If you could franchise one restaurant
- Thread starter ping72
- Start date
I'd go for Dave and Buster's here in Cedar Rapids. I think it could be a gold mine. Popeye's Chicken had people waiting 90 minutes for fast food chicken when it first opened up. D & B is always a good time when I go. You have a place where the kids can run wild and play "Tilt" like games while the parents get shit-faced. The parents want to keep drinking and the kids want to keep playing arcade games so they just keep pumping money into my business.
Franchising a restaurant is absurd though. I think Subway is the cheapest with a ceiling of $250,000. Most places require $1,000,000 worth of liquid assets along with cash reserves.
Franchising a restaurant is absurd though. I think Subway is the cheapest with a ceiling of $250,000. Most places require $1,000,000 worth of liquid assets along with cash reserves.
Off topc... but I was hungry this morning after a meeting and was driving back to the office about 8:45am. I passed Panchero's and thought to myself... why don't they serve up breakfast burritos? Really, they could keep out the same exact food ingredients, but replace the rice bin with scrambled eggs. Think that would be huge!!! Would have stopped in quick for a big steak/egg burrito this morning had they had them.
Fred, The Quarter Barrel is opening on 2nd Ave in late June and will brew their own beer, have a decent menu, and sounds like they are going to have a lot of games. Barcade's are the big thing now and CR could use something to draw people downtown. Of course it won't be like D&B, but it looks like it will be pretty nice.
Capriotti's in College Park, MD. Best subs you can get anywhere, close enough to where I live, and college kids will love them.
I have a hard time seeing this as successful for a Panchero's/Chipotle. I've never been in one that had a drive thru. Most people stopping for breakfast prefer a drive thru for fast, easy convenience. Those that don't are probably not on their way to work and are going to sit down place for breakfast. I just don't see people stopping at Panchero's and going inside to order their breakfast.
Fogo de Chao in Des Moines. There is nothing like it there and Fogo is amazing. Closest one to des is in KC. I think if you put it in west Glenn near the mall you would be very wealthy.
I'd put a frickin Waffle House off the Interstate by Iowa City. Probably one on each side. Git the I-80 travelers and the hungry college students.
I hear what you're saying, but I think Fogo is more the type of place that Iowans would eat at once a year on vacation or business trip someplace and love it, but they wouldn't visit very often if it was near them. Most Iowans are too cheap to drop $50 for lunch and even more for dinner.
$50 dollar a plate steakhouses make it in des moines. That area has become very wealthy, people making 250-300k a year don't have a problem dropping $50 for a good meal twice a month. People visiting the mall from our of town eat there because its good and something new. If I'm in KC/Minneapolis/Chicago im eating at Fogo.
- Sep 13, 2002
- 99,031
- 207,592
- 113
I'd put a Lou Malnatis in Davenport.
People here love them some big heaping food - and there is virtually nowhere in the QCA to get decent deep dish. I think it would be a huge success. I'd put it on the site of the former Ruby Tuesday near the Cinemas on 53rd. Caching!
- Sep 13, 2002
- 99,031
- 207,592
- 113
We have this in Davenport and it is by far the best fast-food sub/sandwich in town, AINEC. The turkey, stuffing and cranberry sub is absurdly good, as is the cole-turkey.Capriotti's in College Park, MD. Best subs you can get anywhere, close enough to where I live, and college kids will love them.
Shake Shack.
I'd put it in Iowa City just off campus near the ped mall.
Why..... Because it's hand down the best ff burger I've ever had
Good choice...get a couple of those now; they'll be everywhere very soon.
- Sep 13, 2002
- 99,031
- 207,592
- 113
Better than 5 Guys? That would take some doing, IMO, but I'm willing to taste for myself!
Yeah, the first one you mentioned is the Bobbie (or Bobby?). I always ask for extra cranberry, even though they give you plenty.
The traditional Italian is as good as any I've ever had. And since I grew up in the Philadelphia area, I've sampled a lot of the best Italian subs. Be sure to get sweet peppers. Most people know about regular hot peppers, but in my experience not many know about sweet peppers. I don't know why that is. If you aren't already a fan, definitely give them a try.
Another favorite is the Capastrami. Hot pastrami and cole slaw, make sure to get Provolone cheese.
Their Philly style cheese steaks are also excellent. Maybe not quite as good as the very best in Philly, but so close it doesn't really matter if you don't have a teleporter to Philly. Add mushrooms, fried onions, hot and sweet peppers and pickles for the total experience. In Delaware, if I have a cheese steak craving I may go to the Claymont Sub Shop. Might be slightly better than Capriotti's, but it's so close I can't really figure out the difference.
Unfortunately for me, they just opened a Capriotti's in the middle of DC. Not too far by miles, but the traffic and parking are impossible. Subway is a possibility but the time, cost, and the hassle of transfers put a huge dent in the pleasure. Eventually I will make the effort.
- Sep 13, 2002
- 99,031
- 207,592
- 113
I got cheese steaks from both the famous places in Phily (the two that are virtually across the street from each other) and I kinda thought they were just OK. I don't get the hype.
That's OK. I like them, but they aren't my top choice. Every once in a while, though, I get tired of Italians, Bobbies and Capisramis. Then a cheese steak or a meatball sub will hit the spot.
I could live on Capriotti's, Chipotle, and Ledo's Pizza. Might not live long, but I'd die happy. And, frankly, those foods aren't all that bad for you, in moderation. It's the moderation part I have trouble with.
I see people at Panera, Bruggers, etc., without using a drive thru... so why not Panchero's? People know they can walk in and get it hot and made to order in a few minutes... I think it would work.
- Sep 13, 2002
- 99,031
- 207,592
- 113
Yeah, like I said, the cheesesteaks tasted good, don't get me wrong. But I'd rather have a pizza or tacos or a sandwich from Cappriottis. Maybe my expectations were too high.
My big problem is portion control - in food and good beer.
A large sub - which as you presumably know really IS large - is supposed to be eaten in 1 sitting, right?
Actually, eating a large in 1 sitting is hard, but I can definitely do it in 2 closely-spaced sittings. And I still have the waistline to prove it from my last Delaware trip.
If you had the ability to get a Shake Shack region, i would beg borrow and steal for the startup. The average amount each store is doing is ridiculous. Now, in 10 years when it is everywhere, it may just be another burger joint; but it is extremely hot right now.
You have Popeye's in Iowa? I'm suddenly impressed...tell me you have Chick-fil-a and I will be absolutely giddy.
Seems to me that Triple D guy was in Des Moines at someplace that served the best looking pizza I ever saw...am I mistaken?
There's a place in Cedar Rapids that basically does that. Hot Harry's Burritos.
Centro in Ankeny. I would have said Granite City but Ankeny is getting enough sports bars. There is a massive hole in Ankeny's dining lineup in that price range/experience. The only place I can think of kind of on par would be Waterfront. I also think a Biaggi's would print money.
Tasty Tacos is sooooooo much better than Rudy's. If one was going to go in IC, i'd go for Tasty Tacos.
