Another bar/restaurant bites the dust

[davidclt]

54 minutes ago, CLT2014 said:

Price's Chicken Coop  announced on Facebook that they are permanently closing on Friday due to labor shortages, food supply costs, food quality, et. and wished everyone well.
 

Color me surprised. Still sad to see them go but a box from Price's just wasn't the same after they dumped the tater tots from the box.  I'd imagine it's a bit like Spoons; they were looking for an out and this situation provided the out. They were late to/reluctant maskers and at best cursory with their masking.

[carolinaboy]

1 hour ago, CLT2014 said:

Price's Chicken Coop  announced on Facebook that they are permanently closing on Friday due to labor shortages, food supply costs, food quality, et. and wished everyone well.
 

NOOOOOOOO! Just when I was going to be visiting Charlotte fairly often. Man, I really wanted to try that place.

Aren't these the kinds of places that made SoutEnd quirky, hip and cool? If places like this continue to close and are replaced by new apartment buildings or office towers all the funk and coolness will eventually be gone. It's a Catch-22 isn't it?

[tozmervo]

I love that every single person is like, "coin shortage? really? you're closing because you're about to be a multi-millionaire." 

[InSouthPark]

2 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

I love that every single person is like, "coin shortage? really? you're closing because you're about to be a multi-millionaire." 

Yeah this really turns me off.  I am going to go out on a limb and say they are trying to blame the Libs for the loss, when in reality, they are retiring with bags of cash.  How much was the sale going for?  I saw a mention of 4.7m.

[videtur quam contuor]

They are a small tab, cash only business so coins are a major part of their counter activity. Yes it sounds strange but everything about this place is out of time.

[InSouthPark]

• Price tells Axios' Paige Hopkins he hasn't decided what to do with his South End property and wants to take time to rest and say thank you to his customers.

LOLOLOLOLOL

[CLT2014]

8 minutes ago, InSouthPark said:

• Price tells Axios' Paige Hopkins he hasn't decided what to do with his South End property and wants to take time to rest and say thank you to his customers.

LOLOLOLOLOL

Is Price's land already under contract for redevelopment? 

[davidclt]

13 minutes ago, CLT2014 said:

Is Price's land already under contract for redevelopment? 

Who knows? But the Bird App says the following: The Charlotte Ledger on Twitter: "From Ledger reader: “Looks like soil sampling behind Prices Chicken Coop going on currently” https://t.co/EGt1I48lN5" / Twitter

I'm *shocked*, *shocked* I'll tell you.

[InSouthPark]

1 hour ago, CLT2014 said:

Is Price's land already under contract for redevelopment? 

You really think he doesn't know what he is going to do with the property?  You don't just up and close your 60+ year old restaurant that sits on multi-million dollar parcels without knowing what you are doing with it. 

[HopHead]

1 hour ago, davidclt said:

Who knows? But the Bird App says the following: The Charlotte Ledger on Twitter: "From Ledger reader: “Looks like soil sampling behind Prices Chicken Coop going on currently” https://t.co/EGt1I48lN5" / Twitter

I'm *shocked*, *shocked* I'll tell you.

I feel like the writing was on the wall when this soil sampling news came out. Just didn't expect it to only be ~2 months later that they'd be closing! lol

[CTiger]

4 hours ago, carolinaboy said:

Aren't these the kinds of places that made SoutEnd quirky, hip and cool? If places like this continue to close and are replaced by new apartment buildings or office towers all the funk and coolness will eventually be gone. It's a Catch-22 isn't it?

Yeah I think the quirky and cool ship sailed when the old Common Market building got taken down.  Props to Common Market for bringing it back further South, but it has never felt the same.   Southend has been trending this way for several years now, but I think the pace of development has pretty much choked out any originality.  Eventually all of the younger kids will start choosing Plaza or NODA instead and the development hammer will swing that way as well.  Southend will become Uptown 2.0.  Just sort of the way it goes.

[Blue_Devil]

9 minutes ago, CTiger said:

Yeah I think the quirky and cool ship sailed when the old Common Market building got taken down.  Props to Common Market for bringing it back further South, but it has never felt the same.   Southend has been trending this way for several years now, but I think the pace of development has pretty much choked out any originality.  Eventually all of the younger kids will start choosing Plaza or NODA instead and the development hammer will swing that way as well.  Southend will become Uptown 2.0.  Just sort of the way it goes.

I doubt Uptown 2.0, as there is a ton of residential in the area. As long as that remains, there will be an organic restaurant and retail scene, be it is definitely trending toward a more sterile feel. The breweries help offset that though. It will be interesting to see what happens when SouthEnd becomes the Tourist spot as hotels are built, and when more retail comes (i.e. if more designer retail starts popping up in the design district area).  But the population statistics do not lend toward a 9-5 scene. 

[JRNYP2C]

4 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I love that every single person is like, "coin shortage? really? you're closing because you're about to be a multi-millionaire." 

I have so much change laying around.  It's weighing down my car, the bureau in my bedroom, the old wine jug in my office........

OOPS!  Maybe I'm sitting on a gold mine!!!

[KJHburg]

Really a coin shortage would affect a cash only business.  I think there are multiple reasons for closing the food costs, labor issues, and of course redevelopment.  But coin shortages for a cash only business is a real thing. 

[HopHead]

Take it for what it's worth but … Yesterday, I heard from a well connected friend in the Charlotte real estate market that the property Price's owns (not just where the restaurant sits) is being sold for a large chunk of change. Like double digit millions chunk of change. Expect something tall, shiny and significant to go in it's place. 

[SouthEndCLT811]

45 minutes ago, HopHead said:

Take it for what it's worth but … Yesterday, I heard from a well connected friend in the Charlotte real estate market that the property Price's owns (not just where the restaurant sits) is being sold for a large chunk of change. Like double digit millions chunk of change. Expect something tall, shiny and significant to go in it's place. 

Someone on reddit saying they're in commercial construction heard about a sale over three months ago.  Again take it FWIW.. But congrats to the family, who could blame them!  Wish someone (Price's, Spoons) would just say that when they cash out after a half a century of serving the community versus the statements they've put out.

[HopHead]

2 minutes ago, SouthEndCLT811 said:

Someone on reddit saying they're in commercial construction heard about a sale over three months ago.  Again take it FWIW.. But congrats to the family, who could blame them!  Wish someone (Price's, Spoons) would just say that when they cash out after a half a century of serving the community versus the statements they've put out.

100% ... Few people wouldn't have done the same. They tried to put up a smoke screen yesterday, but we can see through it! lol

[InSouthPark]

1 hour ago, HopHead said:

Take it for what it's worth but … Yesterday, I heard from a well connected friend in the Charlotte real estate market that the property Price's owns (not just where the restaurant sits) is being sold for a large chunk of change. Like double digit millions chunk of change. Expect something tall, shiny and significant to go in it's place. 

Daaaaamn.  8 figures....I hope they get paid in quarters and nickels.  LMFAO.  This whole charade is one last money grab that they didn't need to do.  They could have said, "It's time to retire and ride off into the sunset" but instead went with the pity party to try and sell a few more boxes and clear out inventory.  

[davidclt]

On 6/17/2021 at 9:59 AM, CLT2014 said:

Price's Chicken Coop  announced on Facebook that they are permanently closing on Friday due to labor shortages, food supply costs, food quality, et. and wished everyone well.
 

Price's made today's episode of Axios Today: https://megaphone.link/AXIOS4509767595 (skip to 3:30 - oh lord this is so slow, I listen at 2x)

[KJHburg]

Speaking of Prices I went by today and I hope someone saves that sign as it was a Charlotte landmark for all these years.

 

[CLT2014]

Zack's Hamburgers will be permanently closing this Thursday.  

[KJHburg]

Here is a story about Zack's closing

Zack’s Hamburgers in Charlotte, NC to close this week | Charlotte Observer

Many of these family owned restaurants also find their next generation is not as interested in running the business as the oldest family members.  46 years is a long run again like Price's.  

[sclark]

Definitely will miss Zack’s, although it was never open when I craved it… (nights and weekends) 

[SouthEndCLT811]

Going to miss Zack's especially since it's part of my neighborhood and they've been kind enough to sponsor our Collingwood block parties.  But congrats to them on the retirement and eventual sale of the lot.  I wonder if a lot of these long run places that had to shut down due to Covid last year saw what not working 14-15 hour day after day would be like.  Then when they were able to come back it just wasn't the same.  Especially for some like Demopolous who owns the land where Zack's, Asia Works and formerly Brown Dog are.  That can afford a nice retirement versus 15 hour days flipping burgers! 

Quote

The word in real estate circles is that the entire Zack’s corner is under contract to a apartment developer. When The Ledger called Demopolous last week to ask him about the restaurant’s future, he said “it has not been sold to anyone” before quickly getting off the phone.

Edit:  Also about two weeks back the gas station on the corner had some heavy machinery drilling into the ground fwiw.  It looked to be around where the old gas pumps were, at the time I thought it was something to address the old tanks in the ground and maybe make that building reusable for another purpose.  But with this news it sounds like work not confined to just that lot.

Edited June 28, 2021 by SouthEndCLT811

[Prodev]

29 minutes ago, SouthEndCLT811 said:

Edit:  Also about two weeks back the gas station on the corner had some heavy machinery drilling into the ground fwiw.  It looked to be around where the old gas pumps were, at the time I thought it was something to address the old tanks in the ground and maybe make that building reusable for another purpose.  But with this news it sounds like work not confined to just that lot.

The 4+ acres including the storage behind the buildings on Scaleybark are all under contract with Embrey Partners out of TX.  Supposedly it's a ~400 unit apartment deal planned.