Huntsville updates - Page 161

huntsville_rocks · #**3201** Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 2:21 AM**

so what is to become of the vacant stores that are next to the circuit city (barnes & nobles, old navy) and is the linens & things closing there?

Huntsvillenative · #**3202** Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 4:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Sam and Gregs Pizza on Northside Square, not sure of the hours

Where's this located? I love pizza and would love to have one downtown sometime.

OCA REP · #**3203** Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 1:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntsville_rocks

and is the linens & things closing there?

My understanding is that the ENTIRE chain is going out of business. No stores will remain open after liquidation sales, etc. Sad, because we have one in a prominent spot in Eastchase down here in Montgomery.

HSVTiger · #**3204** Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 2:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

Where's this located? I love pizza and would love to have one downtown sometime.

They serve Nathan's hot dogs too

http://www.samandgregs.com/

HSVTiger · #**3205** Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 3:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by huntsville_rocks

so what is to become of the vacant stores that are next to the circuit city (barnes & nobles, old navy) and is the linens & things closing there?

Circuit City is set to close 155 stores nationwide but the Huntsville store is not
on the list, so i guess it will remain open and possibly move to Bridge Street's second phase next to Academy Sports is scheduled to go.

ThatGuy · #**3206** Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 3:40 PM**

[QUOTE=HSVTiger;3889201]They serve Nathan's hot dogs too

They aren't open during the day on weekends.

I was downtown this weekend walking around and there just aren't many potential customers for a place to be open during the day. It may be a chicken and the egg situation.

There ARE people at big spring when the weather is nice. Does anybody know the regulations on food vendors around the park during non-Jam/Panoply times? I would think an Ice Cream Stand/Truck would do well during the summer and a Hot Dog or Taco Truck during the winter.

I was pleased to see that Wild Rose Cafe had bricked over their facade. It looks much better. Cotton Row resturant looked nice. Wish they had a menu in the window though.

I wonder if something like a Borders Bookstore would be willing to open a location downtown (maybe in the old Hale Brothers location, or across from the Times Building)? I think that could become prime night and weekend gathering point.

jmanhsv · #**3207** Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 5:23 PM**

All this talk about downtown restaurants got me thinking... what was the name of that ice cream shop that used to be downtown? It closed about a decade ago.

Good idea on the bookstore, but I would prefer a quirky local one instead of a national chain. That would bring me downtown more than a bar or club ever will.

ThatGuy · #**3208** Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 6:33 PM**

Gorins Ice Cream. Bubba's actually convinced the landlord to not renew Gorins lease so that they could have that extra space. It really worked out well for them. (heavy on the sarcasm there)

There aren't many local bookstores opening anywere in the country. Borders has a built in fan base (seems like just another B&N to me though). It would sell books, cds, and coffee and encourages people to just "hang out".

Here is one thing the CITY can actually do. While walking around, my wife and I noticed how pleasent it was when walking by the Jazz Factory with its classical music being played outside. Something like that would be nice for the core downtown area. Even though there weren't any people around, it made that little section feel more "alive"

Jugernagt · #**3209** Posted **Nov 4, 2008, 2:08 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilson

Huntsville's store will remain open.

From consumerist.com:

...which I did, and HSV came up.

However, the "new" Trussville store is no longer on the list so they're closing.

Official list:
http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/C...F7A7/110308%20Store%20Closing%20List.pdf

neilson · #**3210** Posted **Nov 4, 2008, 2:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

Circuit City is set to close 155 stores nationwide but the Huntsville store is not
on the list, so i guess it will remain open and possibly move to Bridge Street's second phase next to Academy Sports is scheduled to go.

Sports Authority is coming to Bridge Street. Academy is going to Decatur.

marvingardns · #**3211** Posted **Nov 6, 2008, 5:33 PM**

No news lately, eh? Hmmm...

Keep 'em coming Tiger.

Worthington Bank broke ground on their South Memorial sight earlier this week with a ceremony. That's all I know of.

Jugernagt · #**3212** Posted **Nov 7, 2008, 1:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvingardns

No news lately, eh? Hmmm...

Keep 'em coming Tiger.

Worthington Bank broke ground on their South Memorial sight earlier this week with a ceremony. That's all I know of.

LifeWay moved into the old Tweeter building. (at least the left half)

marvingardns · #**3213** Posted **Nov 7, 2008, 7:15 PM**

I've recently had dinner at Cotton Row and highly recommend it. The European street cafe atmosphere is EXACTLY what this town needs more of. The place was jam-packed on a Thursday night.

marvingardns · #**3214** Posted **Nov 7, 2008, 7:22 PM**

I've recently had dinner at Cotton Row and highly recommend it. The European street cafe atmosphere is EXACTLY what this town needs more of. The place was jam-packed on a Thursday night. Entrees range from $25 -$40. Domestic beers are $4, imports are $5. Wine ranges from $30 - $110 a bottle. Appetizers range from $8 - $15. Desserts are $9.

Main fare consists of ten different dishes, half of which is seafood. Staff is young and still quite unpolished and awkward, but give them time before you judge definitively. The food was very good. Not all was in place yet (i.e. the same napkins used on your lap are used in the bathroom to dry hands with??? ; triffle was served in a wide-lipped bowl???), but again give them time. I think this place will be a great success if they can refine the service more.

ThatGuy · #**3215** Posted **Nov 7, 2008, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvingardns

I've recently had dinner at Cotton Row and highly recommend it.

Sounds good. Thanks for the update!

luvinhsv · #**3216** Posted **Nov 7, 2008, 9:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvingardns

; triffle was served in a wide-lipped bowl???), .

The NERVE!!

Just kidding! Sounds good. I had lunch at D&L Bistro yesterday at Main Street South on South Parkway. Very good and neat atmosphere. I hadn't heard of it before, but I'll go back.

HSVTiger · #**3217** Posted **Nov 9, 2008, 5:14 PM**

ALDOT has scheduled public meetings on the I-565/Greenbrier Rd interchange
improvements. Adding some lanes and upgrading the ramps, good to see they are still doing this as it was part of the plans for VW if they had located their plant here. Plan for the future.

mlog · #**3218** Posted **Nov 10, 2008, 3:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

Gorins Ice Cream. Bubba's actually convinced the landlord to not renew Gorins lease so that they could have that extra space. It really worked out well for them. (heavy on the sarcasm there)

There aren't many local bookstores opening anywere in the country. Borders has a built in fan base (seems like just another B&N to me though). It would sell books, cds, and coffee and encourages people to just "hang out".

Here is one thing the CITY can actually do. While walking around, my wife and I noticed how pleasent it was when walking by the Jazz Factory with its classical music being played outside. Something like that would be nice for the core downtown area. Even though there weren't any people around, it made that little section feel more "alive"

Is the following article about the same Gorin's? (Note: the article is dated 1989.)

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n17_v23/ai_7562853

An excerpt. Where are the Alabama stores they mention? Looks like there might be one in Montgomery.

Quote:

Meanwhile Mark Kaplan and Bob Solomon, who bought into food service with the purchase of Gorin's Homemade on New Year's Eve 1986, are pushing a slow suburban expansion of that originally urban ice cream and sandwich concept -- targeting June for their first South Carolina unit, in Greenville's Haywood Mall.

By midsummer, Gorin's Homemade will have 34 stores in Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas. Gyro Wrap, a Mediterranean pita bread sandwich operation now with 29 units in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Texas, also will expand to South Carolina -- Greenville and possibly Columbia -- this year.

"After two months with Gyro Wrap, we're convinced we have a real national concept," says Kaplan, who is chief executive as well as the marketing head of both chains. "We believe it's mainstream enough to go anywhere."

Yet even as Kaplan and Solomon consolidate the administrative and buying functions for Gyro Wrap into the Gorin's Homemade headquarters here, they've promised to do no mixing of the operations.

"We think Gorin's will stay a regional thing," Kaplan says of the chain whose units average 250 covers in winter months and 450 covers in the summer, splitting ice cream and sandwich volume about 50-50.

stewdog1 · #**3219** Posted **Nov 11, 2008, 3:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

ALDOT has scheduled public meetings on the I-565/Greenbrier Rd interchange
improvements. Adding some lanes and upgrading the ramps, good to see they are still doing this as it was part of the plans for VW if they had located their plant here. Plan for the future.

Yet nothing for I-565 and County Line Rd? I'm all for planning for the future, but a full County Line intersection was needed yesterday.

marvingardns · #**3220** Posted **Nov 11, 2008, 3:59 PM**

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106120/The-Best-Places-to-Raise-Your-Kids-2009

This article was on the front page of this morning's Yahoo homepage. Huntsville was the first to be named by Business Week as the best place to raise your kids. I wonder if this article went to print in this week's print magazine. It is certainly barebones.