[DaddyD]

Originally Posted by Larryandlinda

This is a great idea and always better to have a locally-owned and managed establishment.
In addition to base rent, doesn’t TV collect an ‘overage’ - a portion of your gross or net revenue. Some, maybe most, small businesses prefer not to have anyone other than their state, nation, accountant, or municipality look at their books. Not that we ever intended to pocket our cash, but we always crossed out the overage clauses.
If we thrived it meant we were anchoring more traffic.
Even one empty business in a center makes for a less inviting shopping, dining, or entertainment atmosphere.

"Overage" is a common clause in lease clauses in indoor / outdoor malls. I've had approx a dozen retail stores in high end malls, and all of them had an overage clause, meaning if my gross sales were "over" a certain amount, I had to pay the mall owner a percentage of that overage sales, in addition to the monthly rent I was paying. And guess what? I was thrilled to pay it--that meant that my sales that month / year were WAY more than expected!

It's kind of like taxes--no one really likes paying them, but in reality having to pay a lot of taxes is somewhat of a blessing. No tax = no profits. Lots of tax owed means you enjoyed really high net profits.

But your last sentence--"Even one empty business in a center makes for a less inviting shopping, dining, or entertainment atmosphere"--is spot on, and it's a self perpetuating cycle--the more empty spaces means the less shoppers, which means more empty spaces so less and less shoppers, and on & on.

I checked out the Spanish Springs square for the first time in a long time just the other day...strolled around with extra money in my pocket wanting to get rid of some of it but couldn't find a damn thing I wanted to own or eat! Hell, even the Dunkin' Donuts went out of business! If a reasonably priced coffee & donut place is unable to stay make a profit in an area dominated by senior citizens...you know the place is in serious trouble.

There are two massive corner locations (anchor tenants) sitting forlorn & empty--the former World of Beer & the Margarita Republic, now Dunkin'...and more along the main drag that your drive down to get to the Square. The wine place went out of business...it's just sad.

What I really want to know is how the heck that lingerie store stays open--that's the biggest mystery in the world to me. I know TV has a reputation of lots of swingers (what color is the loofah on top of your car?!?!?) & wild sex, but seriously--how many 70+ year old women are really buying sexy lingerie, especially bras that cost something like $80 each!

I'm aware that Spanish Springs has a much older demographic than the newer areas of TV, but there are numerous restaurants in the immediate area that seem to be doing well--LongHorn Steak House, Texas Roadhouse, Miller's Ale House, Applebees, Darrell's Diner, Mission BBQ, & Francesco's--all have busy parking lots out front whenever I drive past, so the problem isn't lack of demand.

The Morse family are billionaires, so I doubt they're staying awake at night fretting about the sad-state of Spanish Springs, but it definitely sucks for those of us that live in the area. I do drive over to Lake Sumpter occasionally (I intentionally misspelled to irritate the spelling/punctuation police on this site!), but no way I'm going to drive all the way to Brownwood to eat or have a drink.

I lived in the Ft. Lauderdale area for nearly 20 years, and this sports bar /restaurant is WILDLY popular and has locations all over South Florida:

Flanigan's - Laid back Family-run Restaurants in South Florida

Really good, reasonably priced burgers, steaks, caesar salads, fish sandwiches, BBQ ribs (actually, everything on their menu is really good), a $6.99 lunch special, and a 50% OFF happy hour 9PM to close. As a bonus, many of their locations have an attached bottle liquor store right next door! And they stay open LATE!

I would kill to have a Flanigan's open in the Spanish Springs area...

[BillY41]

Duffy's a chain throughout Florida. I think that would do well in Spanish Springs

[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by rsmurano

I’m surprised Sawgrass establishments are still open. Local friends and neighbors complain about their prices. You can go to Brownwood everyday and get happy hour prices in the afternoon, no such thing at sawgrass. At Brownwood, or Lake Sumter, you have a lot of variety of restaurants that have great food for much less than Sawgrass. I’ve never eaten or had drinks at Sawgrass, nor have some of my friends because of what we’ve heard and we can walk there.

I have never been to Sawgrass, don’t know where it is at. Spent two days at the outdoor expo at Everglades, and I am ready to foreswear south of 44. The traffic is a train wreck. 20 minutes to get from Warm Springs to past the tollway at 3:00 pm on a Saturday? Lots has been written about Morse ans 44. You have to be nuts to live down there.

[Rzepecki]

CFS Coffee is opening in place of Dunkin’. Whole list of new businesses opening in TV in today’s paper.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Rzepecki

CFS Coffee is opening in place of Dunkin’. Whole list of new businesses opening in TV in today’s paper.

Replacing Dunkin Donuts with a gourmet coffee and $20+ steak bowl restaurant is just pricing more retirees who LIVE in the area - out of the area. People go to Dunkin Donuts to get a small or medium cup of coffee and a donut or muffin for under $10. CFS doesn't offer that option.

There's a DD up the road in Spanish Plaines Plaza, near the hospital. I'm guessing that one will be getting more business soon.

[J1ceasar]

These days every landlord takes a square foot rent plus a percentage of your business, just as bad as a franchise owner

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

How much is the "exorbitant rent"?

[J1ceasar]

They need to add two left turn only Lanes to get onto 44 East but I bet they're going to happen for 5 years

[Risuli]

Originally Posted by DaddyD

"I think the average Villager isn't into heavily spiced / spicy foods & has fairly bland tastes when it comes to food / restaurants. Thus why 90% of restaurants around here are boring chain restaurants & fast food. I've got more complaints about TV than most, but perhaps my biggest is the lack of variety when it comes to restaurants--I'd love to see more non-chain / franchise restaurants, and most importantly, more ethnic restaurants.

Agree. I for one would LOVE a GOOD Thai restaurant. Yes, there is one in LSL, but my experience with their food is that it is Thai only in name, and seasoned for nursing home tastes. Further agree about lack of variety. Hey, here's an idea, open ANOTHER Italian eatery... Sheesh. Unfortunately, most restaurants in and around the Villages seem to strive for mediocre and celebrate when they achieve it.

[Danube]

Originally Posted by Freestyle7819

So what is the developer doing to bring in new restaurants since Gators, World of Beers and the third in The square now empty?
Seems to be me they are more focused on their new Eastport and Middleton vs where it all started.

I wish there were a few "take-out" eating places. Tacos, burgers, hot dogs, food you can walk around with. Not just the occasional over-price food trucks at events. Similar need at Lake Sumter to a lesser degree. Brownwood and Sawgrass have several food-to-go places. And of course the successful Edna's on the Green.

When we go for entertainment or a car show it would be nice to be able to get a snack, not just a sit-down meal.

[Danube]

Originally Posted by KathyK

I'm glad to see the pink plywood gone, but Genesis signage is hideous.

It is hideous. First thing I thought when I saw it. The cheap plastic red, white, and blue sign really clashes with the Spanish colonial revival architecture.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Risuli

Agree. I for one would LOVE a GOOD Thai restaurant. Yes, there is one in LSL, but my experience with their food is that it is Thai only in name, and seasoned for nursing home tastes. Further agree about lack of variety. Hey, here's an idea, open ANOTHER Italian eatery... Sheesh. Unfortunately, most restaurants in and around the Villages seem to strive for mediocre and celebrate when they achieve it.

We think Koyame is good for Thai.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Replacing Dunkin Donuts with a gourmet coffee and $20+ steak bowl restaurant is just pricing more retirees who LIVE in the area - out of the area. People go to Dunkin Donuts to get a small or medium cup of coffee and a donut or muffin for under $10. CFS doesn't offer that option.

There's a DD up the road in Spanish Plaines Plaza, near the hospital. I'm guessing that one will be getting more business soon.

If I was still in Business school would suggest the professor assign Dunkin Donuts as a case of how quickly a business can be destroyed by going away from their core business.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Risuli

Agree. I for one would LOVE a GOOD Thai restaurant. Yes, there is one in LSL, but my experience with their food is that it is Thai only in name, and seasoned for nursing home tastes. Further agree about lack of variety. Hey, here's an idea, open ANOTHER Italian eatery... Sheesh. Unfortunately, most restaurants in and around the Villages seem to strive for mediocre and celebrate when they achieve it.

Well Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore. Those restaurants with the mediocre food and no seasoning... apparently they appeal to the customer base. I like more variety as well but I know better than to look for it in this homogeneous community; instead, I head to Ocala, Orlando, or Tampa.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Several. Dunkin Donuts shut down for good last week. Ay Jalisco still has plenty of business, and for some reason I can't fathom, Ruby Tuesday's is always busy. That place is SO run down - wallpaper peeling off the walls, the carpeting is threadbare and horribly stained, the burgers are meat-flavored grease patties on gummy buns. Panera is busy at lunch time, not so much at dinner time. The only other restaurants in Spanish Springs are the fake Greek place which is MOSTLY drinkers, the Italian place which is great but VERY expensive, and the seafood place which is also great but expensive.

There used to be a wine-drinking place but they closed down a year or more ago. There's also Kilwin's ice cream which is - also very expensive (I think I had to pay something like $7 for a single SCOOP of ice cream).

In addition to the closed and still vacant restaurants there are also a few vacant stores, and I'll give J.Jill's 6 months of being open before they shut down as well.

Dunkin’ closed about 5 months ago, the new coffee shop/mini restaurant is very close to opening.
Italian restaurant has great lunch specials for $12, and the food is excellent. By far the best piccata in TV. Kilwins prices are in same rage as many hand scoops business. J Jill has national issues along with a large % of brick and mortar.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Well Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore. Those restaurants with the mediocre food and no seasoning... apparently they appeal to the customer base. I like more variety as well but I know better than to look for it in this homogeneous community; instead, I head to Ocala, Orlando, or Tampa.

Leesburg also has good restaurants