opinion on the possible origins of Canes. I love Canes too!

::Regal Court Update::

La Madeleine, Buffalo Wild Wings, Logan's Roadhouse and TGI Fridays are coming to Regal Court! Long-term plans call for a P.F. Changs and Capitol Grille. This La Madeleine and Capitol Grille look awesome. The Capital Grille looks high class!

Look at these exclusive locations for The Capitol Grille. If we get it, I think we're moving up! http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/locations/Main.asp

[jcasey]

Oooo...LaMadeleine...that's impressive for SBC. They only go to upscale, high-end places. Hmmm...when did you guys say this development will be open?

Oh and hey! You got your TGI Friday's!

[fridayinla]

Oooo...LaMadeleine...that's impressive for SBC. They only go to upscale, high-end places. Hmmm...when did you guys say this development will be open?

Oh and hey! You got your TGI Friday's!

[dimebag1980]

The development is scheduled to open by the end of next year or January 2008. Kohl's and JC Penney will open first, probably by Fall of next year. Yeah, looks like Shreveport is stepping up its image... let's not forget possibly a Capital Grille - also only in upscale areas of large metros!

[dimebag1980]

From the Panera Bread website:

Markets Available for Franchise Development

Salt Lake City, Utah

Reno, Nevada

Memphis, Tennessee

Little Rock, Arkansas

Shreveport, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

So I wonder how long it'll be before we end up with a Panera Bread!? I'm ready for it.

[dimebag1980]

I spoke today with someone who works for O&S Holdings, the company backing the Boardwalk. I told her that if the Gimme Sum deal has fallen through completely, they should pursue Pei Wei. I really hope they do.

[jcasey]

I spoke today with someone who works for O&S Holdings, the company backing the Boardwalk. I told her that if the Gimme Sum deal has fallen through completely, they should pursue Pei Wei. I really hope they do.

[dimebag1980]

Were they receptive at all? Did they shed any light on the Gimme Sum situation?

[jcasey]

I haven't heard back from her yet. We were exchanging emails on another Boardwalk-related subject and I threw that in the last email I sent her before I left the office for the day. I'll see tomorrow if she says anything about that.

[dimebag1980]

Oh, ok. Has there been anything good in your previous replies? I'm sure that you asked them about a hotel. Did you read my post about me staying in the Embassy Suites at the Bass Pro in Grapevine??? Since you have some communication with Boardwalk officials, ask them something for me, please. Ask if they have had any conversations with the Children's Place (a current tenant) about bringing in a Disney Store. My wife and daughter love that store. That is one our stops everytime we go out of town. Thanks!

[jcasey]

Actually my conversations weren't about development at all until I mentioned Pei Wei, they were about a mistake in their advertising. But if the lines of communications are opened by the Pei Wei talk, hopefully I'll be able to get that other stuff in there.

We had a Disney store in St. Vincent for a while. I hated to see that it lasted only a short time.

Yeah I saw where you mentioned you'd stayed at that Embassy Suites. I stayed at the Gaylord a few months back and it was nice. I was surprised to find out that Embassy Suites is priced higher than the Gaylord! But on my next trip to Grapevine, I do plan on staying at the Embassy Suites. I hope it was a really nice hotel and really worth the money.

[dimebag1980]

I'm not sure if you know they Disney Store situation, but here it is. Disney does not own these stores anymore. They were running them into the ground and they were not profitable. Disney was making crap and overcharging for it. They sold "The Disney Store" to The Childrens Place. When they got it they closed hundreds of The Disney Stores, including the St Vincent location. They have began to expand now. They now have nice reasonably priced products. Much of their products now are clothing.

The hotel was very nice. But in my opinion, hotels are rarely worth their price tag.

[dimebag1980]

Semolina closes abruptly, shocking customers and employees!

http://www.ktbs.com/news/local/4604646.html

My commentaty:

What a loss! I love Semolina and have been thinking lately about getting back over there. This is a huge hit for not only their employees and customers, but for Pierremont Mall and the entire Uptown area.

I'm very interested in knowing what went wrong. This reminds me of the Jack in the Box closings a few years back, the Tony Roma's closing, and the Bennigan's closing. When the place shuts down overnight and EVERYTHING is removed, something is up.

Anyone have any insight??

[EyeofDTIger75]

Semolina closes abruptly, shocking customers and employees!

http://www.ktbs.com/news/local/4604646.html

My commentaty:

What a loss! I love Semolina and have been thinking lately about getting back over there. This is a huge hit for not only their employees and customers, but for Pierremont Mall and the entire Uptown area.

I'm very interested in knowing what went wrong. This reminds me of the Jack in the Box closings a few years back, the Tony Roma's closing, and the Bennigan's closing. When the place shuts down overnight and EVERYTHING is removed, something is up.

Anyone have any insight??

[dimebag1980]

I wrote Tony Romas the day they closed as I was very upset at the closing. Tony Romas was my favorite palce to eat. They had told me it was strictly a financial desision, but I will ultimatly beleave they were concerned about Smokey Bones opening up 2 weeks later.

I have been told by someone who used to own restraunts that when a restraunt decideds they are going to close they will not tell anyone until the last night they are open. So the pattern of restraunts closings in the past years support that theory.

[dimebag1980]

Oh, ok. Has there been anything good in your previous replies? I'm sure that you asked them about a hotel. Did you read my post about me staying in the Embassy Suites at the Bass Pro in Grapevine??? Since you have some communication with Boardwalk officials, ask them something for me, please. Ask if they have had any conversations with the Children's Place (a current tenant) about bringing in a Disney Store. My wife and daughter love that store. That is one our stops everytime we go out of town. Thanks!

[dimebag1980]

Hmmmm, very interesting! The 10:00 news tonight on Channel 3 said that the owner of Semolina said increased competition in Shreveport caused the restaurant to shut down. But he went on to say that he would reopen next year in another a new location.

Hmmmm, Youree Drive, maybe? Since the Youree Drive area really sucked the patrons away from that restaurant, it would only be fitting that the restaurant would move to where the people are. Uptown is on the verge of a revitalization, but is that enough to save that area with the Youree corridor being only a couple miles away?

Anyway, this will be an interesting thing to follow!

Also on the restaurant front, what about Athenian Delights? They had this story on Crime Stoppers tonight but I just don't understand why. From day one I've suspected the owner, because business had slacked off a lot over the last couple of years forcing him to make the restaurant FAR less fancy than it used to be. They say the fire was obviously started by someone with a key, say investigators, but then why put it on Crime Stoppers? How long could the list of people with a key to that place REALLY be?!?

[jcasey]

Here is The Shreveport Times story on Semolina closing. Too bad. The owner says that he plans to open another Shreveport location in a year. Sounds like this is the property managements fault.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d.../611110329/1002

[dimebag1980]

My money is on them reopening in the Youree corridor, or behind Youree on Kings. Because within the next two years I'd be very surprised if Kings didn't start developing up rapidly after Kings Court fills up, since SDI Realty still owns all that land behind the proposed Regal Court.