[sunday]

Originally Posted by cashman

Restaurant owners fail when they think because they were successful at some other profession they also will be successful selling meals and booze.
When they are that dumb they will surely fail. Running a restaurant takes a real professional with years of experience.

And most of these pro's do their homework...and seek out more favorable demographics to do business... IMHO

[GatorFan]

I wonder if the same thing will happen at Lake Sumter Landing when the new Town Square opens on 466 A? It is for sure Spanish Springs will suffer even more.

[zcaveman]

I have watched this post since its inception and have never posted. I have finally decide to have my say.

Personally I think that Spanish Springs is a greater draw than Lake Sumter. I enjoy all of the restaurants and can say that the ones that have failed have never been one of my hot spots. There are only three locations that continue to fail in SS and they are the ones that took over Augustine's (all had poor food and poor service), the ones that took over the place in the Sales building that thought we were made of money (I think that Gator's Dockside will make it - good food, service and prices) and the Bistro which forgot that most Villagers are not really night people and tried the late night entertainment. I have no faith in the Mexican place that is going in there because all of the Mexican restaurants around here have failed except the one in the Rio Grande area. Mexican is a niche food and I doubt if it will go over big here. Everything else is still here in SS with the exception of Olay's which has been replaced by Margarita Republic which serves the same style food as Olay's and is doing a booming business.

As far as parking, there is a lot of parking on the streets and around the square and we have two parking lots behind the movie house and the bowling alley.

I have been to Lake Sumter and it is a long walk from the parking lots to anything. The restaurants are expensive and too far apart and they are failing also. Think Dominic's, Up The Creek and Whiskey Creek. The Lighthouse has remade itself several times. I read that Johnny Rockets has cleaned up the premises. Hopefully they will last. I would want better service before I go there again.

It is to each his own. So quit dissing SS if you like Lake Sumter.

We are very happy over here.

Now I feel better.

Z

[gemorc]

AMEN brother.

[GatorFan]

I prefer Spanish Springs also. Love Starbucks-Panera Bread and the shopping. Also, the Marriott is great.

[schotzyb]

I agree also. Hardly ever go to a Lake Sumter eatery. Toojays, Mccalls , Margarita Republic are all on my list of favorites Haven't tried the new Mexican place or Gators Dockside but plan to.

[The Great Fumar]

Originally Posted by zcaveman

I have watched this post since its inception and have never posted. I have finally decide to have my say.

Personally I think that Spanish Springs is a greater draw than Lake Sumter. I enjoy all of the restaurants and can say that the ones that have failed have never been one of my hot spots. There are only three locations that continue to fail in SS and they are the ones that took over Augustine's (all had poor food and poor service), the ones that took over the place in the Sales building that thought we were made of money (I think that Gator's Dockside will make it - good food, service and prices) and the Bistro which forgot that most Villagers are not really night people and tried the late night entertainment. I have no faith in the Mexican place that is going in there because all of the Mexican restaurants around here have failed except the one in the Rio Grande area. Mexican is a niche food and I doubt if it will go over big here. Everything else is still here in SS with the exception of Olay's which has been replaced by Margarita Republic which serves the same style food as Olay's and is doing a booming business.

As far as parking, there is a lot of parking on the streets and around the square and we have two parking lots behind the movie house and the bowling alley.

I have been to Lake Sumter and it is a long walk from the parking lots to anything. The restaurants are expensive and too far apart and they are failing also. Think Dominic's, Up The Creek and Whiskey Creek. The Lighthouse has remade itself several times. I read that Johnny Rockets has cleaned up the premises. Hopefully they will last. I would want better service before I go there again.

It is to each his own. So quit dissing SS if you like Lake Sumter.

We are very happy over here.

Now I feel better.

Z

AS USUAL , Z MAN IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY !!!

fumar

[chuckinca]

Ditto!

[JohnZ]

While the reasons contributing to a restaurant failure are many and well studied, operating a restaurant in The Villages presents many challenges with associated risks. The seasonal resident phenomenon is certainly well understood and not unique to The Villages since many Florida locations are subject to similar variances in seasonal populaton. Start-up costs in The Villages are inordinately high as are operating costs i.e. land purchase cost, leases etc. Restaurant developers take all this into consideration, of course, and weigh this into their forecasting. But, The Villages "sells" the allure of higher than usual upside sales potential which is very often unrealized. Here in TV, even with a high quality product, good location, good service, if the business transaction volume does not offset those high costs, any business will not be sustainable. It simply boils down to this.....if the sales volume isn't realized.....then the businesses will go away. The upside potential that local businesses were counting on a few years ago will come to be and I'm confident of that. But, with our economy today, which among them will be able to sustain until then?

[zcaveman]

JohnZ - long time no hear from you!!! Glad to see you are back! Hope everything is okay.

Z

[Card Peddler]

Good food, great service at a reasonable price. These are the reasons why restaurants survive for an extended period of time. Also the two primary expenses for a resturantuer are rent and payroll. I can only assume that the rent at SS and Lake Sumter are above average. "They" need to lower
the rent structure so that the owners can expect a reasonable profit for all their hard work.

[irishguy]

I agree rent has to be very expenive and then you have Katie Belles setting the bar as far as pricing and they don't have to show a profit as long as they sell houses. They monopolize the Sun with a 1/2 page ad everyday. Do you think they are paying for it?

[lefty]

All good resons above, here's another. Where is the population center of TV? With all of the offerings in/around LSL why should anyone go to SS? The recreation dept don't help with the quality of the entertainment(for the most part) that is scheduled in SS and that includes Katie Belles.

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by lefty

All good resons above, here's another. Where is the population center of TV? With all of the offerings in/around LSL why should anyone go to SS? The recreation dept don't help with the quality of the entertainment(for the most part) that is scheduled in SS and that includes Katie Belles.

I like your attitude. Stay at LSL and leave SS to us.

[otherbruddaDarrell]

Originally Posted by zcaveman

I like your attitude. Stay at LSL and leave SS to us.

I agree with you....................stay around LSL so that we can find our spots available at Katie Belles.