Sonny’s BBQ
 

I enjoyed their $6 pork big deal today (sandwich, side and drink). After telling the waitress how much I liked it she said the restaurant is closing on May 14.

/////

OK, I'll bite (pun intended).

WHICH Sonny's?

They chose not to renew their 5 year lease. Opened in May, 2009 according to the Gourmet Club website.

Skip

TV property management getting greedy on their revenue portion/ rent?

So which Sonnys?

Sow what! ;)

Never been. It’s not on the McRib level I hope?

I'm surprised something called the "Gourmet Club" would even know a restaurant such as Sonny's.

Some of them aren't too bad for what they are, but I once ate at the Sumter Landing location and it was scary bad.

Service or the food?

So another FMK?

Sometimes when a business wants a location, the lease can be out of the reach of current establishment

The food was awful, the staff was ....

I don't want to cast aspersions on my bartender that day, but the above post from another thread seems like an accurate characterization ... other than it was going on, long before today.

Oh boy

We went to the one on I think it was on 301/441/27 but I could be wrong (it was in that town before Ocala) and I have to say it was several notches below that of standard BBQ. We told the server and she swore that their meat was smoked but it was clear no smoke ring was evident.

Now we go to Mission when we want BBQ. I bought an additional pound of brisket and that served two of us for two days - succulent, tender, with a delicious red ring on it. At about seven dollars a serving you can’t beat it.

They had a great salad bar before COVID. They never brought it back so I will not miss them.

It has a large bar so it will not be empty for long.

No, the place is a ghost town.
We’ve eaten there a bunch, and it’s always empty

I would say “Gourmet Club” is a misnomer - their top ranked restaurant is City Fire in LSL.

Ahhhh .....

Their rating system is obvious weighted towards the Liquor side of the restaurant business?

Do people actually eat food at City Fire?

Stretching himself too thin???? :shrug:

Their BarBQ is nothing special.

Agree.

Two other posts speak volumes.....(1)salad bar and (2) $6 pork.

You’re the financial guy and do you think a restaurant can make it on a $6.00 meal? That’s pure loss.

Fluoromethyl Ketone?

Nope. Methyl Ethyl Ketone.

There is another question that should be asked, is the restaurant closing because of quality or due to rising rents.
In N.Y.C. there are restaurants almost on every block, some are good, and some are bad, but most close due to rising rents.
If it is the latter, the very restaurant you love might be next.

Based on the ad (as far as I can tell); the $6 meal was available at all of the Sonny's locations.

Ate there many times. Always had great meal and service. Smells great as you pass by too... will miss the option.

Ive never been but I looked at the menu....the $6 sandwich is a Wednesday special. The rest of the menu is pretty uniform (price wise) as one would expect. Not sure if its a rent issue but previous post talked about server issues and poor quality. That's a killer for any establishment in the industry. Bad news travels fast!

Sonny's
 

This is our favorite for BBQ, as we have been to 3 different locations and always delicious and great service. Never been to Lake Sumter one. Must be a greedy landlord raising rent. Sad!

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Never been there, never tasted the food, never experienced the service.....must be the greed.

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

The first Sonny's I ever went to was a brand new one in Tallahassee about 5 years ago. It was great food and service, but this was precovid. Since then I've been to others ones, including the LSL location, and found the service and quality to be fair to bad.

I love this place! So sad !

Predictable demise
 

Past 2 to 3 years, I'd see many tables never cleaned after guests left, still sitting there after I was gone.

Chaos. Wait staff seemed always seemed to be in a state of confusion.

Never had a manager cruise by and ask how was everything. OK, the guy/gal should be busy bussing tables.

Too cheap to hire a busboy.
IMAO; wait staff should never remove a glass or plate from a table, nor clean a table.
Let the wait staff give the best service possible.
Many local restaurants could use this advice. Yeah, laugh.
I was a busboy. My job was to bust my butt, especially preparing tables for the next guests. While guests were there; never an empty plate on a table - especially on the edge.
I'd get tips from the waitresses (yeah, they were all female - obsolete term? - ToughS)

Hit and miss food. Sometimes good, sometimes not. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold. Sometimes what I'd consider too greasy to eat, sometimes, not.

Got a pitcher of beer recently. I could feel the pitcher was hot from the dishwasher. Mugs, not freezing cold - err, not even refrigerated.
Mortal sin.

Suicide

Time for Oakwood or someone similar to move in.

That had to feel good! ;)

If true, totally agree!

Thought brisket was looking but lunchtime sandwiches are skimpy.

Waitstaff was fine

I've been to a few other Sonny's and I always thought that this location was the best of the bunch. The food was cooked better and the staff was better. If they really do close, I will miss them.

Millers Ale house
 

Mission left an after taste I didn't care for, Millers Ale house has a great Rib special, I think Mon/Tues full rack for 1/2 rack price. Oak Hopuse is pretty good also

Industry standard. Rent plus percent of sales, usually 6%. May be more or less. They may not be making the break even.

Oh please ... talked about crap BBQ. Oakwood is awful. I doubt they ever saw a rib, that didn't come packaged in Cryovac and if they did, they wouldn't have a clue what to do with it.

I was there yesterday, also. Food was OK, we only went because I got a free meal for my birthday. Hubby commented that he was surprised they were still open. I noticed the carpet is quite nasty looking and the ladies room is disgusting. (I can't understand why any restaurant would have carpet!) I, for one, won't miss this Sonny's!.