My NLR/LR Wish List

[jnholmes]

I have a wish list for things I would love to see in North Little Rock and/or Little Rock. When we compare ourself among other small/medium sized cities, it makes me frustrated... We should have so many more retail/restaurant options.

1. Apple Store (my greatest wish – one in NLR & LR)

2. Cheesecake Factory

3. Red Robin (NLR & LR)

4. Porche Dealership

5. Mini Cooper Dealership

6. Pei Wei (NLR)

7. Whole Foods (NLR)

Dreaming List:

1. Nordstrom

2. Saks Fifth Avenue

3. Neiman Marcus

(I would be more than happy with anyone of the above!)

I will update this list as I keep thinking...

What do you wish would come to Little Rock?

[Sammy00]

I have a wish list for things I would love to see in North Little Rock and/or Little Rock. When we compare ourself among other small/medium sized cities, it makes me frustrated... We should have so many more retail/restaurant options.

1. Apple Store (my greatest wish – one in NLR & LR)

2. Cheesecake Factory

3. Red Robin (NLR & LR)

4. Porche Dealership

5. Mini Cooper Dealership

6. Pei Wei (NLR)

7. Whole Foods (NLR)

Dreaming List:

1. Nordstrom

2. Saks Fifth Avenue

3. Neiman Marcus

(I would be more than happy with anyone of the above!)

I will update this list as I keep thinking...

What do you wish would come to Little Rock?

Well I think I could get by with one Apple store in LR or NLR, but I like your attitude!

Trader Joe's would be cool, though I have no clue if any market our size has one.

[adman0468]

I have a wish list for things I would love to see in North Little Rock and/or Little Rock. When we compare ourself among other small/medium sized cities, it makes me frustrated... We should have so many more retail/restaurant options.

1. Apple Store (my greatest wish – one in NLR & LR)

2. Cheesecake Factory

3. Red Robin (NLR & LR)

4. Porche Dealership

5. Mini Cooper Dealership

6. Pei Wei (NLR)

7. Whole Foods (NLR)

Dreaming List:

1. Nordstrom

2. Saks Fifth Avenue

3. Neiman Marcus

(I would be more than happy with anyone of the above!)

I will update this list as I keep thinking...

What do you wish would come to Little Rock?

I would add Macy's to the list. Hard to believe there are 46 states with one and we don't have one. I'd put Crate and Barrel on the dream list. That'll never happen. Also, I love to eat at La Madeline's in Dallas. Would love one of those here.

[Arkanzin]

I have a wish list for things I would love to see in North Little Rock and/or Little Rock. When we compare ourself among other small/medium sized cities, it makes me frustrated... We should have so many more retail/restaurant options.

1. Apple Store (my greatest wish – one in NLR & LR)

2. Cheesecake Factory

3. Red Robin (NLR & LR)

4. Porche Dealership

5. Mini Cooper Dealership

6. Pei Wei (NLR)

7. Whole Foods (NLR)

Dreaming List:

1. Nordstrom

2. Saks Fifth Avenue

3. Neiman Marcus

(I would be more than happy with anyone of the above!)

I will update this list as I keep thinking...

What do you wish would come to Little Rock?

Since we're wishing:

1. Trader Joe's (They only open about 5 a year.)

2. Macy's (May have bitten off more than it can chew in its recent expansions, though the expansions didn't make it to Arkansas, Alaska, Mississippi, Iowa or Nebraska)

3. Cheesecake Factory (A pipe-dream)

4. Red Robin

5. Hooter's (Yeah, I know NLR has one but why can't LR?)

6. Maggiano's Little Italy (It's a Brinker Restaurant so I'm not sure why we don't have one of these already)

7. Lowe's (Same comment as for #5)

8. Dunkin Donuts (Supposedly coming soon)

9. Ben & Jerry's (Supposed to have been one at Pleasant Ridge)

10. Costco.

[Architect]

Since we're wishing:

1. Trader Joe's (They only open about 5 a year.)

2. Macy's (May have bitten off more than it can chew in its recent expansions, though the expansions didn't make it to Arkansas, Alaska, Mississippi, Iowa or Nebraska)

3. Cheesecake Factory (A pipe-dream)

4. Red Robin

5. Hooter's (Yeah, I know NLR has one but why can't LR?)

6. Maggiano's Little Italy (It's a Brinker Restaurant so I'm not sure why we don't have one of these already)

7. Lowe's (Same comment as for #5)

8. Dunkin Donuts (Supposedly coming soon)

9. Ben & Jerry's (Supposed to have been one at Pleasant Ridge)

10. Costco.

Regarding #3 (Cheesecake Factory)...I wouldn't label that a pipe-dream. There are locations in Tulsa and Birmingham (slightly larger markets) and Des Moines (slightly smaller).

Again, I think the reason MOST of these haven't happened has little to do with the market specifically, but rather the lack of a singular, key development. Secondarily, the economy tanked, ending all speculation for markets like ours, unfortunately.

[bchris02]

I have a wish list for things I would love to see in North Little Rock and/or Little Rock. When we compare ourself among other small/medium sized cities, it makes me frustrated... We should have so many more retail/restaurant options.

1. Apple Store (my greatest wish – one in NLR & LR)

2. Cheesecake Factory

3. Red Robin (NLR & LR)

4. Porche Dealership

5. Mini Cooper Dealership

6. Pei Wei (NLR)

7. Whole Foods (NLR)

Dreaming List:

1. Nordstrom

2. Saks Fifth Avenue

3. Neiman Marcus

(I would be more than happy with anyone of the above!)

I will update this list as I keep thinking...

What do you wish would come to Little Rock?

Apple store - Possible, though becoming less and less likely. Apple was considering opening a location in Little Rock before the economy tanked. That said, I think the window of opportunity on an Apple store has closed...unless it can somehow end up in Park Plaza

Cheesecake Factory - Very unlikely. If it were to come to Arkansas it would be to NWA, but even that is a pipe dream

Red Robin (NLR & LR) - Why? Red Robin is not much different than Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, Applebees, or any of the other vanilla bar & grills that dot the landscape. Little Rock doesn't need a Red Robin.

Porsche Dealership - Not going to happen - not enough money in the market

Mini Cooper Dealership - More plausible than Porsche but still unlikely. Memphis has one that serves the Central and Eastern Arkansas markets well.

Pei Wei - Nothing really to say about this

Whole Foods - A Market the size of Little Rock is lucky to have a single Whole Foods. What should happen is the current location should move to a larger, more up to date locations.

Neiman, Saks, Nordstrom, etc...Memphis can't even land these upscale department stores. I doubt Little Rock will any time in the next 20-30 years.

Trader Joe's - Would work well in Little Rock.

Macy's - I don't think it could compete with Dillard's in the Little Rock market. I have no doubt Macy's would be in LR now if it wasn't for the Dillard's HQ being located there

Hooter's - Didn't there used to be one on Rodney Parham?

Maggiano's Little Italy - A chain, though above Macaroni Grill. Usually in cities much larger than Little Rock. Little Rock has plenty of local Italian restaurants that are on-par or better than any of the big chains.

Ben & Jerry's - Would work well in Little Rock, I don't know why its not there

Costco - I have a difficult time seeing Costco enter Wal-Mart/Sams Club's home turf

Since living in Charlotte, I have gained a different perspective on things. People here don't get excited about stuff like Red Robin or run of the mill chains. That said, while we are used to having all of the chains this area is so commercialized that its difficult to find areas with character and local eateries like you find in places like Hillcrest, the Heights, Argenta, etc. I think Little Rock could improve leaps and bounds as far as shopping is concerned (Jackson, MS even puts it to shame) but LR need not get carried away with wishing for chain restaurants. Little Rock could probably support the chains many are wishing for but they would come at the expense of the local guys in a market that size. The plethora of local restaurants is one thing I miss about living in Little Rock.

[Architect]

Apple store - Possible, though becoming less and less likely. Apple was considering opening a location in Little Rock before the economy tanked. That said, I think the window of opportunity on an Apple store has closed...unless it can somehow end up in Park Plaza

Cheesecake Factory - Very unlikely. If it were to come to Arkansas it would be to NWA, but even that is a pipe dream

Red Robin (NLR & LR) - Why? Red Robin is not much different than Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, Applebees, or any of the other vanilla bar & grills that dot the landscape. Little Rock doesn't need a Red Robin.

Porsche Dealership - Not going to happen - not enough money in the market

Mini Cooper Dealership - More plausible than Porsche but still unlikely. Memphis has one that serves the Central and Eastern Arkansas markets well.

Pei Wei - Nothing really to say about this

Whole Foods - A Market the size of Little Rock is lucky to have a single Whole Foods. What should happen is the current location should move to a larger, more up to date locations.

Neiman, Saks, Nordstrom, etc...Memphis can't even land these upscale department stores. I doubt Little Rock will any time in the next 20-30 years.

Trader Joe's - Would work well in Little Rock.

Macy's - I don't think it could compete with Dillard's in the Little Rock market. I have no doubt Macy's would be in LR now if it wasn't for the Dillard's HQ being located there

Hooter's - Didn't there used to be one on Rodney Parham?

Maggiano's Little Italy - A chain, though above Macaroni Grill. Usually in cities much larger than Little Rock. Little Rock has plenty of local Italian restaurants that are on-par or better than any of the big chains.

Ben & Jerry's - Would work well in Little Rock, I don't know why its not there

Costco - I have a difficult time seeing Costco enter Wal-Mart/Sams Club's home turf

Since living in Charlotte, I have gained a different perspective on things. People here don't get excited about stuff like Red Robin or run of the mill chains. That said, while we are used to having all of the chains this area is so commercialized that its difficult to find areas with character and local eateries like you find in places like Hillcrest, the Heights, Argenta, etc. I think Little Rock could improve leaps and bounds as far as shopping is concerned (Jackson, MS even puts it to shame) but LR need not get carried away with wishing for chain restaurants. Little Rock could probably support the chains many are wishing for but they would come at the expense of the local guys in a market that size. The plethora of local restaurants is one thing I miss about living in Little Rock.

Cheesecake Factory - why would this land in NWA before LR (though I'll give you the Promenade as a newer, singular development than the fragmentation of mid-sized centers in LR)?

Porsche - this has NOTHING to do with market size or money...Riverside had Porsche FOREVER until Mercedes forced Riverside into handling them exclusively. Porsche is in NUMEROUS markets that are smaller, less affluent than Little Rock (Bossier City being one example). I have been told that the dealerships in the region have been blackballing any effort to open a dealership here as they garner a significant amount of sales/service from this market. Frankly, it's bizarre that they're not here.

Apple - this is almost as bizarre at Porsche, as Apple actually announced the Little Rock store before ANY were announced in Louisiana or Mississippi. I seriously doubt Apple has permanently abandoned the market. From what I've been told, this was much more of a timing thing (when construction was delayed at Promenade, it pushed back the store construction start date to just past the market falling out). I think there's also some confusion from retailers about WHERE in Little Rock to locate...go with the upscale enclosed mall in the older/affluent part of town, or go with the new (yet smallish) upscale outdoor mall in the newer/affluent part of town.

p.s. I'll spot you one Apple store for Jackson, MS, but seriously, "puts it to shame"?! Have you ever been to Jackson?

[jnholmes]

Apple store - Possible, though becoming less and less likely. Apple was considering opening a location in Little Rock before the economy tanked. That said, I think the window of opportunity on an Apple store has closed...unless it can somehow end up in Park Plaza

Cheesecake Factory - Very unlikely. If it were to come to Arkansas it would be to NWA, but even that is a pipe dream

Red Robin (NLR & LR) - Why? Red Robin is not much different than Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, Applebees, or any of the other vanilla bar & grills that dot the landscape. Little Rock doesn't need a Red Robin.

Porsche Dealership - Not going to happen - not enough money in the market

Mini Cooper Dealership - More plausible than Porsche but still unlikely. Memphis has one that serves the Central and Eastern Arkansas markets well.

Pei Wei - Nothing really to say about this

Whole Foods - A Market the size of Little Rock is lucky to have a single Whole Foods. What should happen is the current location should move to a larger, more up to date locations.

Neiman, Saks, Nordstrom, etc...Memphis can't even land these upscale department stores. I doubt Little Rock will any time in the next 20-30 years.

Trader Joe's - Would work well in Little Rock.

Macy's - I don't think it could compete with Dillard's in the Little Rock market. I have no doubt Macy's would be in LR now if it wasn't for the Dillard's HQ being located there

Hooter's - Didn't there used to be one on Rodney Parham?

Maggiano's Little Italy - A chain, though above Macaroni Grill. Usually in cities much larger than Little Rock. Little Rock has plenty of local Italian restaurants that are on-par or better than any of the big chains.

Ben & Jerry's - Would work well in Little Rock, I don't know why its not there

Costco - I have a difficult time seeing Costco enter Wal-Mart/Sams Club's home turf

Since living in Charlotte, I have gained a different perspective on things. People here don't get excited about stuff like Red Robin or run of the mill chains. That said, while we are used to having all of the chains this area is so commercialized that its difficult to find areas with character and local eateries like you find in places like Hillcrest, the Heights, Argenta, etc. I think Little Rock could improve leaps and bounds as far as shopping is concerned (Jackson, MS even puts it to shame) but LR need not get carried away with wishing for chain restaurants. Little Rock could probably support the chains many are wishing for but they would come at the expense of the local guys in a market that size. The plethora of local restaurants is one thing I miss about living in Little Rock.

LOL!!! I didn't really ask for commentary on my WISH list. I understand why we probably won't get some of these stores/restaurants; however, there is serious talk about Porsche, Mini Cooper, Cheesecake Factory, & Red Robin coming here. Also Apple is going to put a store in, we just don't know when.

FYI: I love the local food scene here and support it. I don't think that any of these chains would damage the good thing that we have going on here locally. IMHO