Big City Grill
 

Normally, I don't speak badly about a restaurant until I've eaten there at least two or three times and each time was nasty. But Big City Grill is an exception. We went there fully expecting a meal such as my wife (Long Island) got in New York City. The guy that runs this place mut have gotten the name out of a book.
I have eaten at many places in my life but have never been told, "We take no cards, only money". Hmmmm been nice if they had told us that in the paper or at least a note on the door. Also, the steep prices you pay for a lousy hot dog or the like, you think they could at least afford some kind of plates.
A dog or burger on the boardwalk served in a piece of paper I could see but not in a sit-down restaurant. They can keep their cab and other "nuances". Once was enough for us.

store and fees
 

I read a lot of comments about the rent and fees at sumter landing.

Who pays for the clean-up and services to maintain the areas around the town center. Sumter county or included in rent. Not part of rent elseware.

Who pays for entertainment. Fees?????

I never hear anypeople talk about cost of entertainment etc.

Do a search of entertainment fees.....there is plenty of talk for you to review.

It is not the Villages
 

Every place is affected. It is the slow down in the economy. Take a drive up to Ocala and turn right off I-75. Restaurant after restaurant is closed. The ones that do well are the ones that are well-managed and provide a product the customers want.

We went there once and don't plan to return. We were very disappointed. Some people seem to love it, but it sure didn't appeal to us.

He's from Berwyn. What do you expect?

If you're from Chicagoland, there are many restaurants like that around the city and collar counties. It's not Portillo's by any stretch, but if you need an Italian Beef fix it's the best place around.

We haven't been to Big City Grill, and now for sure we won't! Wasn't that the place that had full page story in The Daily Sun, right down to a picture of the mascot taxi? I like the idea of cash only. Wish I had a cash business... I would have bought in Bridgeport. Thanks for the info

Say it ain't so........................
 

Has anyone heard that de-Lites may be closing down...bad economic times and cold weather has slowed business and now, the Villages is raising the rent!!! Great timing!!!

I hope this is just a viscious rumor...but just in case, everybody should go over and have a nice ice cream...love this place, don't want to see it go!!!

marantho

Cold weather??????????

Sounds like an excuse for poor business plan, poor execution, or just other mistakes.

marantho
 

Muncie,

Have you ever been there? These people are also running a store in Inverness and they are not having troubles there. If the story is true, their rising rent is a big part of the problem...just a thought.

Where is De-lites?

Fine -- there could be a lot of reasons for potential failure, but the weather??? This has been a very mild and dry winter (don't look outside today!) and last summer/fall wasn't bad at all.

Have no idea what rent or % they pay, but I've never been impressed by that location. The coffee shop seemed to do okay but I can't help but think that an ice cream parlor (or over-priced bakery) would do far better well to the east of that location. Maybe in time, but not now.

Rent does not get randomly raised on commercial properties. Commercial leases are normally 5 years in duration and all cost components are defined in the lease at the time of execution. If rent goes up year after year, that would have been a pre-negotiated term in the lease.

Running a business
 

Longevity has much to do with knowing how to run a business; however when the developer takes such a huge cut right off your bottom line every month, perhaps the knowledge that one needs is when to NOT sign a contract. True many businesses fail in the first year, but giving back some 8-9% each month is ridiculous as well. Knowing where to open one's store has more to do with future success than anything else. The developer's greed has caused many a business to go down the drain.

what i am reading about rents makes no sense because
 

The developers are well aware of what it takes to make a go of it in TV, considering seasonality etc. etc. etc. It would be to their benefit for stores to make it rather than a slew of empty stores and failures. I think it has to be the quality of the product and the service and websites like this which spread the word of unhappiness really fast.barf :shrug: