Retail Roundup: Szechuan at Towne Square closes citing competition from Hibachi; Bride’s House has new owner, new name, new focus
A note on the door at Szechuan tells customers that the restaurant has closed. Photo courtesy of Zach Irby
A Chinese restaurant that had a presence at Towne Square Shopping Center for more than 10 years has closed, citing competition from a large Chinese and Japanese buffet that opened across the street more than a year ago.
Szechuan Restaurant closed its doors June 30.
“We tried our best over the year and a half and we couldn’t continue,” owner Kevin Chen said.
Chen said he renewed his lease, which included a 10 percent rent increase, for another five years in November 2010 only to see the Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet sign installed a month later at the shopping plaza across the street.
Chen was upset that the landlord of both shopping centers, New York-based Towne Square LLC, didn’t tell him about the new restaurant when he was negotiating the new lease.
Chen said he tried to work with the landlord to negotiate a lower rent but was unsuccessful.
He also lowered his prices and offered promotions to draw in customers, but ultimately his 4,000-square-foot restaurant and its 50 buffet selections couldn’t compete with Hibachi’s 11,000-square-foot space and 250 selections.
Chen tried to sell the business before closing the doors, but the presence of Hibachi scared away potential buyers, he said.
The Szechuan on Bernard Drive near Tanglewood Mall remains open. Chen and his family do not operate the Szechuan in Salem on Electric Road.
Also in the column, a Roanoke bridal store that opened more than 50 years ago has been sold to a new owner who has renamed and refocused the store. Click here to read about Proms, Pageants and Pretty Things at the Bride’s House.
July 16, 2012 - 9:37 AM
Enjoyed Szechuan much more than Hibachi – like comparing a Walmart to one of the downtown stores – more personalized service also.
That’s a shame, but their commercial lease should have prohibited another Chinese buffet so close to theirs, assuming that it’s owned by the same landlord. (If it’s not, they had no choice.)
Mr Chen should get an attorney and fight the location owner for witholding
the info during his contract renewal.
“the landlord of both shopping centers, New York-based Towne Square LLC, didn’t tell him about the new restaurant when he was negotiating the new lease”
That’s poor property management right there. I’m sure Obama will get blamed for it though.
Waitaminute… TWO shopping centers? Isn’t it all just Towne Square? That is complete and utter crap. Maybe in NY they can support two Chinese restaurants in the same plaza, but not here. There should have been a clause in the lease protecting Chen from something like that, but if there wasn’t and he still signed it, I guess he’s stuck. I’d still be thinking lawsuit, and I’m sure he probably is. I rarely eat Chinese, but I hope the SWCo location continues to do well.
@RP: The lease prohibited another Chinese buffet in the shopping center, but only if the other restaurant exceeded a certain size, which Hibachi did not. (I don’t remember the exact square footage Chen told me, but it was slightly larger than Hibachi).
@Spiny: It is all Towne Square; I was making the distinction between the two strip malls.
Anyone know what is happening with Keagy Villiage?? I know it was auctioned last year but did it get new owners and are they trying to turn it around??
@Chris: The bank that bought the property at auction earlier this year still owns the shopping center. I’ve left a message with a spokesperson at the bank to see if they can give us an update. I should also mention that the bank has filed a lawsuit against the developers to recoup the money it lost on the project, so we might not see anything happen until that’s resolved.
Isn’t Szcheuan Chinese and Hibachi Japanese?
@Uptheriver: Szechuan is Chinese, and I believe that Hibachi is considered both Chinese and Japanese.
Szcheuan was a much better restaurant than the “mass eatery” across the street. The problem with Szcheuan is that once the mass restaurant opened Szcheuan did not try to compete. They failed to open at similar times and they tried too hard to cut corners like no heat in winter. On many occasions I dined there with my coat and the Mongolian Grill was discontinued. Szcheuan simply did not understand the competition.
Regarding the changes at Bride’s House, my question is – If there’s a new owner, a new name, and new focus, wouldn’t that make it a new business? One that purchased the inventory of the older, now closed old business?
Any word on the new grocer that was suppose to open up in downtown monthes ago? I believe it was suppose to go in the appartment place that the gym is in.
@crooked road: I’d be interested to hear what others have to say regarding your question. Here’s what I think: With an established business such as the Bride’s House, the new owner is paying for the store’s reputation that comes with the name and location. To that point, the new owners kept “Bride’s House” as part of the new name (Proms, Pageants and Pretty Things at the Bride’s House). Otherwise, why not just start your own business elsewhere? Also, when I think of a new business, I think of one that the proprietor started on their own.
What do the rest of you think? Is this an old business with a new direction, or a new business?
@Chris: You’re referring to the planned grocery store at Sixteen West on Church Avenue. There are still plans for the grocery store. The owners are in the process of getting financing. They’ve already opened Cafe 16, which sells some grab-and-go food, coffee, tea, smoothies, etc.
hey Amanda, there had been a few comments recently about the so called upcoming steak and shake. some readers wrote to bring in a cook out restaurant. I ate at the one in Charlottesville over the weekend and the food was outstanding and the prices were very low for good food and well prepared. definitely bring this in instead of s & s. the cook outs are all around us but not in Roanoke.
I don’t know why anyone would want to buy Bride’s House reputation. We had major problems with them and a wedding dress. In sharing the story with others I heard story after story about bad experiences with Bride’s House.
@Jack, I think they realized immediately that they couldn’t compete head-to-head with a business three times their size. So they tried to adapt in other ways, which unfortunately may have alienated some regular customers.
I agree w/ several of the comments above: Szechuan is (was) a MUCH better place to eat than Hibachi. The sushi at Hibachi is decent, (esp for the price!) and so is the food prepared on the hibachi grill. Otherwise I didn’t think much of the rest of it. I don’t usually like to get too much off subject but since Amanda mentioned Cafe 16 here I go anyway. They have really GOOD wraps and smoothies! And they have this coffee called “pour over.” It’s a traditional Italian way of making coffee and if you are a “coffee snob” you will LOVE this coffee!!
Is a cookout coming to Roanoke??? Someone said one was.
@Chris: A few people have said that they’ve heard that, but I haven’t been able to confirm it with a reliable source, as Cook Out’s corporate office hasn’t returned several of my calls and emails over the past few months. Today I heard about a specific location they might be looking at, so I am trying to contact the property owner and/or real estate agent.
Amanda, an outfit claiming to be hiring on behalf of Cook Out was advertizing on Craigslist a couple of weeks ago: http://roanoke.craigslist.org/fbh/3063320172.html. I have no idea if they’re for real, though.
@Laura: Thanks for posting that link. It included an email address, so I’ve fired off yet another message seeking info.
cookout would be awesome!! One in Char’ville great!!
What happened to the Success China Buffet on Melrose near the Salem-Roanoke Shopping Center?
@Susan: It appears they closed in May, if not earlier, but I haven’t been able to reach the owners so I don’t know their reason for closing.