High end chain restaurant
 

I know we have Bonefish Grill and Carrabba's, but do you think we can support better chain restaurants? I would prefer excellent privately owned restaurants, but I don't think they have a chance here. Love to see chains like Ruths Chris, Flemmings, Buca di Beppo; or even lower end choices like the Cheesecake Factory, P. F. Changs, and Houston's here instead of driving to Orlando. It seems to me that we really have no good options for an aged steak, quality Italian, or Asian here in TV.

We have lots of great bar food type establishments, and the battered fried food is great, although not to good for our longevity. Palmer and Lopez offer better dinning, but still not up to par with any of the better chains or high end family owned restaurants.

Coming from the heavily populated North East, I have been spoiled by excellent gourmet restaurants. I wonder if most people in TV really care or are satisfied with our meager offerings?

Have to agree with you. Many chain restaurants and not too many independents. Seems like when we visit Tampa/Clearwater area we see a lot of decent places and wonder why they're not here.

When we lived in Winter Park we enjoyed PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory and Mitchell's Seafood at WP Village.
1 hour away and lots to do.
As for here we would love them to come.

It seems as though most of the posters on TOTV have issues about the cost of our country clubs. I do not think enough would pay the prices at Fleming's or Ruth Chris which will easily go $175 for two dinners and two cocktails or wine.

As for PF Chang or Cheesecake Factory, could they compete pricewise with what we already have and draw enough customers on a year round basis to survive?

For gourmet chains, drive to Orlando and experience life outside The Villages once in a while. It makes a special occasion more special.

for example TGI Friday could not survive here (closed last spring). So many diners seem to be in "groups" of 6,8 10 and then the cheapest member of the group usually decides where they should eat & price is always a factor. and they can keep their hat on in the place.

I'm running out of things we need at Ikea to justify driving to Orlando just so we can have lunch at Brio!

I absolutely agree with you on the need for some upscale restaurants. Every year on my Villages survey I write in Ruths Chris. My husband and I talk about the quality of restaurants here, and just don't think there are enough Villagers willing to pay the high prices that go with fine dining. Unfortunately, I doubt any upscale restaurants will spend the millions necessary to establish such a restaurant and find out!

I totally agree. I would love a Ruth's Chris. Heading back north this summer with a list of restaurants especially steak house and Chinese ( far from upscale but nothing down here)
Oh yeah Italian , Japanese . Have to run I'm getting hungry :)

My husband and I agree! Coming from NYC, where dining options in many price ranges abound, the selection of restaurants here in TV leaves much to be desired, IMHO. We're not food snobs by any means, but would love dining experience that doesn't involve a one-hour drive (health problems) in any direction.

You have well over 100 restaurants in The Villages to choose from!
Ocala is a 40 minute drive and has some upscale restaurants.
You may well frequent a high end restaurant such as Ruth Chris but do you honestly feel as though enough Villagers would pay $175+ on a regular basis for Ruth Chris to open a restaurant here?

Better eating experiences at TV?
 

Another one that agrees for the need for better restaurants and not having to drive to Orlando for that gastronomic experience. We just visited TV last week to look at homes to purchase and were seriously disappointed with what is offered in the community. Same applies to shopping for women's clothing, but good restaurants (not necessarily upscale $$$ ones) is important to us. Brownwood Center is now developing and offers an opportunity to lure and bring in a few different restaurants from what is now available and that are not the fastfood-fried-food type ones.

We agree with the OP in general and about Ruth Chris in particular. I am sorry to hear that TGIF failed in TV but I tend to see restaurant chains like it aiming for a younger crowd. Having said that, my wife and I just got back from our all too short visit to TV (4 days). We want to thank everyone for their recommendations concerning the best places to eat. We want to give a very special thank you to the Gourmet Club. We were able to have breakfast at: First Watch (“If pancakes for lunch are wrong, we don’t want to be right.”); SonRise; Lil Bits Café; and Panera Bread (a chain we enjoy) on Market Square. Our lunches were at Too Jay’s; Cody’s Roadhouse; and Five Guys at Paddock Square (just to spend a bit more time in the newest square). We started off with dinner and a show at Katie Belle’s followed by evening meals at City Fire Market Square, Cane Garden CC, and Ay! Jalisco. Thank you again since we enjoyed all of those meals. We’ll be thinking about all of you for the next few weeks as we try to get rid of the new found weight!

No, I don't believe many would pay $175+ often enough to make an upscale restauant want to come here. The 100+ restaurants in TV are, for the most part, pretty mediocre, but it is possible to get a wonderful breakfast or lunch at some of the mom & pop places both in and outside TV. It's really a matter of what someone likes to eat, and with people here from all over the country, its just too subjective. I end up cooking almost every evening. Not arguing, and not claiming to have a sophisticated palate, but I know what I like and rarely find it at a restaurant here.

How much is perspective - and a suggestion
 

We are not yet villagers and certainly didn't have time to visit all the offerings on our 7 day Lifestyle Preview. I agree with those posters that are looking for more upscale dining, however. While I agree that a Ruths' Chris type restaurant may have a difficult time attracting a consistent clientele it would be nice to have other offerings. Even something like Cheesecake Factory which has such a huge menu would be welcome. While some have indicated most are looking for "cheap eats" it appears with the prices quickly rising on new homes that more affluent residents will be arriving!

So much depends on perspective. Those villagers who have lived most of their lives in small towns and villages most likely find the shopping and dining offerings in the villages plentiful. Those of us who have lived in larger cities may bemoan the loss of the opportunities we left behind.

I do, however, have a suggestion for those of you looking for a good steak. Have you tried the filet at Carrabba's? When they first opened here in Louisville, we were eager to try a new Italian restaurant. (Being from the northeast where there are TONS of great Italian eateries, we were disappointed with the local offerings!) Our first few visits were the Italian entrees which we enjoyed. However, on one visit our server recommended the filet marsala and we were hooked! It was actually a better steak that we have had at some of the "upscale" restaurants mentioned by other posters! It's offered with 3 other toppings besides the marsala - bryan is one and I can't remember the others. Give it a try and let us all know what you think!

A place like Ruth Chris would be great.....but the only way you will see Ruth Chris in Central Florida is if there is a "Casino" nearby in the the future!!

No Chance
 

As much as we would like to see the great restaurants I just don't think the demographics will support it. Maybe as we build out and the Fruitland Park " High End "
homes are built maybe they will help the demographics to support these great restaurants.

A high end steak house was tried in Spanish Springs, it lasted 6 months. A lot of folks in TV dine out 4 to 6 evenings, not looking to break the bank each night. Just my thoughts.

High end chain restaurant? Isn't that an oxymoron? Kind of like ax murderer/babysitter?

IMO we already have too many chain restaurants and it seems that whenever an independent restaurant opens everyone can't wait to see it fail.

I JUST DON'T GET IT.

I agree, but I would like Ruths Chris, but not every night. I haven't had a good steak in the 10 years I've been here. I also think the lack of independents and abundance of chains just makes TV look kind of bland. And the Outback here is the worst in the country.

Wah, wah, wah!

I would be happy if we had even just one decent Chinese restaurant. Good grief, there are good Chinese restaurants in Cuba! in Edinburgh! Probably in Kansas, in Texas. It doesn't require masses of Chinese residents. I can cook good Chinese food at home

We are relatively new TVrs, and it does startle us that the population (even the summer pop) may not support new independent restaurants. I mean we have 105K+ locals and more adding in surrounding populations. I recall reading that the average annual income of TVrs is almost $100K/year (if true, we are bringing that down...). True or not - we DO have a quite hefty disposable income stream in TV. A shame that we don't attract new non-chain places.

One would think a good % of TVrs would stream to new restaurants that offer good food, prepared well, at competitive pricing.

What was the name of this "High End" steak house ?

If the companies who own these restaurants won't come, how does one plan on getting them here? A letter writing campaign? Restaurants also have a bottom line and if they are not going to make a profit, no coming to an area.
There are some who are willing to pay a bit more for a meal they enjoy, there are some who complain at the prices when there is an increase or when a new place opens. Restaurants face increased costs for food, insurance, staff and while many assume that they can easily absorb the extra cost and not pass it along to customers, they can't, won't, shouldn't have too.
Remember we picked this area to live in...hopefully one took the time to see what was in the area. Surely not all of us had our ideal pick of our favorites where we moved from.

I totally agree. For whatever reason the food at all of the country clubs is not good. Bland veggies. Fried or stuff not made from scratch. Just yesterday I went past a local restaurant and got a look at kitchen staff out back and was horrified I will definitely never eat there again. I would not want any one of the touching anything I eat! And people here can be cheap,cheap,cheap. Why because they are here living the life and they eat most of their meals out and don't want to spend high dollars amounts per meal. Sooooo they do cheap and don't care about quality. It's quantity they are after. I'm from Midwest and can tell you there were better eating places there than here

Very well stated. Prospective buyers should look hard at what is here, not what they imagine would be here in the future.

If any restaurateurs were thinking of moving to TV read any of the restaurant threads, they would probably have a good chuckle as they put a big red xxxxx through The Villages.

I totally agree food at country clubs is just bland. Just not that good never had a good steak at any of them. Vegetables yuck. But people here are living the life and eat out almost every day so it's quantity that that want not quality. I can't believe when I hear people say they had a greAt meal at such and such restaurant and I go and it's awful. I think their taste buds are gone and they don't care what they eat. I'm from the Midwest and I can tell you we had better restaurants there than they do here.. And everybody here has to do things in big groups. What is that all about. To show people the have a lot of friends. Even in the country clubs it is so noisy when they come in and the you get a couple of drinks in them, it's like they take over the whole place . I'd sooner eat a grilled cheese sandwich at home.

I can't comment on steaks at any restaurant here in the area, never order them.
Generally order salmon or shrimp and if they are prepared well, I enjoy. Haven't had bad fish or shrimp out so far. Veggies, well, I prefer they are more on the crisp side, not mushy, and fresh. Have enjoyed good veggies more often than not. Do you prefer soft or more crisp veggies? Have a friend who only enjoys
veggies that are well cooked and soft....what she is used to from her background. Our differences in preferences may influence what we think of as good food.

Drinks can make people more vocal, at a higher volume, that's for sure, but I don't think it's unique to our clubs. People do go to dine in large groups....yes they do. Friends do enjoy gathering together to dine....always have...it's a social thing, now and probably, always. Some days it's uncomfortable to be around large, noisy groups, other times, maybe not. People tend to forget or not realize just how noisy they can be....even while eating...;)

Have you tried Cheng's? Very small, but pretty good.

Someone should open a high end cheese restaurant in The Villages. Seems we have enough whine here.

:oops::oops: May be alittle off subject,but just curious, When eating out with friends, in a group, do most request seperate checks? We lived in Sarasota for awhile, and wait staff always asked up front if seperate checks will be needed. This sometimes makes it easier when prices are high.::doh:

Seems that is what wait staff here expect, separate checks. Sometimes some have asked, most of the time they don't. If we have some in our group paying for another's meal, we just let the server know as we order.

You don't sound like a happy camper?

I just read another post that groups was a dumb idea.

You are so right. The first thing that was posted when the new Havana restaurant opened was the prices are too high.
And the posters here want high end?
BTW who are these people with incomes of 100K? Sure not the average...........

For sure the more expensive chains like The Palm won't be coming. But a Cheesecake Factory isn't that expensive and the food is far superior to what is available at present. The problem likely is the bite TV takes for rent. And I don't see something like that built on 301.

According to the US Census median household income in The Villages between 2008 and 2012 was just north of $53,000 per annum. Perhaps many of the Baby Boomers moving in have incomes of $100,000/yr - check out the prices of the homes now being built by the developer - but most residents probably do not. The Villages CDP QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau

If the demographics were there, e.g., high end expense accounts and big spenders, The Villages might have some high end restaurants.

Well, groups bring lots of diners to restaurants....and that can be a GOOD thing.....;)

Might just be so, I agree, but that is also making an assumption that those with what seems to be more income than the "average" Villager, will be willing to spend lots of money lots of times at said "high end" establishments. Wealthy or not, seniors can be quite frugal..;). ..and maybe spending lots of money for dining is one area where frugality shows up!