[tophcfa]

As much as we enjoyed our visits to KB’s for dinner and dancing or a comedy show, it would be a major stretch to expect the AAC to run that kind of a business. The restaurant business requires a unique skill set, has the highest default rate of any business out there, and that was before labor shortages, hyper inflation, and pandemic induced changes in many peoples dinning patterns. The AAC needs to focus on using our amenity fees efficiently to provide us with the best possibly recreational and other amenities and be careful not to venture away from that focus.

[charlie1]

Originally Posted by rustyp

Amazes me all the expert advice from people who never stepped foot into the original Katie Belle's. Not that debacle of a design doomed to failure plan of a micro Katie Belle's in the upstairs. To you armchair experts let's walk around town and point out the buildings one by one and tell me what they represent in the original design of the town. Perhaps you don't know the town has a fictional historic story behind it's design. Katie Belle and her hotel held a leading role in that story. Example from that story what does the names on the fence on the side of the old box office represent ? Did you ever stop to read the bronze plaques attached to many of the buildings. They do have significance to the town's design.

The story does not matter if the business cannot make money! The Village residents are the only ones to blame for a closure! This applies to anywhere in the Villages. Not just Spanish Springs!

[kilowatt]

We have gone to Katie Belles for 15 years before they closed. Anytime we went it was packed or at least 90% of capacity. Maybe it depends on the entertainment that evening but we would usually go when Rocky and the Rollers or Johnny Wild and the Delights were performing. The food was respectable and would compete with many of the restaurants in The Villages.
They probably should have charged a cover charge if the reason they closed were financial. We would gladly pay that to help support a reopening of Katie Belles.

[billethkid]

The Katie Bell revival will go on the same coming soon page as Costco!

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by billethkid

The Katie Bell revival will go on the same coming soon page as Costco!

I always look forward to your posts, to bring people back down to earth.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by billethkid

The Katie Bell revival will go on the same coming soon page as Costco!

Thinking Costco will come first by a large margin

[rustyp]

A new story from the unmentionable news source today (author Meta Minton):

Villagers are embracing a proposal to have the Amenity Authority Committee revive Katie Belle’s and return dining and dancing to residents.

Community Development District 2 Supervisor Jim Cipollone has raised the idea of the AAC using its money and authority to revive Katie Belle’s as an amenity. His suggestion came on the eve of a Lady Lake Commission meeting in which The Villages was expected to attempt to ram through its plan for seven age-restricted apartments at the Van Patten House at Spanish Springs Town Square.

“I wholeheartedly support the idea of reviving Katie Belle’s. It was a great place to take guests or to have a date night with my wife. When we went there we totally enjoyed the experience. I think the idea of apartments is absurd,” said Don Atkinson, a resident of the Village of Santo Domingo.


Cipollone’s proposal has prompted many to remember the golden years of Katie Belle’s, which The Villages officially closed in 2020, blaming COVID-19.


“I support the idea of the AAC reviving Katie Belle’s. I feel that they should give Katie Belle’s back to The Villagers for what it was intended for not for renting out apartments for who knows who will living in them. The restaurant and the dance hall were an excellent place for entertainment and fine food,” said Villager Tom Hickman.

Villager Pat Kress said the secret to making Katie Belle’s successful again would be treating it like a true amenity and only admitting Villagers with Villages IDs.

“The Spanish Springs square is really going downhill as there is a lot of alcohol being abused by outsiders. Katie Belle’s was only intended for the Village people by showing their ID cards to get in. Completely different crowd attended,” Kress said.



Twenty-year resident of The Villages Lorraine Martin is all for the AAC reclaiming Katie Belle’s on behalf of residents.

“The AAC should devise a plan to keep Katie Belle’s as an amenity for the residents. The Villages is destroying the north end of The Villages. They are all about greed now that the older owners have passed away. It is a shame at what they are doing,” Martin said.

Cheryl Seyfert of the Santo Domingo Villas applauded Cipollone for coming up with a creative idea for bringing back Katie Belle’s.

“Finally, a reasonable solution to reviving Spanish Springs Town Square. The revival of Katie Belle’s, rather than apartments. It would give us the desired place to go, help guarantee music in the area, and return us to the golden days of why we bought homes in the area,” Seyfert said.

“We need to support this idea and bring it to fruition! Bravo to the wisdom of the people!” she said.

[dewilson58]

Can't wait to see the business plan to support the wacko idea.

[Two Bills]

I thought the place was outdated, and past it's sell by date.
Younger oldies want a little more sophistication than the older oldies!
Just my oldie oldie opinion!

[Stu from NYC]

I cannot imagine a CD have the wherewithal to open and run a restaurant.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by rustyp

A new story from the unmentionable news source today (author Meta Minton):

Villagers are embracing a proposal to have the Amenity Authority Committee revive Katie Belle’s and return dining and dancing to residents.

Community Development District 2 Supervisor Jim Cipollone has raised the idea of the AAC using its money and authority to revive Katie Belle’s as an amenity. His suggestion came on the eve of a Lady Lake Commission meeting in which The Villages was expected to attempt to ram through its plan for seven age-restricted apartments at the Van Patten House at Spanish Springs Town Square.

“I wholeheartedly support the idea of reviving Katie Belle’s. It was a great place to take guests or to have a date night with my wife. When we went there we totally enjoyed the experience. I think the idea of apartments is absurd,” said Don Atkinson, a resident of the Village of Santo Domingo.


Cipollone’s proposal has prompted many to remember the golden years of Katie Belle’s, which The Villages officially closed in 2020, blaming COVID-19.


“I support the idea of the AAC reviving Katie Belle’s. I feel that they should give Katie Belle’s back to The Villagers for what it was intended for not for renting out apartments for who knows who will living in them. The restaurant and the dance hall were an excellent place for entertainment and fine food,” said Villager Tom Hickman.

Villager Pat Kress said the secret to making Katie Belle’s successful again would be treating it like a true amenity and only admitting Villagers with Villages IDs.

“The Spanish Springs square is really going downhill as there is a lot of alcohol being abused by outsiders. Katie Belle’s was only intended for the Village people by showing their ID cards to get in. Completely different crowd attended,” Kress said.



Twenty-year resident of The Villages Lorraine Martin is all for the AAC reclaiming Katie Belle’s on behalf of residents.

“The AAC should devise a plan to keep Katie Belle’s as an amenity for the residents. The Villages is destroying the north end of The Villages. They are all about greed now that the older owners have passed away. It is a shame at what they are doing,” Martin said.

Cheryl Seyfert of the Santo Domingo Villas applauded Cipollone for coming up with a creative idea for bringing back Katie Belle’s.

“Finally, a reasonable solution to reviving Spanish Springs Town Square. The revival of Katie Belle’s, rather than apartments. It would give us the desired place to go, help guarantee music in the area, and return us to the golden days of why we bought homes in the area,” Seyfert said.

“We need to support this idea and bring it to fruition! Bravo to the wisdom of the people!” she said.

My hope, that none of these folks do the planning for this boondoggle idea….
Guaranteed music how does that work. Them golden days of why you bought here…..the you’s are fewer each year. It’s gone, it’s over.

On another note, does the ACC have any money left after the new rec center purchase?

[Babubhat]

Restaurants are a brutal business, especially now. People talk about going but don’t spend enough to support it. Failure tells all you need to know. Time to move on from this,

[asianthree]

First time we dined at KBs was 2007, lifestyle visit. Place was hopping food was excellent, as was the service.

2010 KBs food was ok, place was busy, but the last of lifestyle free meals, gone. TV was doing so well, lifestyle visit became free golf, movie, 4 visits to rec center. Visit to KBs no longer on itinerary.

The downhill spiral of so so food, and many nursing a drink for hours, became the norm. We just stopped take guest there, because the food was such an embarrassment.

Someone could however, make a go of it by making the restaurant, a culinary training facility, where chefs, table staff, bartenders, could be taught the trade. It’s not a money maker, but everything would be excellent. The HS has a culinary program, as does local colleges. Win win for those who want to revive KBs with their own stash

[midiwiz]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

If the ACC were to go through with this, IMHO they would need to partner up with a restauranter with a known successful track record. cover charge, coupled to a discount on drink/food purchases sounds like a good idea. I liked the original design, but that is probably not possible now. Some redecorating needs to be done as well as an updated menu, and a new state of the art sound system, where the sound level in close to the same over the entire area.

well hopefully none of the ones already located here....

[vintageogauge]

The original KB's had very little competition and there was only one square at the time, calling it resident only was a joke, anyone could get it with just one resident saying they're with me. It also seemed like the same people were there every time we were there. Now we have 3 squares with lots of entertainment and tons of restaurants, the old days are gone, many of us have great memories of KB's but there is so much more here now and a lot more to come. The developers are not going to give up on Spanish Springs, they have a lot of income from a lot of businesses, it will be different but it will be there.