Here is the contact information for the Villages Gourmet Club:

thevillagesgourmetclub@comcast.net

try this link for The Villages Gourmet Club http://thevillagesgourmetclub.home.c...esgourmetclub/

I'm with SNOK on this one. There have been several threads that discussed the average or mean income of Villagers. Having a special restaurant would not appear to be an issue of affordability.

We go to Bonefish, although I wouldn't call that high end. Its just better than going to the country clubs in The Villages, which we consider pretty mediocre dining. Country clubs are fine for lunch, getting a burger, or whatever, but we like something nicer for that special occcasion. There is a restaurant friends in Ocala told us about called Ipanema, catering to steaks from Argentina, very high end and high priced, although we haven't been there. There must be good restaurants in Orlando and Tampa - as others have said, check with the gourmet club.

I guess most of you either do not remember or were not here at the time when they "created" Cattle Baron's by separating the top floor from the bottom floor at Katie Belles. They wanted to make it an exclusive club for Villagers. They tried to charge a $300 membership fee with a food and drink minimum and if you did not use the minimum amount, they would bill you at the end of the year. They got very few takers. Then they said priority members had an advantage at a price. No takers. Then it became what it is now. Just another section of Katie Belles where you can make reservations.

As for the prosperous retirees and the average and mean incomes, if you go back to the posts on average and mean incomes, I think you will find that it is the unanimous feelings of the TOTV members that the numbers are inflated by the part timers that still have full time jobs elsewhere or how the people interpreted the questions on whatever form that asked for annual salary. For example, when I first moved here I was on a job elimination salary. If they had asked me how much I made, it would have been a lot higher that what I make on my retirement check and my SS. And that number is what it becomes after you move here full time and stop drawing a salary.

My bottom line here is that I do not think a high end restaurant in TV would make it. And these restaurateurs probably would not think so either after running a financial analysis.

If this area could support a high end restaurant, I am sure that it would have already been built.

I agree. Would have been tried by now. But maybe as TV grows to over 100K size then who knows. Someone will try but I would think it would fail in the long run.

Russ I think you have a good point here. Not even sure if at 100K a high end would make it. Living on my retirement pay in another 15 months compared to todays pay will be totally differnt.

An "up-scale", "fine-dining" restaurant/jazz club & catering company is in the works... I believe slated for late fall 2011. It is not going to be in the Villages though. I spoke with the Chef/Restaurantuer behind it the other week. He has done his homework, and determined, that it will not work "in" The Villages for a few reasons... Primarily, he feels he needs a "neutral" playing field..(Fruitland Park, Wildwood, ect). Locating an establishment of the caliber that's proposed, in The Villages, is a Liability due to the fact that a majority of it's business(for reasons mentioned above) would need to be supported by "non-villagers" who, for the most part, would rather starve to death than enter the Bubble. But as I mentioned, he plans on having it in close proximity to the Villages, but not glof car accessable...More will be revealed

Peace and Love

This almost makes it sound like the surrounding area around TV is more affluent. Not sure that is the case. Good luck to him!

No, No... Not the implication at all!
We were not talking about median income... the high side of the surrounding area is a lot higher, the low side is a lot lower so the median is the low side of a wash... we were talking about the difference in "spending habits" of fixed income retirees and the mid-upper income working class... sorry... thanks Russ for the opportunity to clearify.
I think he was also talking of the likely-hood of a "savy" Villager venturing out, opposed to the likely-hood of a non-villager venturing in..

Ok, got it.

I will bet right now that within 3 week of their opening you will read the following on these pages; the service is slow, the soup is served cold, the staff doesn't care, the drinks are over priced, etc. The crititcs will attack as usual.
I too wish them luck.

I've wondered before whether non-villagers venture in as often as Villagers venture out. I've wondered if that's why some restaurants don't seem to do well in TV. I've also wondered if a proposed regional performing arts center would actually be more successful if located nearby but outside of TV for the same reason.

Sunday, do you know whether your restaurant friend has a marketing study on the subject? The hypotheses about spending and "venturing" habits are interesting.

I have been to a lot of really great restaurants that have less then 20 tables, where the chef is the owner, his wife runs the business, helps serve, and maybe one waiter/waitress and someone who cleans tables. And the food and service is impeccable. Have found these in NY. Boston, Long Island, Charleston, and many many other places. These are the type of places I would go for a really good meal, a special occasion, and the demographics of TV would support probably 3 of these places. Maybe the best locations would be outside the bubble because of the high rents inside. You don't need a million people to support a really good place. In fact most are usually in smaller towns. Most of you will spend $30 to $40 a person for dinner at most of the places around town, why not $60 to $75 for that birthday celebration, or anniversary. It's only once or twice a year.

Based on what I think some on this thread are looking for, I don't think golf cart access would ever be an issue. I can't imagine anyone getting all gussied up (semi-formal or formal) and going out in a golf cart for fine dining/dancing.....not even in a fancy one.