BG coming to a neighborhood near you? Looks like they'll be opening more soon.
http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542839
Good for them, glad to see a local business doing well.
But the article makes no mention of the BG Express at the beach, are they not affiliated with the BG on Adams?
I know no one wants to hear it, but they would make a killing at SJTC . It would definitely loose its character but would be a cash cow.
Burrito Gallery has good food and I think one of the closest comparison one could make would be maybe a chipolte... It doesn't even have the same vibe as Burrito Gallery and has higher prices. Burrito Gallery also has a bar in the back... It would be interesting to see if other locations have the same.
And what ever happened to the building expansion? I guess that was previously put on hiatus but might be back on the table now.
I remember that now that you mentioned it... Wasn't the plan to move the bar upstairs or something like that?
QuoteI know no one wants to hear it, but they would make a killing at SJTC .
Yeah, just like the Pancake House did? or the countless other stores who open, close like say Whiskey River? BG has done well in the urban setting, because they are not like the chain restaurants, they operate differently, and employ folks less likely to be employed by a chain. Just because you spray and pray, doesn't mean you have instant success, look at all those who have failed and are failing at TC.
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 01, 2014, 03:03:05 PM
QuoteI know no one wants to hear it, but they would make a killing at SJTC .
Yeah, just like the Pancake House did? or the countless other stores who open, close like say Whiskey River? BG has done well in the urban setting, because they are not like the chain restaurants, they operate differently, and employ folks less likely to be employed by a chain. Just because you spray and pray, doesn't mean you have instant success, look at all those who have failed and are failing at TC.
Whiskey River had a whole other issue going on so that's not a fair comparison lol
QuoteWhiskey River had a whole other issue going on so that's not a fair comparison lol
Did it survive? Yes or no? Look at the shops that come and go in there, happens all the time, it is a mall area, and retail area, some survive, some fail. The reasons are immaterial .
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 01, 2014, 03:17:03 PM
QuoteWhiskey River had a whole other issue going on so that's not a fair comparison lol
Did it survive? Yes or no? Look at the shops that come and go in there, happens all the time, it is a mall area, and retail area, some survive, some fail. The reasons are immaterial .
Whiskey River closed over a lawsuit I am assuming to save money not because it was failing. It was quite popular. Your comparison was not on pending lawsuits more so financial sustainability
Quote from: mtraininjax on May 01, 2014, 03:03:05 PM
QuoteI know no one wants to hear it, but they would make a killing at SJTC .
Yeah, just like the Pancake House did? or the countless other stores who open, close like say Whiskey River? BG has done well in the urban setting, because they are not like the chain restaurants, they operate differently, and employ folks less likely to be employed by a chain. Just because you spray and pray, doesn't mean you have instant success, look at all those who have failed and are failing at TC.
The Pancake House closed because it had overpriced mediocre food and terrible service.
The location is irrelevant.
Yeah, the Pancake House sucked. One visit was enough for me to know I never had a reason to return.
Was like ihop? I believe it was before I got here that it closed.
QuoteAt least 11 stores that were new to the market when they opened at the 1.2 million-square-foot town center have since closed their doors, including American Backyard, BoConcept, Oceanology, Kate Spade, Venus Swimwear, Everything But Water, The Sharper Image, Sigrid Olsen, Carlyle & Co., Pier 1 Kids and Designs of The Interior.
Ugh!! Not every store survives at TC, for reasons, lawsuit, bad product, wrong location. Some just under perform because the mix is wrong for the area.
Not every store is a good fit for TC, so throwing an Urban favorite into a mix of upscale may not work for BG. You are not guaranteed success to setup shop at TC. Plus at the height of the market, retailers were paying $40 a square foot for space.
Maybe Stephen can chime in and discuss how much rent his restaurant used to run him and what kind of margins you need at 30-40 bucks a square in Town Center?
This is from 2010, but you get the picture.....
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/02/22/story5.html?page=all (http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/02/22/story5.html?page=all)
Even Valentino and Allegretti agree that TC is not all its made out to be, they were going to do a deal there, and pulled out.
Quote
Burrito Gallery plans expansion, brings in partner from Mellow Mushroom
The Burrito Gallery opened nine years ago downtown on Adams Street. Since then, its owners have added Burrito Gallery Express in Jacksonville Beach and Uptown Market in Springfield.
But now, they have plans to grow further, much further.
So they've added John Valentino, owner of four Mellow Mushroom restaurants in the Jacksonville area, who was given stock to become a partner and named chief executive officer.
"We've proven that we can run a restaurant and have great food," said Tony Allegretti, one of the founding partners. "But expansion opportunities haven't presented themselves. So we brought in expertise."
"We've been doing great," said Paul Shockey, general manager and partner. "We just need more Burrito Galleries around town."
So the plan, they said, is this: Open more Burrito Galleries around the area and eventually franchise it for expansion elsewhere.
Valentino said the downtown location would be remodeled, and he said there's potential for a new location in the next year.
"I think we have to focus on what's unique about what they do," he said, referring to the customer having a choice of ordering at the counter, sitting at the bar or getting full service at a table.
"The combination is very attractive," he said. "And it offers more than beer and wine."
Shockey said that when it expands and if it starts franchising, it needs to keep the same vibe it has now.
"We don't want to be cookie cutter," he said. "We want the same feeling when you come in. Different art on the walls. Adaptive reuse of old buildings or it can be new construction but really cool.
"The food better be the same, the service better be the same."
Valentino said that's the key to Mellow Mushroom, too.
It's actually a chain of more than 150 restaurants, including 17 in Florida, based in Atlanta. But because it doesn't advertise nationally and each restaurant looks different, many people think it's a local operation.
"They call it a collection of stores," he said. "The menu is the same, but there is not a prototype for the store physically."
Valentino opened his first franchise for Mellow Mushroom in 2002. Since then, he's opened three more and he's currently working on one near River City Marketplace that he's trying to have open by the end of the year.
Burrito Gallery's parent company, Gallery Restaurant Group, also opened Uptown Market on Main Street in Springfield 4 1/2 years ago. It took a couple of years to turn a profit, Shockey said.
Valentino said that restaurant is doing well now, but he said he might look at adding a few menu items. He'd also look at opening it for dinner more nights. Though it's open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, it's only open for dinner Thursday-Saturday.
Valentino said it's possible the group might open more Uptown Markets under different names, but there's no desire to franchise it.
Gallery Restaurant Group and Valentino almost became partners of sorts several years ago. They talked about putting a Burrito Gallery and Mellow Mushroom in a building they'd share at St. Johns Town Center. But that never happened.