Jump to content

That weird retail space at the base of Plaza Towers


john_denver

Recommended Posts


Nice. I like Bagger Dave's focus on Michigan beer. It'll be interesting to see if they significantly modify the facade of the building - make the Fulton side more pedestrian friendly.

Joe

Will it go out to the Fulton side?

I actually think a Bagger Dave's will do well there. Nothing else seems to "stick" there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Will it go out to the Fulton side?

I actually think a Bagger Dave's will do well there. Nothing else seems to "stick" there.

It says they signed a lease for 4500 sq ft. That's a good chunk of space, although the old coffee shop space was always WAAAY to huge for the few people that were in there when I had morning meetings there. I don't think there's nearly that much space in the suite that Fedex abandoned when they shrunk and I would think they would want/need the visibility on Fulton. Maybe they will push Fedex out or they will just move them to the very northernmost part of the building.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Will it go out to the Fulton side?

I actually think a Bagger Dave's will do well there. Nothing else seems to "stick" there.

I can see why. No one would think to venture west of Market looking for store frontage. Looking down on Fulton, you just see parking, then river.

They should think about good signage. I don't think that archway is enough, they need something that faces down both directions of Fulton. Maybe atop the Skywalk, if that's possible.

Edited by RegalTDP
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As long as people know that its there, that it will do good. A nice big vertical sign down the side of plaza towers :P

With the demise of Johnny's Lunch, what DT was really needing is a burger joint. (hah)

They'd be permitted to add signage visible from here. (S-curve streetview)

https://maps.google....,16.02,,1,-6.76

Edited by Veloise
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Baggers Daves is good, and the beers are local, but as to the fact that they claim local sourced food..... that just means they buy it from Van Eardens or a like company, which is a local supplier but not from local sources. That's what bothers me about them, they are making that claim of local sourced but honestly it is a just a play on the words "Local". Other than that I love any new restaurant that ventures downtown :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've mostly got a 'meh' response to those who've been to the 28th St location.

 

Personally, I would disagree.  My kids like it - older kids like the sports on tv, younger kids like the toy train, the kids menu also has some good stuff that kids like.  I like the beers and the burgers and we have always enjoyed very good service there.  I will say that I wish the fries were a little crisper and a single serving sack of fries actually feeds more than one person easily. I would pick Bagger Dave's over Culvers or some other such place.

 

I imagine they will do well with the college and after work crowd who want some drinks and a nosh.

Edited by wingbert
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been to the 28th St. location once. Burger was good, fries were okay (expected either higher quantity or quality for the price). Drink selection was good (I had root beer - I try to avoid alcohol at lunch so that I can stay awake). Service was good. Tough to compare them with a fast food place like Culvers - a meal at Bagger Dave's costs twice as much. A good contender in the Applebee's genre, though.

 

There was a recent opinion piece in The Rapidian that focused on Bagger Dave's as an example of "local-washing": Is your favorite restaurant really local?

 

I agree with the article author that some of Bagger Dave's claims appear inflated, but they're at least working in the right direction. I would think that it would be virtually impossible for a chain to source all of their ingredients from truly local sources, while maintaining a consistent menu. A chain seems contrary to the whole locavore ideal in general - shouldn't a local restaurant reflect the variation inherent to each region?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bagger Dave's owners, Diversified Restaurant Holdings, own Buffalo Wild Wings in the Detroit area, northern Michigan & the Tampa area.  But they do not own any Buffalo Wild Wings locations in and around the Grand Rapids area.

 

The owner of the downtown Grand Rapids Buffalo Wild Wings, J K & T Wings, is also from the Detroit area. They also own GR area Smash Burger franchises. I guess that is where some confusion comes in.

Edited by Gorath
Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are really rough from the DDA's agenda, but it looks like they will have a pretty prominent presence on the Fulton side. It also looks like some kind of covered outdoor seating area.

 

8254303091_71f8441f6c_c.jpg

 

8254302777_6798cd98ca_c.jpg

That will be a huge improvement for that building.  Even though it's not a local business, I'm excited to see that space activated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are really rough from the DDA's agenda, but it looks like they will have a pretty prominent presence on the Fulton side. It also looks like some kind of covered outdoor seating area.

 

 

 

8254302777_6798cd98ca_c.jpg

Lot of space. As a former frequent flyer at that Kin--I mean, FedEx Office, it looks like they might have to condense some more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.