Norfolk Stores and Retail and Resturants

[mikeas]

A new restaurant is coming to the corner of Hampton Blvd and 27th St. Holy Smokes Smokehouse and Oysterbar. They are doing considerable renovations and expansions to the old Liberty Tax building on the site. Not enough BBQ joints in Norfolk IMO, hope it's good stuff.

http://www.facebook.com/HolySmokesODU

[Ghentite]

Smartmouth Brewery will officially open its tasting room this weekend.

http://norfolklive.blogspot.com/2012/11/smartmouth-brewing-tasting-room-opens.html

[Ghentite]

A new restaurant is coming to the corner of Hampton Blvd and 27th St. Holy Smokes Smokehouse and Oysterbar. They are doing considerable renovations and expansions to the old Liberty Tax building on the site. Not enough BBQ joints in Norfolk IMO, hope it's good stuff.

http://www.facebook.com/HolySmokesODU

Nice! New Belmont is pretty good but, yeah, we need some more BBQ places in Norfolk.

[jeffconn]

Just went to KIngs 168 behind the Lambert's Point Rec Center next to ODU after voting on Tuesday. Not sure when it opened (there used to be a pizza/sub place there), but it's got good seafood, and is VERY cheap. A variety of seafood and sandwiches. Nice little neighborhood restaurant.

[zeppelin14]

The new 7-11 where the wig shop was at the corner of Granby and 21st is now under construction. There was also a new 7-11 that opened behind ODU at 49th and Powhatan.

Also, the old shopping center at Ward's corner is now being torn down from the inside out.

[mikeas]

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics will be opening at MacArthur Center this Saturday.  It's a first to the area store with the closest locations in the NOVA area.  MacArthur continues to be the premier mall in Hampton Roads - now its time to develop that third anchor spot into a mixed use outdoor shopping area with an urban format big box electronics retailer and office tower.

[varider]

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics will be opening at MacArthur Center this Saturday.  It's a first to the area store with the closest locations in the NOVA area.  MacArthur continues to be the premier mall in Hampton Roads - now its time to develop that third anchor spot into a mixed use outdoor shopping area with an urban format big box electronics retailer and office tower.

 

Couldn't agree more about the electronics retailer.

[BFG]

I'd love to see a Target there, but a Best Buy would be great too. Downtown Norfolk needs some sort of big box retailer.

 

The traffic would be hell, but Ikea would be cool.

[Weaver24]

Cook Out just open off Military Hwy near Sonic, Lowes, Taco Bell across from JANAF shopping center and man was it hella packed

Edited December 20, 2012 by Weaver24

[mikeas]

Two new Ghent Restaurants are open/opening this week.

 

Chow Gourmet Diner - Southern Inspired, City restricted their ABC license to 11PM weeknights and 12AM weekends and also nixed their plans for live music.

 

80/20 Burger Bar - Local Produce, House-made Buns, Virgnia raised beef.  Extensive beer selection.

[jeffconn]

Two new Ghent Restaurants are open/opening this week.

 

Chow Gourmet Diner - Southern Inspired, City restricted their ABC license to 11PM weeknights and 12AM weekends and also nixed their plans for live music.

Interesting. The place that was there before, Tanner's Creek Restaurant, had live music and served beer until 2 am. The pizza place across the street also serves beer until 2.  I wonder if the AW Shucks folks would have bought the property if they knew the city was going to screw them over without reason.

[Weaver24]

Bad news for Miliary Circle...well could be.  Anna's Linens, which has an outside entrance and is between JCPenney and Ross will be leaving Military Circle and going over to Janaf near Old Navy where the Bounce House and Factory Card Outlet place used to be.  Anna's Linens isn't as good as Bed Bath and Beyond but it will be a loss for Military Circle because the mall already lacks variety.  I hope Military Circle Mall doesn't become the area's next Tower Mall.  Pembroke is doing better with the new Target and added development and this is due to the Town Center doing so well with the high end chain restaurants.

[BFG]

Military Circle has been on a gradual decline for a good 20 years, and MacArthur was just the beginning of the end. The crime issues over the years haven't helped either.

 

I walked through there one Saturday night, and it was a ghost town. Mostly urban and locally-owned shops like Anna's, but for the most part, it was like I was trapped in 1982. I think it should just go the Coliseum Mall route and convert itself into another Town Center development, but keep some stores. Sears and JCPenney could stay, and maybe Macy's, then simply build smaller city blocks around that, with apartments, shops (Barnes and Noble), and restaurants.

 

The Cinemark theater is take it or leave it IMO, since MacArthur's theater also has a wide selection, and better ambiance. I'd keep the hotel, however, and renovate it extensively; I've always found that hotel to be unique. That whole stretch of Norfolk is just so...blah, stuck 30 years in the past. An overhaul could really work wonders for that area.

[zeppelin14]

The Sears closed a while ago...

 

 

Sears and JCPenney could stay, and maybe Macy's

Also, Macy's could easily become the third anchor at MacArthur. JCP is on the verge of going bankrupt too so they may not be around for long. The rest of the stores are all shoes/hats/hiphop and generic jewelry stores. Anything decent (Victorias Secret, Zales) is already at MacArthur.

 

In my opinion, just tear it down. I actually think that area would be a good location for an arena.

[BFG]

Heh...shows just how much attention I paid to the place. I forgot all about Sears. :-P Good point on the stores already being at MacArthur. Why go to the Victoria's Secret or a Foot Locker there, when you can hop on 264, and get to the other mall in less than 10 minutes? 

 

The VP's Facebook archive has pictures of Military Circle from the early-70s, and it appeared to be such a grand, elegant place. Sad that it's declined to become such a generic shell of itself. I'd miss it because it's one of the oldest malls, but it's been an afterthought for a good 15 or 20 years. IMO, the Walmart and Target at Janaf, then MacArthur's opening all took away business, one by one. But again, that area is like a 1980s time warp, so that didn't help.

 

I actually thought about an arena going there too if they couldn't decide on a downtown Norfolk or VB location. It's close to the Interstate, you have a service road in place that's off the main streets, and plenty of parking.

[Weaver24]

Military Circle has been on a gradual decline for a good 20 years, and MacArthur was just the beginning of the end. The crime issues over the years haven't helped either.

 

I walked through there one Saturday night, and it was a ghost town. Mostly urban and locally-owned shops like Anna's, but for the most part, it was like I was trapped in 1982. I think it should just go the Coliseum Mall route and convert itself into another Town Center development, but keep some stores. Sears and JCPenney could stay, and maybe Macy's, then simply build smaller city blocks around that, with apartments, shops (Barnes and Noble), and restaurants.

 

The Cinemark theater is take it or leave it IMO, since MacArthur's theater also has a wide selection, and better ambiance. I'd keep the hotel, however, and renovate it extensively; I've always found that hotel to be unique. That whole stretch of Norfolk is just so...blah, stuck 30 years in the past. An overhaul could really work wonders for that area.

I agree...but Annas linens is a chain and a store like that is what military circle need. Sears closed and that hotel been closed. Thats why I said Annas moving across to janaf isn't good because it seems like alot of stores are leaving. The area is good for retail....janaf seems to be doing fine, target and wal-mart always have full parking lots and that new cookout fastfood restaurant have customers piled up on military hwy and the side street. But ur right military circle, best square and some other spots need redevelopment. Pembroke has town center as a major catalyst for reason to redevelop but military circle needs to do something.

[Weaver24]

The Sears closed a while ago...     Also, Macy's could easily become the third anchor at MacArthur. JCP is on the verge of going bankrupt too so they may not be around for long. The rest of the stores are all shoes/hats/hiphop and generic jewelry stores. Anything decent (Victorias Secret, Zales) is already at MacArthur.   In my opinion, just tear it down. I actually think that area would be a good location for an arena.

That's true that Macarthur already has stores like foot locker and Victoria secrets but military circle is closer and more accessible to alot in Norfolk off military hwy and area is near major roads and many norfolk neighborhoods like fairlawn and Ingleside. The city should do something to keep that area competitive with retail and flow of traffic.

[Weaver24]

Old Navy in janaf shopping center will move to pembroke mall new developed areas over romano macaroni grill sometime next year. I shop at that old navy. Don't know why they moving to va beach when they have a big one in lynnhaven mall. This will be loss for janaf.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Weaver24

[brikkman]

I think the people who own Military Circle are out of Buffalo NY, or somewhere in NY. It was an article about them some years back about their minuscule investments in the mall and I think at one point they were going to sell it. I like the idea of that being a place entertainment/ arean type of stuff. Norfolk needs some kind of entertainment district, I can't see why no one can see that. Meanwhile, va.beach soaking up all the cool things, spread around the city. You can easily forget what is there.

 

Some months ago, Vice Major Burfoot was at a city council meeting talking about Granby street and making it a destination. How the lights seemed uniformed and they needed to fix the things like that on Granby. I've since moved then, but when I came back a few weeks ago, still the same. An uniform look on with the lights on Granby. I only mention this because, if they can't even do the simpliest of things, what makes them think they can do something big and worth while? Lights, really, Lights?  not to say they never do anything good, just saying, its far stretches between....

[Former Resident of HR]

It's sad that Military Circle has come to this. It used to be nicer. In the early 00's, Janaf was in steep decline but if you will remember, this is when they started doing all that road work on Military from VB Blvd to 264. Total nightmare for 3 years or so. Janaf has blossomed because the owners got a bunch of new places in there as well as spill off from when the Walmart converted to a Supercenter. Circuit City went out at Janaf and in no time, they had someone else in there. The Gallery at Military looks like The Dixie Square Mall. It would make a great spot for an arena or an IKEA/outlet mall like a mini-Potomac Mills. 

[Weaver24]

Michael Kohrs is coming to MacArthur right across Coach. This is a good sign for the mall.

[zeppelin14]

The Donut Dinette closed (Colley Ave. at 20th St.)... The only explanation is a hand-written note on the door that says "closed indefinitly."

[zeppelin14]

This could be interesting:

 

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b385ee73e7b465ded957fce3f&id=d553fcafcf&e=d3ff8cabff

 

The Norfolk Fair Trade Co.

[Weaver24]

Cook out opened on Monticello...Doumars seem to be unaffected and had plenty of business yesterday. I know both sell BBQ, shakes, hamburgers, fries, etc. but both have pluses and minuses. The Ghent, 21st and Monticello area has lots of variety now. When is chick fil a coming?

Edited March 31, 2013 by Weaver24

[zeppelin14]

The Donut Dinette closed (Colley Ave. at 20th St.)... The only explanation is a hand-written note on the door that says "closed indefinitly."

 And now it reopened.