Restaurant Discussion in TV

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Old 04-29-2019, 08:13 AM
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Default Restaurant Discussion in TV

I did not know what else to call this thread, so here goes .................... it seems to me that people of retirement age come to TV and see the opportunity to build a money making business, which many do. However, after a year or so when the business is profitable they want to get out and enjoy some retirement years. They sell the business to the next entrepreneur for a considerable sum of money and that person finds they are saddled immediately with debts. People hate change, customers hate change, they have become used to the same servers they have become used to the same owner/manager, they resist change. The new guy comes in and makes changes because he has to cut costs. Before he makes money he has to consider the rent and the percentage that TV takes off the top of his profit. If this new person is not familiar with the food industry etc., they are in for a world of hurt.

But, it can be done properly. Take Bonefish Grill .... great servers, good management, EXCELLENT FOOD, changes to the menu to keep things fresh and new items offered seasonally. I have seen people wait as long as an hour for a table and never stop smiling. They have provided a very chic sitting area outside and they have a great inside lounge area for waiting. The restaurant business done right. Now why the hxxx can't the rest of these would be restaurateurs follow this example.

It takes a lot of money, it takes knowledge of where to buy - but this can be learned, it takes willingness to work till you drop which many of these new owners do not want to do. They think they are buying a "going" business. The biggest case in my mind is what the new owner of Glenview did when he took over. He destroyed a great establishment and he did it almost overnight.
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Old 04-29-2019, 08:53 AM
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There is no secret to a successful restaurant.
In The Villages there are too many absentee owners. They think they can just hire the people and they have it made.

We all have our own examples of a successful restaurant either here or else where.

The Villages has an abundance of mediocre/absent ownership hence mediocre establishments staffed by employees who are untrained or don't care.

The continuous stream of eating establishment failures is no surprise.

So very unfortunate.
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Old 04-29-2019, 09:04 AM
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Originally Posted by Madelaine Amee View Post
I did not know what else to call this thread, so here goes .................... it seems to me that people of retirement age come to TV and see the opportunity to build a money making business, which many do. However, after a year or so when the business is profitable they want to get out and enjoy some retirement years. They sell the business to the next entrepreneur for a considerable sum of money and that person finds they are saddled immediately with debts. People hate change, customers hate change, they have become used to the same servers they have become used to the same owner/manager, they resist change. The new guy comes in and makes changes because he has to cut costs. Before he makes money he has to consider the rent and the percentage that TV takes off the top of his profit. If this new person is not familiar with the food industry etc., they are in for a world of hurt.

But, it can be done properly. Take Bonefish Grill .... great servers, good management, EXCELLENT FOOD, changes to the menu to keep things fresh and new items offered seasonally. I have seen people wait as long as an hour for a table and never stop smiling. They have provided a very chic sitting area outside and they have a great inside lounge area for waiting. The restaurant business done right. Now why the hxxx can't the rest of these would be restaurateurs follow this example.

It takes a lot of money, it takes knowledge of where to buy - but this can be learned, it takes willingness to work till you drop which many of these new owners do not want to do. They think they are buying a "going" business. The biggest case in my mind is what the new owner of Glenview did when he took over. He destroyed a great establishment and he did it almost overnight.


He is the same owner of Hacienda CC which just closed Saturday. My two cents (which is not even worth that) is for TV not to rent to owners of multiple establishments. Limits our choice of foods and competition. Like having a block of McDonald's next to each other. Why? And by the way I do boycott several of the facilities that use this model especially the big 4 country clubs. For the life of me I don't see the attraction of mediocre food that is overpriced. For some here in TV that are not close to a town center I would guess it's more convenience than quality.
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Old 04-29-2019, 11:31 AM
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You will not find another 125000+populated area that can make or break a business as fast as The Villages. A good example was Whisky Creek, formerly occupying the current Sonny’s in LSL. The original Whisky is in Port Charlotte FL and Villages Residents tried to duplicate that here. Very poor service and mediocre food quality out of the shoot. Word spread FAST and within months they were gone. As with any business you must have quality and service to succeed, but in The Villages your first impression will make you succeed or fail faster than almost anywhere else.
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Old 04-29-2019, 11:41 AM
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From what I remember, Glenview CC restaurant sure got alot of complaints before it was sold. Some of the new restaurant owners changed staff to control their loses, and as for absentee owners I don't know of very many. At least the non franchise restaurants seems to have owners who are involved in some capacity.
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Old 04-29-2019, 12:02 PM
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From what I remember, Glenview CC restaurant sure got alot of complaints before it was sold. Some of the new restaurant owners changed staff to control their loses, and as for absentee owners I don't know of very many. At least the non franchise restaurants seems to have owners who are involved in some capacity.
The original "renter" of Glenview had an excellent business. We would be there three times a week, sometimes more. We also ate in the main dining room for Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners, they were packed. His wait staff liked him and enjoyed working for him and the wait staff made great money on gratuities. Unfortunately due to age, he got out of Glenview and sold his other restaurant in Belleview. The winter seasonal people stood outside waiting to get in, but his regular customers kept his business going through the year and that was in the days when TV used to empty out in the summer. It was the go-to restaurant for people going to the theater at Savannah.
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Old 04-29-2019, 12:33 PM
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We ate at Glenview last evening. We sat at the Bar as there was no one at the greeter's table in the Lobby. The Bartender was so much fun, and makes a mean Cosmo, sat the menu in front of us and then pointed out what they were out of! I had a Burger (delicious). I really hope that the new people taking over the Restaurant on May 1st will make it a "go to "place. Those of us who live north of 466 don't have a lot of options when it comes to a good place to eat. We have Lopez (which is great) and Franchesco's (which I love), but after that, not so much. Glenview could become our favorite place again, with the right management. It has all the makings of the most Beautiful Country Club in The Villages. The drive is gorgeous and the interior, with a bit of refurbishing, could have the feel of a High End Country Club! A friendly face at the Front door would be a good start! Taking reservations would also be a good step as those of us who support the Restaurants in The Villages all year around would actually like to be able to get in during Snowbird Season. Lopez has figured that out and offers reservations. I think as places like Glenview and Lopez are refurbished and run by someone who is on site, they are going to give the other "country clubs" a run for their money.
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Old 04-29-2019, 12:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Madelaine Amee View Post
The original "renter" of Glenview had an excellent business. We would be there three times a week, sometimes more. We also ate in the main dining room for Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners, they were packed. His wait staff liked him and enjoyed working for him and the wait staff made great money on gratuities. Unfortunately due to age, he got out of Glenview and sold his other restaurant in Belleview. The winter seasonal people stood outside waiting to get in, but his regular customers kept his business going through the year and that was in the days when TV used to empty out in the summer. It was the go-to restaurant for people going to the theater at Savannah.
I don't doubt what you say. I don't know the particulars like you do, I just seem to remember that things went south for that location, and many complained on here about it. I wish every restaurant here had great owners, staff, and delicious food. But, some restaurants are certainly better than others.
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Old 04-29-2019, 01:46 PM
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We ate at Glenview last evening. We sat at the Bar as there was no one at the greeter's table in the Lobby. The Bartender was so much fun, and makes a mean Cosmo, sat the menu in front of us and then pointed out what they were out of! I had a Burger (delicious). I really hope that the new people taking over the Restaurant on May 1st will make it a "go to "place. Those of us who live north of 466 don't have a lot of options when it comes to a good place to eat. We have Lopez (which is great) and Franchesco's (which I love), but after that, not so much. Glenview could become our favorite place again, with the right management. It has all the makings of the most Beautiful Country Club in The Villages. The drive is gorgeous and the interior, with a bit of refurbishing, could have the feel of a High End Country Club! A friendly face at the Front door would be a good start! Taking reservations would also be a good step as those of us who support the Restaurants in The Villages all year around would actually like to be able to get in during Snowbird Season. Lopez has figured that out and offers reservations. I think as places like Glenview and Lopez are refurbished and run by someone who is on site, they are going to give the other "country clubs" a run for their money.
I Like your post, feel exactly the same. In its glory days Glenview reminded us of one of the old Men Only Clubs that was hidden away in Boston, MA.
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Old 04-29-2019, 09:00 PM
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And then there are there are those here that want a "fine dining" restaurant; it would probably close before the 1st months bills come due when they see what the pricing of the food and drink is.
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Old 04-30-2019, 08:14 AM
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And then there are there are those here that want a "fine dining" restaurant; it would probably close before the 1st months bills come due when they see what the pricing of the food and drink is.
I agree completely. While I don't see the "new" Lopez restaurant as "fine dining", it is a step up from the norm around here. We recently enjoyed lunch with our couples golf group and one of the couples told of their recent dinner experience at Lopez, which they said was good, but the bill for two was over $100.00 (including wine). The table seemed surprised at a dinner bill that high. I think that's probably the prevailing view in The Villages, and that's why a real "fine dining" restaurant would be a major risk for an investor. Unfortunately, you need a reliable expense account clientele to make it work.
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Old 04-30-2019, 09:25 AM
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I think part of the problem is the expansion of the Villages itself. The further out the property line extends, the less likely people are to venture out and try places that aren't closer to home. It means Villagers are, for all intents and purposes, a captive audience. The only way some of them can encourage competition, is to consider competition as being a good 1/2 hour's drive away. That's not competition. When your only competition is the other country club that serves the same menu that you serve, getting the food from the same vendors you get them from, and have the same hiring practices you have, there's no competition at all. It's just more of the same, more "acceptable" food. Nothing to reach out and say "HEY this guy down the block is doing a stellar job - it's time for MY restaurant to step up its game."

They have no incentive to do better, because they know most people will stay close to home. And the Developer gets to decide which restaurants rent in this enormous multi-square-mile area.

I'm guessing there was a lot more variety, and a lot more quality options within a 15-minute drive of a Villages home, back when it only took 10 minutes to get from the center of the Villages to the border of the Villages in any direction. But The Villages now owns all of that property, and the quality and service and variety is subject to the whims of the Developer, who determines the rent that these business owners will have to pay them.
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Old 04-30-2019, 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Jazuela View Post
I think part of the problem is the expansion of the Villages itself. The further out the property line extends, the less likely people are to venture out and try places that aren't closer to home. It means Villagers are, for all intents and purposes, a captive audience. The only way some of them can encourage competition, is to consider competition as being a good 1/2 hour's drive away. That's not competition. When your only competition is the other country club that serves the same menu that you serve, getting the food from the same vendors you get them from, and have the same hiring practices you have, there's no competition at all. It's just more of the same, more "acceptable" food. Nothing to reach out and say "HEY this guy down the block is doing a stellar job - it's time for MY restaurant to step up its game."

They have no incentive to do better, because they know most people will stay close to home. And the Developer gets to decide which restaurants rent in this enormous multi-square-mile area.

I'm guessing there was a lot more variety, and a lot more quality options within a 15-minute drive of a Villages home, back when it only took 10 minutes to get from the center of the Villages to the border of the Villages in any direction. But The Villages now owns all of that property, and the quality and service and variety is subject to the whims of the Developer, who determines the rent that these business owners will have to pay them.
BINGO
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Old 04-30-2019, 10:18 AM
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I did not start this thread with the idea of fine dining. My main reason was to start a discussion on why the original Country Clubs have been brought close to bankruptcy by the next generation of owners. Have they never heard of "If it 'aint broke don't fix it". In the case of Glenview, which is the point of this discussion, the new owner purchased a thriving business with excellent wait staff who knew the customers inside out, knew what we drank, knew what we liked to eat, knew where we liked to sit. In a matter of days he had completely changed everything. He lost his staff and his customer base, and I think he probably lost his shirt.

People who know Glenview will agree that Friday night was THE night in the lounge, two TVs behind the bar, people waiting in line to get a drink and a seat at the bar, people waiting in line to get a table in the lounge area. We were regulars and every Friday night there used to be a table of probably 20+ friends and their wives who would come in from golf to eat and drink there. It was nothing for them to eat and drink all night. Their favorite waiter was a friend of ours and that person walked away with a couple of hundred on a Friday night. BUT, as well as the lounge being full, the Dining Room and the Garden Room were always busy. This is not just in snowbird season, this was all year round.

The sheer stupidity of someone to purchase this business and in the blink of an eye ruin it is beyond my imagination.

To the point of leaving TV to dine .... yes, I agree with you for fine dining, but to be able to go out in your golf cart to a local country club restaurant, have a meal and a couple or three drinks and drive home safely in your golf cart .... well, it just cannot be beat!

I should add that we don't look for fine dining in TV. We wait until we go back to the Boston area for the type of meals we consider to be fine dining .... mainly lobster at the coast and Italian in the North End!
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Old 05-02-2019, 06:55 PM
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I agree completely. While I don't see the "new" Lopez restaurant as "fine dining", it is a step up from the norm around here. We recently enjoyed lunch with our couples golf group and one of the couples told of their recent dinner experience at Lopez, which they said was good, but the bill for two was over $100.00 (including wine). The table seemed surprised at a dinner bill that high. I think that's probably the prevailing view in The Villages, and that's why a real "fine dining" restaurant would be a major risk for an investor. Unfortunately, you need a reliable expense account clientele to make it work.
Well then, perhaps you could explain the overwhelming success of Bluefin at Brownwood. Yes, there exists a portion of Villagers who think simple meat and potatoes is all they need and at no higher a price than $10. But there is a growing population here that wants better quality and variety of food and for which they are willing to pay. There is room for both. I don't think the new owners of Lopez built a menu that would ensure they were out of business in a few months.
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