What you might have missed….
This will be the patio at Beamer's. Photo by Amanda Codispoti
If you pay attention to this blog’s posts but not the comments you might have missed some news that I’d like to highlight.
- Beamer’s 25, a Frank Beamer restaurant that’s planned for the first floor of the Lofts at West Station, will open Aug. 1. The Salem Avenue restaurant will serve local food and have 25 craft beers on tap. It will seat 100 inside and up to 50 on a patio.
- Don’t look for construction to start just yet on the Steak ‘n Shake planned for Crossroads. Lee Garvin, the franchisee’s director of real estate and development, told me earlier this week that the groundbreaking has been pushed back another 30 days. He had said back in April that there were some changes to the building plans that delayed construction. If work does get underway in June, the restaurant might open in October. I should note that the franchisee’s building permit has expired, and they have yet to apply for a new one.
- The opening of Wing Boss restaurant at The Shoppes at Blue Hills Village off Challenger Avenue has also been delayed. Owner Gene Brown said he’s been held up by paperwork he’s had to file with the city. Progress on the restaurant also has been slowed because he’s still working his day job. Brown is planning a July 1 opening. The restaurant, described as a family sports bar, will feature Brown’s wings, Angus beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, waffle fries and sweet potato waffle fries, cheese sticks, onion rings, fried pickles and mushrooms, and hot dogs.
- Also, stay tuned for an update on the South Peak development, where construction is underway on the first of possibly five condo buildings. I was out at the site on Monday and am working on a story for the newspaper. When it is published I’ll post a link to the story on the blog.
May 24, 2012 - 6:00 AM
My prediction; Roanoke will not see a Steak N’ Shake. The property will be sold, and that will be the last we’ll hear about it.
Amanda, Regarding Steak ‘n Shake, can you provide a link to the original building permit that was filed last year? Also – you note that they have yet to reapply for the expired permit. Do you note this because you have some doubts as to whether or not they are going to actually come to Roanoke? I just find it odd that they have been delayed so much.
@Justin: Here’s the link to the expired permit. I mentioned that they haven’t filed for a new permit because usually when one is filed it means work is imminent.
Thanks Amanda! I guess we’ll just have to keep an eye out for a new permit!
It’s really amazing how many new restaurants open up annually, only to close shortly thereafter. It is a challenging business. it will be interesting to see if the latest version of Beamer’s will succeed. All of the others have not worked out, for various reasons. perhaps this one will.
The Steak ‘n Shakes I’ve been to have been extremely variable in quality, ranging from good to mediocre to plain awful. If this one doesn’t get built, it will probably be no loss.
Sigh.
“Beamers 25″…is that the number of these that he’s tried so far? Oh no, I think it’s just been 3 or 4 or??? Frank’s safer sticking with his home gutter commercials.
Noticed surveying in the lot in front of Sam’s Club (behind Kroger, on the corner). Any idea of what may be going in there?
@David: Are you referring to the empty lot at the southeast corner of the intersection of Aviation Drive and Towne Square Boulevard? The Roanoke Regional Airport Commission owns that parcel. I’ve called them and left a message. I’ll let you know what I hear. My other thought is that it could be VDOT doing surveying, but they’ve already completed work on that new intersection, so I am not sure why they’d be back out there.
@David: Heard back from Sherry Wallace, a spokeswoman for the airport. She said they were not aware of any surveying going on, and that it could have been related to utilities that are located on that lot, or something regarding the shopping center. Wallace added that they don’t have any plans for that piece of land.
I would love to see a “Cook Out” open around here sometime. They are based out of Greensboro N.C., and have been building aggressively in Virginia. There are ones open in Martinsville, Blacksburg and Radford. The burgers are great, far above the major fast food fare, and the variety of shakes is amazing.
Amanda, I had dinner at the K&W tonight at Tanglewood and notice that the Avenue store is closing. Another empty storefront in Tanglewood.
Any idea what may be going in next door to Starbucks on Electric Rd in Salem. (Lakeside Plaza). Looks like they are doing some construction and putting up some walls in that space – At least looking in from the road.
Any idea what’s going on at the Chuck E. Cheese on Electric Rd. Is it being remodeled or transformed into something else?
@Cornelius: You are not alone. Several readers have asked me to find out whether Cook Out has plans to open in the Roanoke Valley. I have contacted the company several times, leaving voice mails and sending emails, but no one has gotten back to me.
@barbara: Thanks for letting us know.
@Scott: I think someone else mentioned that this week, and I haven’t looked into it yet. I’ll see if I can contact the property owner.
@Scott A: Chuck E. Cheese is undergoing a remodel, part of which includes building an addition. There’s more information in this Retail Roundup column from a few weeks ago. (Scroll to the bottom of the column).
@Scott: The old Blockbuster at Lakeside Plaza is going to be a blood donation center. My colleague, health reporter Sarah Bruyn Jones, has more info on her Med Beat blog.
Martinsville DOES NOT have a Cook-Out. Eden, NC does though, and that’s where most people go to get their awesome milkshakes!
I hate to see another store close at Tanglewood. Please get new owners/management to turn this mall around. Ed Walker please come to the rescue!!
Whoops, regarding Cook Out, I meant to say Lynchburg, not Martinsville. But they do have the best BBQ in Va, Pigs R Us!
Sadly, Roanoke does not seem to have the resources to support two large shopping malls. Crossroads killed downtown retail in the ’60s, Tanglewood killed Crossroads in the ’70s and Valley View killed Tanglewood in the ’80s.
@Cornelius: I’ve tried to contact someone at Cook Out several times in the past few weeks to ask whether they are looking at opening in Roanoke, and no one has returned my calls and emails. If I do hear back, I’ll post something on the blog because several people have either emailed or called me about this.