From what I recall Full Court is opening 3 new restaurants/establishments this year.
Also "cant find good help" almost always should have the implied "at the rates we are willing to pay". As with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
Yeah, but then you’d have to raise prices, and can you imagine the outcry from this board?
Kum and Go I think.Who do we need to boycott?
Yeah, but then you’d have to raise prices,
Not nearly to the degree scaremongers would have you think.
It's really expensive to keep a pool going year round. I wouldn't say a fitness center that can't keep something like that going is some kind of harbinger of doom for the area. More like they did a poor job doing the affordability analysis before they built.Not sure. But she was losing member the Prairie Trail. It is a little cheaper and offers more. Really nice pool. Fitness World in PT always had people in it. I know rent is high but that was what the developer was shooting for. My office is in PT above Fong's, we are doing well but are not a restaurant. Our offices move has been good for us from over by Outback before. I will say that in the afternoon Fong's can be pretty slow and empty.
Yep. We posted at the same time. I have a good "in" with a developer. They have said Lola's is having the same issues.
Womp womp! I would've expected much better interior, given that it is the Full Court Press people who own Royal Mile and Hessen Haus along with many of the other "cool theme bars" like El Bait Shop and Iowa Taproom etc.
So much potential but...that just looks like standard bar furniture with TVs and some mediocre wall hangings on the drywall. Underwhelming, almost...lame! Would've expected at least more of a Hessen Haus or Red Monk bar look with some long "old wood" tables, tapestries, etc a la Beowulf, Lord of the Rings Rohan scenes, etc. Yes "it's easy to spend other people's money" but hope it will get better over time! (I'll still go )
Something like this:
View attachment 65396
.......
That's sad if true. Lola's is good and a nice variety from the rest of Ankeny (= burgers, tacos, Mexican). That whole Prairie Trail 'The District' area is in a pickle - it is an "evening or weekend" area until it develops, but can't develop all at once. I don't know why they don't keep prices low until all fully filled in, the last thing they need is empty storefronts, "momentum" is easy to lose and hard to regain. (Ask the ISU MBB team!)
My guess is the DRA / Albaugh property managers have become too proud of their development too early (It is nice! But also 'The District' = The Residences at The Lofts at SoDaSoPa). The area is packed for the free concerts, etc but needs to mature, and their catering to "upscale" might bite them. I like the idea of a scotch with a haircut, and a cigar store next door - but seriously, how many times a year would I do that? 1? 0.5?
This all ties in with my other other theory that what may work in WDM won't in Ankeny. WDM has people who grew up in DSM, went to Downling, Iowa Law, then Chicago and then back to DSM and want to 'show their status' being 'out'. Whereas Ankeny has people who grew up in Spencer, went to ISU, moved to Ankeny but want want to 'show their roots' by shopping Fareway with coupons and 'staying in' getting Casey's pizza to go in with finished basement or lawn chairs in garage. To a demographer looking at census tracts and income charts they may look more similar than reality.
That's sad if true. Lola's is good and a nice variety from the rest of Ankeny (= burgers, tacos, Mexican). That whole Prairie Trail 'The District' area is in a pickle - it is an "evening or weekend" area until it develops, but can't develop all at once. I don't know why they don't keep prices low until all fully filled in, the last thing they need is empty storefronts, "momentum" is easy to lose and hard to regain. (Ask the ISU MBB team!)
My guess is the DRA / Albaugh property managers have become too proud of their development too early (It is nice! But also 'The District' = The Residences at The Lofts at SoDaSoPa). The area is packed for the free concerts, etc but needs to mature, and their catering to "upscale" might bite them. I like the idea of a scotch with a haircut, and a cigar store next door - but seriously, how many times a year would I do that? 1? 0.5?
This all ties in with my other other theory that what may work in WDM won't in Ankeny. WDM has people who grew up in DSM, went to Downling, Iowa Law, then Chicago and then back to DSM and want to 'show their status' being 'out'. Whereas Ankeny has people who grew up in Spencer, went to ISU, moved to Ankeny but want want to 'show their roots' by shopping Fareway with coupons and 'staying in' getting Casey's pizza to go in with finished basement or lawn chairs in garage. To a demographer looking at census tracts and income charts they may look more similar than reality.
This all ties in with my other other theory that what may work in WDM won't in Ankeny. WDM has people who grew up in DSM, went to Downling, Iowa Law, then Chicago and then back to DSM and want to 'show their status' being 'out'. Whereas Ankeny has people who grew up in Spencer, went to ISU, moved to Ankeny but want want to 'show their roots' by shopping Fareway with coupons and 'staying in' getting Casey's pizza to go in with finished basement or lawn chairs in garage. To a demographer looking at census tracts and income charts they may look more similar than reality.
I mean those two are just different styles of pizza than what fongs is going for. Doesn't mean they are of lower quality.
Dear god, we started out in WDSM while we were looking for houses and this is 100% spot on. We are now in Ankeny, and I think you are speaking directly to our whole subdivision. Ankeny is really family friendly and I feel more people are connected to their neighbors than WDSM. Around our area almost year round there is something going on within a block or two of us, a fire pit, poker in the garage, gaming in finished basements, drinking beer in the driveway, holidays, women playing bunco. We like to go out every so often but when we do, we are usually meeting friends who don't live in Ankeny so end up in other parts of the city.
This sounds like my nightmare. WESTSIDE!!!
I grew up in Eldridge not Spencer, how dare you sirThat's sad if true. Lola's is good and a nice variety from the rest of Ankeny (= burgers, tacos, Mexican). That whole Prairie Trail 'The District' area is in a pickle - it is an "evening or weekend" area until it develops, but can't develop all at once. I don't know why they don't keep prices low until all fully filled in, the last thing they need is empty storefronts, "momentum" is easy to lose and hard to regain. (Ask the ISU MBB team!)
My guess is the DRA / Albaugh property managers have become too proud of their development too early (It is nice! But also 'The District' = The Residences at The Lofts at SoDaSoPa). The area is packed for the free concerts, etc but needs to mature, and their catering to "upscale" might bite them. I like the idea of a scotch with a haircut, and a cigar store next door - but seriously, how many times a year would I do that? 1? 0.5?
This all ties in with my other other theory that what may work in WDM won't in Ankeny. WDM has people who grew up in DSM, went to Downling, Iowa Law, then Chicago and then back to DSM and want to 'show their status' being 'out'. Whereas Ankeny has people who grew up in Spencer, went to ISU, moved to Ankeny but want want to 'show their roots' by shopping Fareway with coupons and 'staying in' getting Casey's pizza to go in with finished basement or lawn chairs in garage. To a demographer looking at census tracts and income charts they may look more similar than reality.