Franchise Ideas

[LindenCy]

When they started the new food court, it was made up mostly (if not entirely) of independent restaurants. It was a really cool deal.

My first exposure to Chick fil a. We need a Chick fil a back in Ames. :biggrin:

 

[CyCrazy]

As long as I've been alive, that place was called Mazzio's. My family used to meet friends there pretty often for lunch on Sundays. It closed down when I was a kid, but they had pretty good pizza as far as I can recall. There was a little arched-glass 'greenhouse' on the north side of the building that was kind of a cool place to sit and eat your pizza. If I recall correctly, there was some other short-lived (less than a year) restaurant in there after Mazzio's closed, but it went under quickly. Everybody missed Mazzio's, so nobody went there. It must have been Zoey's before that.

Oh, that side of town was such a mixed bag back in the day. Mazzio's was right next door to a Long John Silver's, until their kitchen caught on fire. The building was fine but the owners didn't want to rebuild the restaurant. It sat empty for a couple years and then some godawful place called Platters opened up. I never went to Platters, but even my grandmother (who literally has no functioning taste buds thanks to a flu that put her in the hospital) said it was one of the worst places she'd ever been to. The location is now Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack, which is fantastic BBQ. There was also the Dill Pickle burger joint a block down the street, where the apartment buildings next to Eastdale Plaza are now. That was a decent place, too- seemed like it should have been a franchise, but I can't find a single mention of it anywhere on the internet, so maybe not.

Why do you post your Journal entries Online.?

 

[CycloneErik]

Yeah, until McDonald's decided to be morons about it. I watched them go down in their own blaze of idiotic management decisions during my freshman year; going out of business was entirely their fault.

Let's face it. For McDonald's to fail in the Union in the midst of thousands of college students takes some effort.

I don't remember exactly how it failed, but it's not easy for that business to fail in that environment.

 

[OWLCITYCYFAN]

If I recall correctly, there was some other short-lived (less than a year) restaurant in there after Mazzio's closed, but it went under quickly. Everybody missed Mazzio's, so nobody went there. It must have been Zoey's before that.

We moved to Iowa City in 1998 and it was Zoey's - probably closed in 1999. I don't recall any other restaurants in there after Zoey's closed, but you could be correct. My kids loved that little greenhouse alcove...

As for BBQ, Jimmy Jack's is good but we like "The Pit" better. It's on the SE corner of Dubuque and Market, in the old gas station building that sat vacant for years (south across the street from Casey's). That might be a franchise opportunity; a business professor friend of mine helped the students who opened The Pit write their business plan...

 

[CycloneYoda]

Ok, I am interested in investing in a new franchise in the Cedar Falls area and possibly Ames or Iowa City. I am looking for input on smaller franchises that are not established in these cities (mainly restaurants, not the major chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, but something like the size of a Jimmy Johns or Pancheros). So, are there franchises you have frequented that you think would be a good fit? Also, are there mid size towns (20,000+) that would be good for a franchise like Pancheros?

Green Mill restaurant looking for Iowa City franchisee | press-citizen.com | Iowa City Press Citizen

So a popular TC area chain is looking to start a franchise in Iowa, and you are looking for a popular TC chain to start.

At this point, I'm not ruling out a connection between your post and this story.

 

[CycloneYoda]

We moved to Iowa City in 1998 and it was Zoey's - probably closed in 1999. I don't recall any other restaurants in there after Zoey's closed, but you could be correct. My kids loved that little greenhouse alcove...

As for BBQ, Jimmy Jack's is good but we like "The Pit" better. It's on the SE corner of Dubuque and Market, in the old gas station building that sat vacant for years (south across the street from Casey's). That might be a franchise opportunity; a business professor friend of mine helped the students who opened The Pit write their business plan...

Jimmy Jack's > Pit by a LONGSHOT. Not opinion, but fact.

 

[Havs]

SMASHBURGER

 

[RING4CY]

I think a Steak and Shake would make a killing in either Ames or Cedar Falls.

There was a Steak and Shake in Waterloo. Keyword here is was...

 

[RING4CY]

Although you have said no buffalo wild wings, it would make a killing. Other than that, I think ames is pretty saturated with burrito places right now.

A Buffalo Wild Wings is going up in Cedar Falls as we speak.

 

[RING4CY]

Thanks for all of the ideas, there are definitely new ones to look at!

I really wanted to open a Noodles And Company, but they do not franchise anymore; all corporate stores only now. BWW and other large chains are out of my league right now.

Having lived in Nebraska for 2 years, I will NEVER buy into a Runza!!!

Please keep the ideas coming.

Living in Cedar Falls right now, I could eat at a White Castle, Chick-Fil-A, or one other place, but it's slipping my mind right now.

 

[RING4CY]

Girlfriends parents own that Sub City, so eat there!

Best meatball sub in the history of the world.

 

[RING4CY]

Bob Evans?

YES PLEASE!

I would eat there daily, nightly, and ever so rightly.

 

[RING4CY]

What-a-burger?

I love What-A-Burger. The only problem with it is the closet one to here is in Oklahoma. I doubt they would franchise this far north.

 

[Dr.bannedman]

ames could use a runza

 

[Mr Janny]

ames could use a runza like it could use a 3rd armpit

Fify

 

[Dr.bannedman]

Fify

nice jaany and on the holidays no less. do you libshave no shame?

 

[CyCrazy]

ames could use a runza

Just drink pepto and sit on the can.