Athens NY Restaurant Closing Nov. 8
 

Even though I'm just a wannabee, I always stop at Athens NY Restaurant in Spanish Springs when I visit The Villages. I got on their email list a while back. This morning the owners of Athens NY Restaurant emailed that they are closing this coming Sunday, Nov. 8.

According to the email: "Our lease is coming to an end, and we have tried to work with The Villages to renew it. However, they have other plans for this space and decided not to renew our lease." Then the email goes on to thank the customers for their patronage and to invite them to their two other restaurants in Groveland and Apopka. They will continue to cater events in The Villages out of the Groveland restaurant.

If you have a balance on a gift card, the owners said they will refund your balance if you send an email to: athensnyrestaurant@yahoo.com.

I always enjoyed the meals I had at Athens NY Restaurant, and I loved sitting at an outside table and watching the people pass by on the square. A loss for those who like to eat out in The Villages. Just my two cents.

That's just sad. Thanks for the head's up.

One the better places to eat in that square, enjoyed the food.

According to the email: "Our lease is coming to an end, and we have tried to work with The Villages to renew it. However, they have other plans for this space and decided not to renew our lease."

The VLSI Invisible Hand

I have never been to Athens but it was on my "short list" for our next trip to TV. Especially since it is close to where we will be staying. It makes me wonder why TV wouldn't work with an established business rather than bringing in an unknown entity.

What does VLSI Invisible Hand mean?

Rather disconcerting to see how The Villages Owners can remove a very successful tenant in the blink of an eye. I don't know the details but the Restaurant will be sorely missed as another nail (IMHO) will be hammered into a coffin by unscrupulous Villages ownership that some of you continue to sing the praises of no matter what they do. Best of luck to Chris and his family in their other two locations. Where will we get our Zwiegles Hot Dogs now?

I found it;


DEFINITION of 'Invisible Hand'

A term coined by economist Adam Smith in his 1776 book "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations". In his book he states:
"Every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it ... He intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for society that it was no part of his intention. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good."
Thus, the invisible hand is essentially a natural phenomenon that guides free markets and capitalism through competition for scarce resources.


Read more: Invisible Hand Definition | Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/...#ixzz3qQk4yynq
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Exactly. It could be that it wasn't going well. Two restaurants on that square are closing. Maybe the owner is getting older and wants to retire. Isn't he in his seventies? An established business that pays it's rent on time is very desirable. Why would you want a new one?

Athens appeared to be doing very well. The OP mentioned that TV wouldn't renew their lease because they had other plans for the location.

One of our favorites.

.

I'm not sure how old the owner of Athens are, but they (Christopher and Amber Kitrinos) did mention in their email that they have had two daughters since opening Athens 5 years ago. I did love the breakfasts at Athens.

You are wrong on all counts. The business is very successful. The Owner is in his forties, its his Father who is in his sixties. There is more than meets the eye to this story so suggest unless you know the facts that you stop posting erroneous information. My guess is the TV does not wnat them around to compete with Katie Belles when it reopens.

ATHENS NY RESTAURANT


THANK YOU!

It's been an incredible 5 years here in The Villages but it's time to say goodbye. Our lease is coming to an end and we have tried to work with The Villages to renew it. However they have other plans for this space and decided not to renew our lease. Our doors will be closing this Sunday 11/8.

We wanted to take a minute to say Thank you to everyone for their support. Majority of you have been with us since our doors opened. You have seen us grow into what we have become. You have been with us during the births of our two beautiful daughters and have given us nothing but love and support. We will be forever grateful.

We would love for you to join us at our other locations to still enjoy your breakfast and lunch. Our new establishments are called Flapjack Johnny's. We have two locations Groveland and Apopka. They are open Mon-Sun 7am to 2:30pm. Our Groveland location will also be opened on Friday nights for dinner until 9pm. Come and enjoy our Famous Haddock Fish Fry. So if you are ever in the area please stop on by to see us.

Our catering will still be opened but just out of our Flapjack Johnny's Groveland location. We will continue to cater events in The Villages and surrounding areas.

Once our doors close on Sunday and you have a balance on your gift card, please email us with your name, address and gift card number and we will be more than happy to refund your balance.

Our email address is athensnyrestaurant@yahoo.com

*

Once again on behalf of our family and staff Thank You from the bottom of our hearts for all of your support.

Sincerely,

Christopher & Amber Kitrinos

Owners

Athens NY Restaurant

*

Flapjack Johnny's Groveland

7432 Hwy 50 Suite 103

Groveland, FL

*

Flapjack Johnny's Apopka

2171 E Semoran Blvd

Apopka, FL

(In the Wekiva Riverwalk Plaza. Next to Marshall's)

Seems to me that each poster has as much right to post their opinion as you do. Your constant negativity toward the developer is your opinion, and likely erroneous, but you still have the right post it, don't you?

I would think, just as you, everyone is free to post their opinions.

When people make untrue statements they should be called to task. You have no idea about the history behind this situation so please don't let your unbridled devotion to the developer blind you from the facts.

Opinions are one thing; erroneous and misinformation is quite another.

It was a great place for breakfast. I do know that a couple of the workers lived in Michigan and we brought down to help run the business. It was doing well. I know what it's like to have a successful business and then have The owner want something else in your spot. They just raise the rent to what you can't afford to make it work. So you move. But the business rarely survives in a different spot as well as the first. Right or wrong it's the owner of the building that wants to make a better profit.

If you own a business and lease the property that the business is one, then you know that the lease will end at some point. Unless there is an automatic renewal in perpetuity clause a business owner knows that there may come a day when the property owner decides to not renew the lease for whatever reason.

Property owners do with their property what is best for them. Is there anything wrong with that?

If you own a home and rent it out on a yearly basis, each year you will probably increase the rent. If the renter decides that the rent is too high, he has the option of moving out.

If someone comes along and offers to buy the property for more than what it is worth, you might choose to sell the property when the lease ends.

What is the problem here? The Villages owns the property and has rented it to this business for a specific period of time. That time is up. The Villages has decided to do something else with the property. That is their business and their right.

The business owner, on the other hand has the option to either close up shop or move their business to another location. That is their business and their right.

It could be The Developer plans to use this facility as the ticket booth for the new monorail system.

So you think that the Morses are trying to rent out the space now used for a restaurant for something other than a restaurant so as to make Katie Belle's more successful?


I would like to point out that in the last few years the Morses have sold out their restaurant businesses; Cane Garden, The Lighthouse, and the place that is now Panera's.


But maybe you are right. We will see.

I hardly have unbridled devotion to the developer. However I don't understand how any individual can be so negative. If you have "facts" why not share them. And for goodness sakes if you are so miserable here in TV why not look for someplace where you can be happier. Life is too short to go through it with chronic negativity. And we are all getting older by the day. When you first started posting you WERE the new guy in TV - but you are now the "been here for awhile guy"

Zweigle's Hot Dogs
 

I guess I will have to go back to getting my Zweigle's Hot Dogs shipped in from Rochester.

This is the place I used for years:

NY Style Deli -- Welcome

I read this and thought the father was older;

Athens NY Restaurant - Home

Inside the link here is a quote;



"Our family recipes have been handed down from many generations and will continue throughout the years. We don't believe in frozen processed foods. All of our foods are prepared each and every day fresh. Our desserts are made by our father who has been around the world learning new recipes.

With over 50 years of Hospitality experience, the Kitrinos family has been providing families, friends, and businesses from all around the world with exceptional elegance and creativity in the gourmet foods that they have created. From extravagant hotels to casinos and from famous race tracks to exotic ships, the history behind our family continues today within our dishes here in The Villages, Florida."

I do love irony.

Athens NY Restaurant Closing Nov. 8
 

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There have been many businesses over the years that have left for one reason or another and the most prevelent, most convenient, most used excuse was the rent was to high and could not make it work or TV did not renew the lease.

I suggest without first hand knowledge of the real reasons being actually KNOWN, to not blame TV. Having been involved in more than one of the lease arrangements with TV, I can offer the little I consider myself to know. For sure there is usually within an original lease or a renewal the option for another 5 years or two 5 year options. In the event of a lease not having any options to renew the establishment doing the leasing knows right then and there they are subject to potential non renewal.

Why would one either make a lease or renew without options for renewal? It costs no more. It does not commit one to stay. And it protects the availability of the location/establishment.

To me to hear TV would not renew the lease does not make sense and sounds like the easy explanation being used again. There is more to the story!

Do you happen to know if he doesn't pay his rent on time? And you are quite productive in your seventies, right? I know several people still working in their seventies. And if he is still keeping two ohther restos open in other locations, I doubt The Villages is just thinking, "oh, he's too old and might retire soon."

My POINT was that HE Mr.Athens the older, might want to retire. Not that he didn't pay his rent or didn't cook nice.


Sometimes people use face saving excuses for things like this...and it could be the gawdawful truth that the danged Morses want to double the rent or something.


I sure hope that the Morses are as nice as I think they are, but ya never know. WHY would the Morses want to get rid of a good tenant? Perhaps the tenant wanted to quit? Maybe? Huh? Perhaps? Their lease was up.

Maybe they will reopen in another location that is lower rent and bigger and nicer? We will just wait and see.

Isn't that building being renovated to facilitate first floor retail - and perhaps this is the last piece in that plan? And that's why TV would not offer to renew?

More retail and fewer restaurants is not a conducive draw to tourists, guests and villagers. And to related businesses on the square.

I guess it makes a difference who is posting the erroneous information...........

I think the reality is somewhere between those who think they walk on water and those who think everything they do is from greed. Hopefully a new resto will go in there, as it's one of the most popular, if not THE most popular, things to do in The Villages.

A TV business insider told me: When a successful business in TV is up for lease renegotiation, the developer demands a sizable portion of future business profits in addition to rent. This insider told me there have been several businesses that closed up because of this negotiation tactic.

Another loss for Villages North.

I hope more things go south! Not bad, just closer to me some 14 miles to the south.:wave:

With all due respect to you, Outlaw, I have heard that rumor over and over and it was directly answered by the person who works for The Villages in charge of commercial leases some time ago who said it wasn't so. I will try to find that thread.


The rent IS probably high in the squares. It usually is in successful tourist areas. Not everyone can handle the overhead. For that reason I rarely shop in tourist areas because I know the overhead is high. You can get more bargains in lower rent areas.


I haven't located that information but found this while looking.

This thread is from 2008.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...mercial+leases

I keep telling my wife that she should shop outside of the Villages!

A "loss" for TV north???? When Katie Belles is being renovated top to bottom, to become an entirely new, classy venue that people under age 90 would be attracted to?? The Athens commercial space is SO logically a part of that whole venue!

Get over the envy of the developers! Take the risks with your personal assets that THEY did, and build it yourself here if their results and fiscal sustainability are so offensive to you.

wow!