KCRag Forum

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Open until 5:30.

mykn wrote:Open until 5:30.

Open for dinner... but not supper.

mykn wrote:Open until 5:30.

Can someone explain to me why restaurants do this? It's got to be costing them money to stay open from 2-5 with very few people eating during those times. Why stay open and then close right before dinner starts?

TheBigChuckbowski wrote:

mykn wrote:Open until 5:30.

Can someone explain to me why restaurants do this? It's got to be costing them money to stay open from 2-5 with very few people eating during those times. Why stay open and then close right before dinner starts?

I bet they do next day prep in the afternoon so if they're working they might as well try to make money too

I suspect the more correct answer is they just haven't thought it through.

TheBigChuckbowski wrote:

mykn wrote:Open until 5:30.

Can someone explain to me why restaurants do this? It's got to be costing them money to stay open from 2-5 with very few people eating during those times. Why stay open and then close right before dinner starts?

Catch the office drones who might carry out dinner??? That's my best guess.

KCPowercat wrote:

TheBigChuckbowski wrote:

mykn wrote:Open until 5:30.

Can someone explain to me why restaurants do this? It's got to be costing them money to stay open from 2-5 with very few people eating during those times. Why stay open and then close right before dinner starts?

Catch the office drones who might carry out dinner??? That's my best guess.

Yea that's my guess too, but they might as well stay open til 7 or 8 at least. Just doesn't really seem to make much sense.

I saw this space was being worked on. Definitely glad it is going to be a restaurant, and barbecue is always a good choice. Hope it's good.

They should definitely include large and obvious signage, as we discussed in a recent thread. Could make or break the place.

It doesn't have to be large. Just obvious.

The signage from the outside so far is too subtle in my opinion. Drove by last night, knew the place was there, and still had a hard time finding their name from the street. All I noticed was a small band of lettering at the top of the windows. Possible I missed something more obvious since I was driving and more focused on not running over pedestrians. That said, it has nice windows and bright lighting to see inside the place.

Does anyone know the signage ordinances downtown. Are they really strict? Or do the building owners not want signs hanging on the sides of their buildings?

I can't recall being in a downtown area that so lacked signage at street-level.

FangKC wrote:Does anyone know the signage ordinances downtown. Are they really strict? Or do the building owners not want signs hanging on the sides of their buildings?

I can't recall being in a downtown area that so lacked signage at street-level.

For many decades, signage in general and especially signage extending from the façade of a building into a right-of-way has been a hard row to hoe.

Ordinances, regulation, limitation, fees, submittals, reviews and rejection are all part of the norm. Basically you have to put aside a bankroll and then lawyer up in order to gain an encroachment ordinance in order to get a sign over the sidewalk.

Currently a bit more flexible, meaning they might consider it.

sounds like a policy change is in order!

How dare people put something so obscene up as signs! Of all the things to try and stop, why signs? A policy change is definitely in order.

I hereby propose the pro tourism sign ordinance.

Requiring all businesses of public interest defined within to install a sign visible from at least X feet away, or roughly one city block, whichever is longer. This ordinance shall immediatelly go into effect for new construction and be phased in over the next 5 years for existing construction and businesses.

Line today was really long for the first opening day. Smelled great. Colleague decided to wait in line while I went to Cosentinos for their great chili. Initial report from colleague is that his brisket sandwich was really good and substantial but the sides/chips are somewhat costly. We plan to go back when burnt ends are available.

loftguy wrote:

FangKC wrote:Does anyone know the signage ordinances downtown. Are they really strict? Or do the building owners not want signs hanging on the sides of their buildings?

I can't recall being in a downtown area that so lacked signage at street-level.

For many decades, signage in general and especially signage extending from the façade of a building into a right-of-way has been a hard row to hoe.

Ordinances, regulation, limitation, fees, submittals, reviews and rejection are all part of the norm. Basically you have to put aside a bankroll and then lawyer up in order to gain an encroachment ordinance in order to get a sign over the sidewalk.

Currently a bit more flexible, meaning they might consider it.

Well, the sign ordinance makes things even more difficult because of the design of some downtown buildings. 1200 Wyandotte has that inset covered promenade thingy--as does Town Pavilion, the retail space on Baltimore in the garage between 10th and 11th streets, and the City Garage at 12th and Oak. Signage in the windows of these spaces is hard to see.

In the photo below showing retail in the City garage, the signage is tiny. There is all that wasted white space right above the signage that is going to waste, and is basically a facade hiding a garage. The question I ask is: "Do we really, really want our downtown businesses to fail?"



In the photo below, any signage that might be on the building itself, or in the window, is obscured by the trees anyway.

This is an example of where the term "programmed to fail" comes in. As a marketing person, if I were trying to explain to civic leaders in any town I was invited to speak to them about why their downtown retail wasn't successful, these examples would be the first slides I would show them. And I would use the term "programmed to fail."

If I was a business owner looking for a site downtown, I wouldn't touch these spaces with a ten-foot pole.

These spaces are only good for people enrolled in the witness protection program, because no one would ever find them there.