KCRag Forum

kcjak wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:12 pm Crayola Cafe has closed after 20 years. They've already started dismantling the space. What a wasted opportunity - there's no way this couldn't have been a money machine if done right. Add a couple of party rooms to rent out and couple those with Sea Life, Legoland, Science City or Kaleidoscope packages. Crown Center could use another kid-centric restaurant given the success of Fritz's.

earthling wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:25 pm An upgrade would've been better or maybe a Legoland restaurant? Fritz's also could upgrade their menu from frozen fried foods or maybe better frozen fried foods. A lot of parents complaining on Yelp about the 80s frozen fried food menu.

mean wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 4:05 pm All the Crown Center restaurants that were managed by the Hyatt (and, presumably after the change, the Sheraton) were pretty bad. Milano, Crayola, etc. I'd be curious if all of them closing is part of the hotel divesting itself of managing all those external businesses.

herrfrank wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:13 pm

mean wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 4:05 pm All the Crown Center restaurants that were managed by the Hyatt (and, presumably after the change, the Sheraton) were pretty bad. Milano, Crayola, etc. I'd be curious if all of them closing is part of the hotel divesting itself of managing all those external businesses.

Yes, they were moved to Sheraton (Starwood) stewardship after Hyatt and the Pritzkers divested from Crown Center. You could get a 10% discount using the Starwood Amex at Milano and presumably the other restaurants also. It wasn't always managed by Hyatt -- until 2004, the Hall family's own Culinary Concepts used to manage all of the restaurants. Eventually, they only hung onto Patio (the very-1970s cafe in the old Halls) and the high-design American restaurant -- both now shuttered. Halls new department-store cafe/ bar, which does serve lunch, has the same staff from the old Patio and devoted Hallmark employee regulars, so there is that.

Not sure why everyone hated on Milano -- I often ate lunch at the bar. The half-sized pasta dishes were still enormous and Rhonda always poured wine rather generously. I also have happy, long-ago memories of when the place was the Crystal Pavilion, home to many dinners after 1980s high school formals. Before the glass ceiling started leaking like a sieve.

kcjak wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:39 pm

herrfrank wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:13 pm

mean wrote: ↑Wed Jan 22, 2020 4:05 pm All the Crown Center restaurants that were managed by the Hyatt (and, presumably after the change, the Sheraton) were pretty bad. Milano, Crayola, etc. I'd be curious if all of them closing is part of the hotel divesting itself of managing all those external businesses.

Yes, they were moved to Sheraton (Starwood) stewardship after Hyatt and the Pritzkers divested from Crown Center. You could get a 10% discount using the Starwood Amex at Milano and presumably the other restaurants also. It wasn't always managed by Hyatt -- until 2004, the Hall family's own Culinary Concepts used to manage all of the restaurants. Eventually, they only hung onto Patio (the very-1970s cafe in the old Halls) and the high-design American restaurant -- both now shuttered. Halls new department-store cafe/ bar, which does serve lunch, has the same staff from the old Patio and devoted Hallmark employee regulars, so there is that.

Not sure why everyone hated on Milano -- I often ate lunch at the bar. The half-sized pasta dishes were still enormous and Rhonda always poured wine rather generously. I also have happy, long-ago memories of when the place was the Crystal Pavilion, home to many dinners after 1980s high school formals. Before the glass ceiling started leaking like a sieve.

Sidenote: the new Halls cafe's food is provided by the Westin kitchen (at least it was when the new Halls opened). The American is still available for private events, chef events and pop-ups. The last time I was in a couple of years ago, I don't think the blinds on the windows or the fake plants had been maintained or even dusted since the mid-1980s.

And Milano's rising prices didn't coincide with the smaller portions and increasingly poorer quality food. Not to mention the inattentive wait staff that shirked personal and dental hygiene.

• westport ale house
• drunken fish
• hop cat
• the well
• messenger coffee
• bar-k

KCPowercat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:34 am I mean it was open 20 years. Pretty good run. Seems like something that could have scaled to a chain if it was a priority. Guess it wasn't.

wahoowa wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:37 pm please allow me to blatantly ignore the spirit of the question and name a bunch of answers that no one is satisfied with:

• westport ale house
• drunken fish
• hop cat
• the well
• messenger coffee
• bar-k

wahoowa wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:37 pm please allow me to blatantly ignore the spirit of the question and name a bunch of answers that no one is satisfied with:

• westport ale house
• drunken fish
• hop cat
• the well
• messenger coffee
• bar-k

Highlander wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:57 am Looks like the Milano will be replaced by a BBQ joint. Fitting. Has there ever been BBQ in Crown Center? I don't remember any unless it was in the food court.

https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/ne ... f9uMJoo6o0