Talk of The Villages Florida

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-   -   Athens NY Restaurant Closing Nov. 8 (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/restaurant-discussions-90/athens-ny-restaurant-closing-nov-8-a-169148/)

Bonny 11-03-2015 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodtimesintv (Post 1139781)
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.

:thumbup:

billethkid 11-03-2015 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njbchbum (Post 1139749)
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?

Could be. But these kinds of plans don't materialize over night.

At the signing of their original or last lease, they knew when they signed there either was a clause for renewal or there was not. There is usually discussion about including the renewal just simply because it costs nothing...adds not commitment and locks in the property. When the lease is up either renew or not.
So at some point these folks must have signed a lease, knowingly, with no lease renewal clause.

The real question is whether there was a renewal in the lease or not? If yes and TV does not renew it would be breach of contract.
If there was no renewal clause they knew that at the time of signing, there would be no assurance they would get a renewal.

It is easy and convenient to just say I could not get my lease renewed....which may in fact be true, but known way in advance (at lease signing)!!

applesoffh 11-03-2015 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckinca (Post 1139617)
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.

.

One of our favorites, too. Seems like almost any mom & pop restaurant in TV is doomed. I had never been to Luigino's, which was on a corner and also recently closed. Athens was one of our favorites. Enjoyed the food and the service. Michael went to every table, all the time. Could be that the Powers that Be simply want the prime corners for more lucrative "chain" garbage.

This is sad. Eternally grateful that there are wonderful family-owned restaurants outside TV that we enjoy.

rubicon 11-03-2015 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodtimesintv (Post 1139781)
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.

goodtimesintv: I agree with your 1st paragraph. I disagree with your comment concerning envy""...envy has nothing to do with the number of businesses VLSI smashed because they carry a monopoly and want to control their little fiefdom. Finally didn't Athens take personal risks of their assets and didn't they sweat to build a successful business here?

I admittedly don't care to eat out much but Athens was one of the better restaurants here. I will miss their deep fried haddock. apparently residents' loss is VLSI gain. Cést la vie

I guess I'll never understand the misguided loyalty residents seem to have with a business entity called VLSI...its not wise to love a corporation because its incapable of loving you back....like golf.

Personal Best Regards:

dewilson58 11-03-2015 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schaumburger (Post 1139554)
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.

A simple, informative post..............amazing journey for this thread.

newguyintv 11-03-2015 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dewilson58 (Post 1139913)
A simple, informative post..............amazing journey for this thread.

A real loss for us Villagers. Another I don't give a ****, it's just business for TV.

graciegirl 11-03-2015 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 1139908)
goodtimesintv: I agree with your 1st paragraph. I disagree with your comment concerning envy""...envy has nothing to do with the number of businesses VLSI smashed because they carry a monopoly and want to control their little fiefdom. Finally didn't Athens take personal risks of their assets and didn't they sweat to build a successful business here?

I admittedly don't care to eat out much but Athens was one of the better restaurants here. I will miss their deep fried haddock. apparently residents' loss is VLSI gain. Cést la vie

I guess I'll never understand the misguided loyalty residents seem to have with a business entity called VLSI...its not wise to love a corporation because its incapable of loving you back....like golf.

Personal Best Regards:


I think you are reading great respect for a well run business that has nothing to do with love. I think it is extremely wonderful to see the success of a family who has invested their own money, over and over and built a wonderful community.


I grow tired of hearing that every time a restaurant closes here that it is the developer's fault. Some people like family restaurants and some people like chains. I just like decent, good food, prepared, served hot and promptly. People chastise some of us for our admiration for the Morse business and give the same kind of admiration to a restaurant business. It is very hard to keep a restaurant business afloat in Florida with extreme highs and lows in traffic due to tourist seasons. Usually you can tell that a restaurant is peddling as hard as it can when it serves three meals a day, but even that sometimes is not enough to keep it afloat, keep the meals priced where people will buy them with the rising price of food. It is hard work that starts way before the restaurant opens and continues way after it closes. It is some of the hardest work anyone can choose to do, running a successful restaurant. But still doing all things right, sometimes a business closes. None of us know for sure just exactly what the terms were that the two could not agree to, but since the owners are younger, I bet they will continue in another location. Just a guess. I don't know a thing about them other what I have read here.

Miles42 11-03-2015 04:37 PM

Posting opinions that are clearly lacking in truth helps no one understand the situation. There appears to be other plans for the property. I guess we wait and see and just move on. There are some great places to eat in the area surrounding the Villages. We do get to elect the tenants some what with our spending habits.

goodtimesintv 11-03-2015 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 1139908)
goodtimesintv: I agree with your 1st paragraph. I disagree with your comment concerning envy""...envy has nothing to do with the number of businesses VLSI smashed because they carry a monopoly and want to control their little fiefdom. Finally didn't Athens take personal risks of their assets and didn't they sweat to build a successful business here?

I admittedly don't care to eat out much but Athens was one of the better restaurants here. I will miss their deep fried haddock. apparently residents' loss is VLSI gain. Cést la vie

I guess I'll never understand the misguided loyalty residents seem to have with a business entity called VLSI...its not wise to love a corporation because its incapable of loving you back....like golf.

Personal Best Regards:

I don't have undying, misguided love for VLSI. I have RESPECT for them upgrading Spanish Springs and building new homes in the oldest neighborhoods of TV, so that all regions of TV are up to date and appealing to home buyers we will someday want to come and buy OUR homes here.

As one person said here before, the restaurant owner knew when they signed the lease whether they could renew or not. Obviously they kept their other two locations for a time such as this. Maybe they made enough money here and are now quitting while they're ahead. The overall economy is not stable, in fact I'd call it volatile.

Bogie Shooter 11-03-2015 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newguyintv (Post 1139915)
A real loss for us Villagers. Another I don't give a ****, it's just business for TV.

Just wondering, is this an opinion or a fact based statement?

graciegirl 11-03-2015 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miles42 (Post 1139937)
Posting opinions that are clearly lacking in truth helps no one understand the situation. There appears to be other plans for the property. I guess we wait and see and just move on. There are some great places to eat in the area surrounding the Villages. We do get to elect the tenants some what with our spending habits.



What other plans for the property have you heard about that are not rumors or opinions?

exmayor95 11-03-2015 05:47 PM

Owners are in their 30's.

rustyp 11-03-2015 06:38 PM

Someone on this site got it directly from someone who works directly for The Villages that there is a possibility of this parcel becoming a stretch Lantana for someone they can't talk about.

bookseller61 11-03-2015 09:27 PM

Always end up at Athens even if I did not start out there. Felllow upstate New Yorkers. My favorite place

dbussone 11-03-2015 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 1139968)
Just wondering, is this an opinion or a fact based statement?

As in many of his posts it it is an opinion camouflaged as a fact based statement.

rubicon 11-04-2015 05:13 AM

The OP said and another poster followed with the e-mail both of which made it clear that Athens wanted to renew. Anyone with an objective opinion who has witnessed VLSI dealings has come to realize they get what they want. If they find that can turn a better profit margin they desire they move on. Such was the case of the Wellness Center. If one had compared the cost to join the Wellness Center they would have found it similar except that group participation was separate. It costs substantially less with MVP and MVP includes both open area and group programs

I liked Athens because it had a dish that came close to a favorite in central New York. However I do not have a dog in this fight. It just perplexes me why people have such an affinity for a business entity that for business purposes will turn on anyone or anything to turn a profit, that's what corporations do....hence my , you can't love a corporation and as to respect if people had the opportunity to see the inner workings of such a corporation they may not respect it either. Simply stated I am a realist and my comments are not specifically directed to this corporation but to corporations in general of which VLSI is one that residents come in contact with daily
Its all good and in the end it really doesn't matter

Personal Best Regards:

graciegirl 11-04-2015 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 1140125)
The OP said and another poster followed with the e-mail both of which made it clear that Athens wanted to renew. Anyone with an objective opinion who has witnessed VLSI dealings has come to realize they get what they want. If they find that can turn a better profit margin they desire they move on. Such was the case of the Wellness Center. If one had compared the cost to join the Wellness Center they would have found it similar except that group participation was separate. It costs substantially less with MVP and MVP includes both open area and group programs

I liked Athens because it had a dish that came close to a favorite in central New York. However I do not have a dog in this fight. It just perplexes me why people have such an affinity for a business entity that for business purposes will turn on anyone or anything to turn a profit, that's what corporations do....hence my , you can't love a corporation and as to respect if people had the opportunity to see the inner workings of such a corporation they may not respect it either. Simply stated I am a realist and my comments are not specifically directed to this corporation but to corporations in general of which VLSI is one that residents come in contact with daily
Its all good and in the end it really doesn't matter

Personal Best Regards:


I guess then I will have to accept what people are saying that their lease was not renewed because the developer had other plans for the space. After all, it is what the business owner said. I certainly respect your opinion Rubicon. Over time I had called on many small family owned businesses myself and watched many of them thrive and many cease.


We will see what happens to that space.

Skip 11-04-2015 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1140131)
I guess then I will have to accept what people are saying that their lease was not renewed because the developer had other plans for the space. After all, it is what the business owner said. I certainly respect your opinion Rubicon. Over time I had called on many small family owned businesses myself and watched many of them thrive and many cease.
We will see what happens to that space.

They were offered a new 5 year lease. Chris did not like the new terms. Too costly for him.

Skip

CFrance 11-04-2015 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip (Post 1140295)
They were offered a new 5 year lease. Chris did not like the new terms. Too costly for him.

Skip

Please, will you tell us how you know that?

gerryann 11-04-2015 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFrance (Post 1140418)
Please, will you tell us how you know that?

Yes, please let us know. I thought the Athens wanted to renew and they did not offer them a renew because they had plans for the property?

graciegirl 11-04-2015 02:39 PM

I am pretty sure that Skip isn't going to tell you HOW he knows but over time I have come to see that Skip knows a lot of stuff that ordinary villagers don't know. I don't think he is a Morse but I think he is somehow close to the action and knows the back stories around here..


If he says something I would be pretty confidant he is right.

DigitalGranny 11-04-2015 02:43 PM

I just hate to see them go. Thought their Greek dishes were extremely good. Also enjoy lunch outside there with the great live music, and the burgers were my favorite in TV

KathieI 11-04-2015 06:10 PM

I do know for a fact that they were having some financial problems. An acquaintance of mine who worked there, left because a few of his salary checks bounced and even the replacement checks weren't honored. I'm not going to speculate why they had problems but this I know for a fact.

I also know for a fact, that I hated their food, it was God awful. From the first time I went there, I wasn't pleased and only went again because others wanted to go, but I never felt it was good Greek food. So I won't be missing them.

Skip 11-05-2015 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1140446)
I am pretty sure that Skip isn't going to tell you HOW he knows but over time I have come to see that Skip knows a lot of stuff that ordinary villagers don't know. I don't think he is a Morse but I think he is somehow close to the action and knows the back stories around here..

If he says something I would be pretty confidant he is right.

Thanks. I only share what I know is a fact. I hate rumors.

Skip

acordeiro 11-06-2015 10:46 AM

what are the other plans the TV has

Bonny 11-06-2015 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acordeiro (Post 1141350)
what are the other plans the TV has

Only the Villages knows. We will wait and see. ;)

Annie01 11-06-2015 04:43 PM

sadly that is NOT true...they had severe rat problems in the kitchen...they were closed DOWN !!!!!

Annie01 11-06-2015 04:44 PM

they had alot of violations..and THEY did NOTHING to fix it..their loss !!!!!

gerryann 11-06-2015 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annie01 (Post 1141580)
they had alot of violations..and THEY did NOTHING to fix it..their loss !!!!!

Oh good grief......we all know this is not true.

dewilson58 11-06-2015 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerryann (Post 1141604)
Oh good grief......we all know this is not true.

And we are ignoring.

Bogie Shooter 11-06-2015 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annie01 (Post 1141578)
sadly that is NOT true...they had severe rat problems in the kitchen...they were closed DOWN !!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annie01 (Post 1141580)
they had alot of violations..and THEY did NOTHING to fix it..their loss !!!!!

Former employee?
What is your source for this accusation?

rustyp 11-06-2015 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annie01 (Post 1141578)
sadly that is NOT true...they had severe rat problems in the kitchen...they were closed DOWN !!!!!

Why would it be a no no for this restaurant to have rodents in the kitchen and another one of our revered establishments get a pass? I say they get the pass also. They also published a nice email explaining their situation including to refund any surplus on gift cards.

Can't wait to see what The Developers plan next - whatever it is you can bet it will be first class. Still living the dream.

Mikeod 11-06-2015 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annie01 (Post 1141578)
sadly that is NOT true...they had severe rat problems in the kitchen...they were closed DOWN !!!!!

Nothing on the FL Dept of Health or Business and Professions websites.

Bonny 11-06-2015 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annie01 (Post 1141578)
sadly that is NOT true...they had severe rat problems in the kitchen...they were closed DOWN !!!!!

Could you share the link to where ever this is stated & who actually closed them down as you say. I have not been able to find this anywhere.
Did you work there?

Bonny 11-06-2015 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Annie01 (Post 1141578)
sadly that is NOT true...they had severe rat problems in the kitchen...they were closed DOWN !!!!!

I noticed looking at your posts, you have trashed "many" restaurants.
So I assume you are a bartender or a server.

goodtimesintv 11-07-2015 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KathieI (Post 1140560)
I do know for a fact that they were having some financial problems. An acquaintance of mine who worked there, left because a few of his salary checks bounced and even the replacement checks weren't honored. I'm not going to speculate why they had problems but this I know for a fact.

I also know for a fact, that I hated their food, it was God awful. From the first time I went there, I wasn't pleased and only went again because others wanted to go, but I never felt it was good Greek food. So I won't be missing them.

Thank you. I believe you're saying the truth.

yabbadu 11-07-2015 04:34 PM

Sadly I will miss their Greek Salads and their dressing. However, went there last night for dinner on the patio and much to my amazement there was a small dog in its dog basket on a chair eating /drinking from a styrofoam carryout container sitting on the table.
Asked hostess if it was OK and the reply was if no one complains it is OK.

Maybe its another reason they are leaving!

CFrance 11-07-2015 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yabbadu (Post 1142103)
Sadly I will miss their Greek Salads and their dressing. However, went there last night for dinner on the patio and much to my amazement there was a small dog in its dog basket on a chair eating /drinking from a styrofoam carryout container sitting on the table.
Asked hostess if it was OK and the reply was if no one complains it is OK.

Maybe its another reason they are leaving!

Did you complain and say it's not OK with you? Instead of complaining here, complain there instead.

rustyp 11-07-2015 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yabbadu (Post 1142103)
Sadly I will miss their Greek Salads and their dressing. However, went there last night for dinner on the patio and much to my amazement there was a small dog in its dog basket on a chair eating /drinking from a styrofoam carryout container sitting on the table.
Asked hostess if it was OK and the reply was if no one complains it is OK.

Maybe its another reason they are leaving!

Could it be a comfort dog? Did it have one of the vest things on. We should all respect that some people have ailments that are not obvious. I'm so lucky to be relatively healthy and a bonus to live in a wonderful place like this. Still living the dream.

goodtimesintv 11-07-2015 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustyp (Post 1142160)
Could it be a comfort dog? Did it have one of the vest things on. We should all respect that some people have ailments that are not obvious. I'm so lucky to be relatively healthy and a bonus to live in a wonderful place like this. Still living the dream.

Certified/registered comfort dog status is no excuse for letting a dog eat off the tabletop and have its paws on the table at a restaurant. Licensed service animals are better trained (and obedient) than that, too.

It's bad manners, and besides that, most dog breeders and vets say owners should not feed them table food anyway.

The hostess and other employees approved of the bad behavior when she said it was okay unless somebody complained.


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