German food...
 

Just an FYI, last week I asked Jorge (crape suzettes stand at Brownwood market) if he ever does any German dinners at the Continental country club (retirement community near the Villages) any more. He and wife made wonderful authentic German dinner nights there once, but he said, just not enough interest in this area !

While there are many breakfast cafes here, and all seem to do very well, I have always wondered why no waffle house has ever opened ? It seems no matter where they are, or how much competition is nearby, the waffle house is always packed. Years ago when we had to go to Ocala for many thing for our newly built home, we'd always stop at WH for a pecan waffle lunch. Several times saw John Travolta and wife there, people didn't seem to be bothering them at all; later was told it was not unusual for them to be eating there ! ? Don't go to Ocala as much now that the V's has most anything one would need for home and home maintenance, but do miss Waffle house though there is one near the interstate in Wildwood area....obviously not golf cart accessible. Possibly (?) this is a very expensive franchise, that could be what has stopped it's expansion here, but so many workers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, roofers, constantly, can't imagine it not being a hit with residents and workers alike.

Count me in for that as well.

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Eat the chicken AFTER they take your vitals and blood. :)

Restaurant suggestions
 

The German restaurant idea is intriguing. Please don't forget us vegetarians. So many menus have little or nothing for vegetarians. Also low carb and low sodium would help our health.
We much prefer independent restaurants to the chains. The quality is much higher and the local, independents understand their customers.

Waffle House!! Complete with the beautiful young "friendly" waitresses...

How about a nice sit down Chinese restaurant like PF Changs? Plenty of carryout, but no dine in options south of 466A.

One that worth returning to. Which IMO are very few.

I would think after being in the restaurant business for 25 years, you would want to come down and enjoy life. I agree with a good low carb option. A lot of Keto and health reasons here. Good luck!

You must be another Michigander! A Coney Island or an Olga's Kitchen would be awesome!

Of course, when you talk about Coney Islands, you risk starting religious wars about Detroit-style vs. Flint-style or Lafayette vs. American. I'm non-partisan because I like both main styles. Personally, I like to go to places like Capitol Coney Island in Flint because they have both Detroit-style and Flint-style. I order one of each with some shoestring fries and am a happy man. And I love a "loose burger with Coney sauce", too. And my wife loves the onion rings. The closest we get down here is when Koegels on the Road comes to town (which they did a couple of weekends ago) and I can buy several pounds of Koegels Viennas with Natural Casings and a frozen tube or two of Koegels Coney sauce and make them on my own.

To make me really happy though, you'd have to sit me down in an Olga's Kitchen. For those not fortunate enough to have eaten there, Olga's can be thought of a Mediterranean Lite. They make gyro-style meat and serve it on a soft pita bread that is made to order by a funky little machine they invented. The gyro-style meat is good, but the bread is utterly heavenly. Every type of meat I've ever tried on it makes for a fantastic sandwich. Their curly fries are great and my wife adores their spinach pie.

Needless to say, when we get back to Michigan, we eat at Olga's and one Coney Island or another as often as we can manage. We have missed them both not only since moving here but during the 20 years we spent in North Carolina.

Somebody mentioned Calabash-style seafood, which is popular in North Carolina and South Carolina (where the town of Calabash still serves it proudly). I'd easily got for a Calabash-style restaurant as well.

Another place we liked in both Michigan and North Carolina was a proper Mongolian Barbecue. At those places, you grab a bowl, fill it with raw meat, veggies, rice, egg, etc., drizzle over some kinds of oils and sauces and throw on a variety of seasonings and have the cooks sear it on a very hot, circular cooking surface. Throw in some rice (white or browned) and tortillas and you have meal custom-made to your particular tastes. Very, very yummy.

If you read this forum, you'll see a lot of people (myself included) complaining about the very mediocre Chinese restaurants at many of the shopping plazas around The Villages. It's just my opinion, but I think the Bourbon Chicken at the Chinese places in most mall food courts blows away anything I can get at any of them. There has been word that a P.F. Changs is suppose to come to Brownwood, but I haven't heard of any activity on that for months. And "Asian Fusion" may not equate to "Good Chinese" in a lot of people's minds.

If it has to be a fast-food place, I would like some place other than the chains currently here. We used to eat at the El Pollo Tropical outside Zoo Miami whenever we visited the area and just love it - grilled, lean, marinated chicken with Cuban-themed sides. Since moving here, the El Pollo Tropicals we've tried in Orlando have been fairly greasy and with so-so side dishes. Maybe they've all gone downhill or maybe that particular location was exceptionally good, but I'd love one of those if was as good as that location.

And where to put a new restaurant? In the heart of already-popular areas like around the town squares? In an existing location that didn't survive the pandemic? Somewhere on 44 or south of 44 to take advantage of the explosive growth at the south end of The Villages? Personally, I'd like to see some more choices on 466A and lots more choices on 44. There's only one developed retail area south of 44 and it looks like it's already filling in.

As far as the original poster, I wish you luck. Restaurants are a tough business. Do you copy what is already popular in an area or try something new, risking total failure for a chance at incredible success? Do you go high end for that quite small number of folks that clamor for high-end dining, low-end to get anybody and everybody or somewhere in the middle to try to get reasonable turnover with acceptable profits? I don't envy you but I wish you success!

The first three bites of KFC always hit me the same:
1. This is so freakin' fantastic!
2. This is, OK, pretty good...
3. What was I thinking ordering this?

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Since the average age of TV residents is, probably about 68-70... and associated "issues" (B/P, and sensitivity to acid, full-fat, sodium, carbs) many of that group may have, I would think that a nice casual restaurant specializing in most dishes that are Lower carb, lower fat, lower calories, lower sodium, perhaps gluten-free would do extremely well here. And perhaps mostly small plate Tapas style.

That said, the offerings must have nice taste, great variety - but still 'health conscious' with any added salt, pepper, heavy spices up to the consumer.

We certainly do go out to 'splurge', not really taking these matters into consideration. But we limit these trips. If there was a well-run medium-priced clean restaurant that offered the options above, there would be no guilt - and I believe many TVrs would give it great business.
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OP if you stay within the bubble, the rent cost may be different than what you are accustomed to. You also need to take into consideration that high season is prime for restaurants in TV. Our population dwindles in off season. You have a percentage that will eat at mid to high end restaurants.

Breakfast here is on the high side, considering it’s a cheap date. Since we hail from Michigan, coney is always on our minds. Open breakfast until 2. Each time someone visits they bring a brick of coney with them. But that is a regional eatery, and would be booming for breakfast, lunch would be doable.

There are many restaurants in Ocala, seafood, and steak do well there. Hope you aren’t looking at a franchise, food trucked in frozen, and heated.

Good food from a great chef is always welcome

A good bakery is needed, one that knows how to make crumb cake. Also a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant. That food is both tasty and healthy. But Villagers are notoriously cheap so menu should be $ not $$$. There is a good Greek restaurant in Tarpon Springs and German restaurant, Hollerbachs, in Sanford. They are more upscale locations than would fly here.

Also beware the developer takes a large chunk of your gross as rent and I heard looks at your books so locate outside The Villages property.

Cody's
Beef O'Brady's

O'shucks

We had a tapas restaurant, it failed in less than a year (pre-covid)

Still looking for a decent Thai restaurant. I'm not impressed with Thai Ruby in LSL.

Open a classic restaurant not inside the Villages but close to the Villages. I think most people would like to have a choice of fine dining and getting dressed up for an evening. Not a huge restaurant just an elite restaurant with excellent food & service.

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Not a Thai restaurant.

I second the motion of a NY style deli. Hot corned beef/ pastrami, etc.

:laugh: That was tried here twice and they failed. 2 things that don't go over well here..... smaller portions and sharing. :1rotfl::1rotfl:

We have gone there a bunch of times and always enjoyed our meal

:icon_wink: Two

:) Anyone else ever eat at "Vic's Embers Supper Club" ?:mmmm:

I'd love a GOOD quality Indian restaurant (one that doesn't blow your blood vessels out with sodium), or a Middle-Eastern falafel joint that makes their own tahini, halvah and falafels from scratch.


I miss gulab jamuns and a cheerful kheer, I miss papadam...and I really really miss home-made pistachio halvah.

Portuguese cuisine restaurant. No one here knows how good Portuguese food is. Don't know what their missing.

Olgas. I miss Olgas! A week or so ago I was at Spanish Springs, standing in a line of 2800 Michiganders (!) for two hours to get some Koegel's pickled bologna ring for my husband. People started listing restaurants they miss. Olgas was high on the list.

:icon_wink: It's available on Amazon.

I would love to see a semi fast food Indian Restaurant. One where you order at the counter and then they bring the food to you. Check out this establishment in Fremont California. I used to live there and went here all the time. Place was packed with a line out the door at lunchtime. Chaat Cafe | Menu

A Coney Island place that serves good breakfast and lunch fare. Ask anyone from Metro Detroit what they think of a Coney Island joint! Look up National Coney Island.

Rose Plantation opened with that in mind....no shorts, no jeans, collared shirts etc. Not sure how that worked out?

We go there sometimes, not bad. They are a Jack of all trades, but a master of none. They try to serve Chinese, Sushi, Thi, etc... All OK, but none are really good. That being said, I know of no other place where you can get a decent crab fried rice.

Matpybe some want some expensive fancy place but I want to go in my shorts and T-shirt as that is all I have in Florida, no need for anything else. A good dining experience is common comfort food in an extremely clean facility at a good price.

FORDs Garage. There's one in Orlando and one down toward Tampa. Good food and a fun place.

The only "chain store" I'd want to see added to the ridiculous collection of chain stores we already have:

DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE

It's not just a restaurant, it's not just a biker bar, it's not just a blues hall. It's an experience, and one of the best experiences I've ever had at any restaurant, ever.

About 25 years ago I ate at a place on the edge of the beach called Crabby Bills in St . Petersburg. I ordered a bucket of crabs with a wooden mallet to break them open. The server brought the bucket to our picnic table and dumped the whole bucket on the table. All I had on was my bathing suit and after smashing the entire bucket of crabs open and feasting, I was covered with crab shrapnel from head to toe. No problem, I got up and went for a quick swim in the ocean. My delicious crab dinner was supplemented by a large mug of something they called dumpster punch, which complemented the bucket of crabs perfectly. Now that’s my kind of restaurant, a dinning experience I will never forget : ). You gotta love a restaurant that cleans the table with a hose.