Bennigans @ Wake Forest Closed

[Tayfromcarolina]

A friend of mine went this weekend to Bennigans in Wake Forest only to find out along with other dazed patrons that the eatery was closed. There were even people talking through cars windows about why the popular restaurant was no longer open.

This is a very weird occurance especially in an area as affluent as Wake Forest and to a restaurant that had only been open about a year. Anyone have any clues?

Darn there shrimp alfredo was so good, and they gave such generous portions.

[monsoon]

The people want more than chain store food would be my guess.

[Tayfromcarolina]

Lies. There is plenty of room for both chain and non-chain eateries.

[dmccall]

Tay,

Is this new news? Maybe I'm just having deja vu. I remember the one in Apex closing in the Fall, like the same week the WF one opened. Then the Cary one closed in the Winter? no?? I have a serious hockey hangover and can't remember anything that happened since March .

Weird unrelated story for you, Tay. When we had that meetup at the Times Bar in April, do you remember that there was a severe storm that hit during lunch? My best friend from high school lives in LA, and she was here for her sister's wedding. Five minutes before they were to leave the house to head on to the church, a lighting bolt hit the house (she lives near Lucky 32 on Spring Forest), and the house burned down. They went on to the wedding because by the time it was really time to go to the wedding, the ins. lady and the fire dept. had eveything under control. So all of that was starting when we were eating.

My friend, incidentally, just delivered her baby on Saturday...37 weeks after her own wedding in October. DOH!

[willrusso]

......When we had that meetup at the Times Bar in April, do you remember that there was a severe storm that hit during lunch? My best friend from high school lives in LA, and she was here for her sister's wedding. Five minutes before they were to leave the house to head on to the church, a lighting bolt hit the house (she lives near Lucky 32 on Spring Forest), and the house burned down. They went on to the wedding because by the time it was really time to go to the wedding, the ins. lady and the fire dept. had eveything under control. So all of that was starting when we were eating......

My friend, incidentally, just delivered her baby on Saturday...37 weeks after her own wedding in October. DOH!

.......HUH???

[CliffyB]

Ale House kills another medicore chain! w00t.

[Tayfromcarolina]

Weird unrelated story for you, Tay. When we had that meetup at the Times Bar in April, do you remember that there was a severe storm that hit during lunch? My best friend from high school lives in LA, and she was here for her sister's wedding. Five minutes before they were to leave the house to head on to the church, a lighting bolt hit the house (she lives near Lucky 32 on Spring Forest), and the house burned down. They went on to the wedding because by the time it was really time to go to the wedding, the ins. lady and the fire dept. had eveything under control. So all of that was starting when we were eating.

My friend, incidentally, just delivered her baby on Saturday...37 weeks after her own wedding in October. DOH!

I do remember that. That is a interesting story. I remember seeing it on the news about the house fires that day, there were several as I recall.

[dmccall]

I do remember that. That is a interesting story. I remember seeing it on the news about the house fires that day, there were several as I recall.

Yep. In fact, it took the fire department about 25 minutes to get to their house because there were something like 21 house fires going on at the same time.

Will, it takes 40 weeks to make baby Get it?

[RaleighLover]

Funny you should post there, because I went there to eat awhile back and got the same shock. There was just a sign on the door saying they were closed.

I went down the road to Applebee's instead and I asked someone there if they knew what happened and they told me it had something to do with the restaurant not being up to code. I asked "Oh, so it'll open back up then?" and she said "probably not."

Honestly, I think this is the result of too much growth and competition too fast. Also, the location in my view really is terrible. The way that shopping center is layed out is really strange and there was no way of knowing there was a Bennigans there unless someone told you.

[sax184]

Chains don't generate loyal clientele, nor are their corporate masters interested in community loyalty.

[yoga]

Chains don't generate loyal clientele, nor are their corporate masters interested in community loyalty.

Very true. *sigh*

[Jones_]

Chains don't generate loyal clientele, nor are their corporate masters interested in community loyalty.

I am no fan of chains but strangely enough there was a group of been-in-Raleigh-about-20-years people whomade that their regular hangout. kinda of '40ish never been married but not worried about' folks..at least the ones I knew...Glenwood South was never a place they enjoyed...Bennigans was lower key and closer to the 'burbs.

[RaleighRob]

Heh...everytime I see a Bennigans, I think of Butters from South Park singing that silly song about how much he wanted his parents to take him there.

[DanRNC]

If every chain could have the same demise but could the American public survive?

[Durhamite]

I actually like Bennigans and wish we had one in Durham. Chains serve their purpose as I travel extensively and at least I know to what to expect a certain degree. As I've stated before, a lot of Mom and Pop stores are overrated (people recommend them to me all the time on the road). The good ones tend to be rather pricey.

For instance, compare steaks at Angus Barn, Ruth Chris and Mortons. Ruth Chris and Mortons are chains but I wouldn't rate them extremely low compared to Angus Barn.

Most chains were once Mom and Pop shops (even McDonalds) and yes, some quality is foresaken when you become a chain.

I get tired of all this chain-bashing when they actually provide quality food for a good price in most areas of the country. And just because it's local joint, doesn't mean the food is better or equal to that of a chain.

After all, unless you're raking in the dough like an Angus Barn, wouldn't most Mom & Pops desire to become a chain or at least have multiple stores.

[RaleighRob]

^ You make some good points, but I guess folks around here are just tired of chains taking over areas while the locally-run restaurants struggle. I don't mind chains when they're in areas well away from the good local restaurants, personally. Also I imagine some people find too many chains just carbon copies of each other. (I personally could not tell you the difference between a Bennigans, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, etc etc.)

I imagine you have no Bennigans in Durham because Durham has some damn-good locally-run restaurants! In fact, I've always thought that to be one of Durham's biggest advantages over Raleigh. I tell you what...you convince the owners of Elmos to open up a third location and put it in Raleigh and I'll try to tell Bennigans to come to Durham, deal?

I'm sure there's a good few buildings on Hillsborough Street that'd be great to put an Elmos at!

[kayman]

Strangely enough Benningans and its sister chains (Steak&Ale, Ponderosa) has been folding locations left and right for the last few years. There was a Benningans in the Birmingham area located in its rapid growing suburb of Trussville and its suddenly closed without warning. Also there were at one point at least 6 Steak&Ales around Birmingham and now there is just 1.

[dimebag1980]

A friend of mine went this weekend to Bennigans in Wake Forest only to find out along with other dazed patrons that the eatery was closed. There were even people talking through cars windows about why the popular restaurant was no longer open.

This is a very weird occurance especially in an area as affluent as Wake Forest and to a restaurant that had only been open about a year. Anyone have any clues?

Darn there shrimp alfredo was so good, and they gave such generous portions.

We had one just up and close last year after a few years in business. I wasn't extremely surprised, though, as the service at that location was never good. But I was a LITTLE surprised that it just closed with no warning.

[Jerseyman4]

From the post made earlier, Ale house in north Raleigh is excellent, i really enjoyed that restaurant! Thats sad they closed the bennys wake forest road location but so far in NJ, bennigans is still open for business at its two US 1 locations in the New Brunswick area.

[kickazzz2000]

Yep. In fact, it took the fire department about 25 minutes to get to their house because there were something like 21 house fires going on at the same time.

Will, it takes 40 weeks to make baby Get it?

Not necessarily...

but still

[GRDadof3]

The closing of a Bennigans "rattles" the area??? You have got to be kidding me! Is this representative of what's important to residents of Raleigh, or did I just stumble on a goofy thread?

[egrguy]

The closing of a Bennigans "rattles" the area??? You have got to be kidding me! Is this representative of what's important to residents of Raleigh, or did I just stumble on a goofy thread?

that cracked me up thanks for the laugh grdad.

I doubt it will take long for an Olive Garden, Red Lobster, etc, etc to move into the vacuum created by the void created by Bennigans.

[Jones_]

The closing of a Bennigans "rattles" the area??? You have got to be kidding me! Is this representative of what's important to residents of Raleigh, or did I just stumble on a goofy thread?

Whats up with the nationwide attention to this thread?? Hey I am embarrassed for the people that miss it, but check out some of our other threads before you think all of Raleigh is like this....

[RaleighRob]

The closing of a Bennigans "rattles" the area??? You have got to be kidding me! Is this representative of what's important to residents of Raleigh, or did I just stumble on a goofy thread?

Um...no. Maybe the suburbanites out in far North Raleigh are lamenting the loss of a crappy chain, but I guarrantee you those of us who actually live IN the city do not give a rat's butt about it.

[GRDadof3]

Um...no. Maybe the suburbanites out in far North Raleigh are lamenting the loss of a crappy chain, but I guarrantee you those of us who actually live IN the city do not give a rat's butt about it.

Sorry, I was just reading other active Coffee Houses around UP to see what people were talking about, and this thread caught me as odd on an "urban enthusiast" site. I kind of assumed that most people here didn't care about a Johnny O'Chili-Bees closing, but I was just checking. Thanks RaleighRob.