[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by DianeM

I've had Tim Horton's in Canada. Are they coming to the States?

They are in the US already, not Florida yet, but they're on the way. Good coffee, good food, good prices. They are incredibly popular in Canada. People who buy franchises do very well!

[DianeM]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

They are in the US already, not Florida yet, but they're on the way. Good coffee, good food, good prices. They are incredibly popular in Canada. People who buy franchises do very well!

I seem to remember having a maple glazed donut that was awesome.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

They are in the US already, not Florida yet, but they're on the way. Good coffee, good food, good prices. They are incredibly popular in Canada. People who buy franchises do very well!

There were some (Tim Hortons) in Mass and RI that failed. Only 1 left. DD puts them all out of business in New England. Same with Krispy Kreme.

Starbucks has already contracted by almost 1/2 nationwide. The LSL store survived, doubt if they will grow in TV.

DD will survive in my opinion.

[Trish Crocker]

Just wanted to say something about Starbucks...my daughter worked there as a 'barrista' for about 5 years. During this time, she was given medical benefits even though she was part time, she could pick up shifts at any store (including a trip to LA, she was working in Michigan at the time). When she moved to LA, she was given a job at a local Starbucks and when my husband needed surgery they not only gave her time off to come home, they also paid for her ticket to get there. Starbucks is a great company to work for, it's nice to see employees treated well.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by Trish Crocker

Just wanted to say something about Starbucks...my daughter worked there as a 'barrista' for about 5 years. During this time, she was given medical benefits even though she was part time, she could pick up shifts at any store (including a trip to LA, she was working in Michigan at the time). When she moved to LA, she was given a job at a local Starbucks and when my husband needed surgery they not only gave her time off to come home, they also paid for her ticket to get there. Starbucks is a great company to work for, it's nice to see employees treated well.

Yes good company but they have closed almost 300 stores in USA since 2009. Growing overseas but not in US.

[LynnDeb]

Would like to see a whole foods or trader joe here

[jblum315]

Originally Posted by LynnDeb

Would like to see a whole foods or trader joe here

YES! Either one would be great!

[patfla06]

I would just like to see NEW stores - not repeats of the ones already
in Colony Plaza. We do need a coffee store down that way.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by patfla06

I would just like to see NEW stores - not repeats of the ones already
in Colony Plaza. We do need a coffee store down that way.

The reason that your wish may not come true is that the chains are more likely to open another site. And they have already been successful in this situation where you have a lot of well, people who are careful with their money. That doesn't mean to say that we don't have a lot of people who have a lot of it, but they are still watching it so it doesn't run out before they do.

So, we are likely to have proven winners like Toojays, repeat themselves.

It isn't what we want, it is what we will get. And The Developers can only build buildings and rent them, they can't TELL people to come and open a business.

Sooner or later there will be enough restaurants and businesses to support the new area but THIS season is gonna be ugly.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

The reason that your wish may not come true is that the chains are more likely to open another site. And they have already been successful in this situation where you have a lot of well, people who are careful with their money. That doesn't mean to say that we don't have a lot of people who have a lot of it, but they are still watching it so it doesn't run out before they do.

So, we are likely to have proven winners like Toojays, repeat themselves.

It isn't what we want, it is what we will get. And The Developers can only build buildings and rent them, they can't TELL people to come and open a business.

Sooner or later there will be enough restaurants and businesses to support the new area but THIS season is gonna be ugly.

Ditto on the ugly sentiment. I'm planning on hibernating!

I know TooJays has already committed. Obviously we do have a repeat City Fire already down there. I'll will bet Publix will break ground sooner than later.

Then there are some new places. World of Beer and That Italian restaurant (don't remember the name).

As far as retail I'm not sure yet but time will tell and hopefully we all have plenty of that left.

[DianeM]

This will be my first season for the snowbird arrival and everyone tells me that it is hell.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by DianeM

This will be my first season for the snowbird arrival and everyone tells me that it is hell.

dianem - it is only really bad if one is not flexible and finds adjusting difficult - or has an entitlement attitude [snowbirds can have those, too]!

it is like summer on the jersey shore or leaf-peeping in new england. all of a sudden swarms of people are clogging hiways, byways and cart paths - and some have no idea where they are going; creating long lines at restaurants - where the locals were able to just walk thru the doors at any hour to dine [i think that's where the 'sr early-bird rep comes from - trying to beat the crowd and avoid a line]!; there is no place to sit in st tim's if ya don't get there for the next mass just as the last mass is exiting!; and the colony shopping plaza is jammed all time because folks don't take the time to head to sweetbay or southern trace plazas!

not to leave out - that golfers become exceedingly frustrated by the difficulty in securing tee times [and tee times at their favorite courses, no less] - rather than just be glad that they got a tee time! popular activities, pool time and work-out facilities also book up quickly!

it's another reason why i am so happy to live on the original historic side! 2 post offices nearby - one by cart, one by car; no golf cart paths thru our villages and mostly the only traffic there LIVES there; a quick ride by car or cart and i have the choice of 2 grocery stores, two chain pharmacies a reasonably priced gas station with convenience store [read lottery tix]; and easy auto access to several big box stores and aldi's!

we snowbirds really do take the complaining on the chin from some here in the villages - those who have little to no respect that we all pay the same amenity fees. some forget that most snowbirds only use those amenities for a short time rather than yr-round - which helps keep the cost of everyone's amenity fees lower than if each of us just paid for amenities for the months we are in residence.

so if you can modify your existence for a few months, you will see that when we all fly back to our northern nests, life in the villages returns to normal and folks have a hard time finding things to complain about! some locals even lament that snowbird friends have left again - they're the rare gems that we treasure!

[jbfleck]

would love to see pottery barn or william sonoma

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by DianeM

This will be my first season for the snowbird arrival and everyone tells me that it is hell.

I really don't know what people expect during slow or busy season that is either acceptable or unacceptable.

When all the gum banging gets done it is no different than any other place one lives.

Popular places are crowded. Restaurants, the good ones, you have to wait.
One thing that is different here is way too many people all think they have to eat dinner between 4 and 5 pm and get their underwear all in a knot when they have to wait a little. go to dinner after 6:30 usually no problem most places.

Ditto on golf t times....which the complaining is extremely over exaggerated...10 years here and have never not gotten a t time or not been able to play whenever we wanted to play. The griping comes when some don't get the course they want or the time they want......it just is not the problem it is gabbed about.

Traffic...less of a problem than most cities of our population size. The biggest problem here is the newbies who think they have to drive like they did back home. The other is the number of people who are driving and should have turned in their keys years ago.

Does it ease up in the summertime? Some places and some things yes.

Remember now that we approach 100,000 population and for the sake of argument assume 50% are gone in the summertime, hence 50,000 during the slow season....that slow season poulation is 20,000 more than the total population when we moved in to the villages.

All is relative. Hell if you want it to be....just like where you live now!

btk

[Rickg]

I could go for a Starbucks in Brownwood. But being a snowbird for a while yet I think I only get 1/2 of 1 vote.