KCRag Forum

I feel gross for wanting it, but White Castle, plz. Downtown Indianapolis has a one up on us there.

Yeah, gross.

We could be like Bricktown and get an indoor Sonic if we want to be really gross.

Strouds is opening a new restaurant in Independence this year, and they have, or will open, in South Overland Park. I wish they would open a restaurant downtown.

I also wish Piropos and Justus Drugstore had restaurants downtown.

I'd love a Sheridans unforked downtown. That place is incredible.

mykn wrote:I'd love a Sheridans unforked downtown. That place is incredible.

I agree that they would be perfect for one of the P&L restaurant spaces.

AllThingsKC wrote:While some downtown residents don't want certain fast food restaurant restaurants downtown and I understand why, visitors to downtown and tourists do like to see restaurants that they know and recognize. One of the biggest complaints I hear from visitors/tourists is about the lack of certain chain restaurants. Not that I want of bunch of chains downtown, but what other major city doesn't have at least a McDonald's in their downtown area? You can have such places without drive thrus as well.

So, I'll support McDonald's or Taco Bell coming inside the loop (without a drive thru) because I think that's what visitors want.

I'm generally not seeking out a McDonalds or a Taco Bell but something akin to these would have been very convenient the night of the OSU-Mizzou game. As an essential tourist in KC these days, I did not expect the P&L District to be so overwhelmed for a Mizzou bball game (an hour wait for most of the lower priced restaurants) and I certainly didn't want to go to an expensive place having just dropped a couple of hundred bucks at Bristol's a few nights before when the district was pretty dead. Downtown's dearth of fast food may be lost on its residents but they are convenient places for people in a hurry or those that don't want to pay the $100 that even Gordon Biersch would have cost a family of four.

^ Like a Gates?

Again, I think a big part of the problem is that there is a lack of retail space downtown that is designed for restaurants.

Restaurants have more specific requirements than other retail businesses. They have to have a kitchen with enough space to prepare and store food. They usually often require a walk-in freezer, or several box-type freezers. They often need industrial dishwashers. They have to have the ability to vent stoves and gas appliances. Not all older buildings with empty retail spaces can meet all of these requirements because of the layout of the interior space.

Older buildings usually get lower rents per sq. foot, and it's cheaper to open a restaurant in those buildings. However, so many of our older buildings that had restaurants in them at one time were demolished.

There are former restaurant spaces that are sitting empty, or underutilized, downtown, but they aren't in the best location to serve Sprint Center: the former Tanner's Space at 10th and Broadway; the old Drafter's space in Lucas Place, which is being renovated into apartments. There is a old restaurant space in the Argyle Building, and hopefully it will return to use when the renovation of the building is completed.

There are potentially three retail spaces in the Bonfils Building, at 1200 Grand, that probably should be restaurant spaces, but they are being used by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as office space. Hopefully, alternative office space will become available for them in the future, and these spaces can become restaurants. I don't know if the building layout would work for restaurants though.

The real potential for opening more restaurants appears to be south of Truman Road along Grand. There are several storefronts in older buildings there that could be adapted for restaurants, but they are currently being used for office and other retail spaces. There are also some in buildings on Walnut between Truman Road and 16th Street--like the building where Hilti is now, and the Berlap Paper Building.

Thus, the need to build from scratch new spaces that can be designed for the needs of a restaurant. And there-in lies the problem. New buildings demand higher rents, and independent counter-type restaurants often can't afford to pay the same rents as large chain restaurants.

Why is the Whopper Bar and it's rumored demise not an indication of the demand for fast food?

beautyfromashes wrote:Why is the Whopper Bar and it's rumored demise not an indication of the demand for fast food?

It's a weird, overpriced, version of a second tier chain.

I was at the Crown Center Panera (with a kid you eat where they'll eat) and it was packed.

I don't see how a McDonald's wouldn't work downtown. It would be the first place on the planet where it didn't if so. I think some of you are underestimating the popularity of the golden arches. The place would be packed, guaranteed. Sure, most residents wouldn't eat there often (though they would sometimes) but there are many people downtown who don't live here. Workers on lunch break needing something quick and cheap, people waiting for buses, tourists needing something quick/ cheap after eating out a bunch, etc.

Same goes for a taco bell for sure. It's good to have options. I work at a nice restaurant downtown and we have people come in all the time who don't have much money and just want a cheap burger, and they end up eating at our place just because a lack of options. Of course they weren't wanting a $10+ burger. They were wanting something like a McDonald's. It's crazy that we don't have one somewhere downtown.

i haven't worked downtown in awhile, but i used to work at city center. they had both a taco bell and a mcdonald's there. i'm assuming neither are there anymore?

Unknown JimmyD wrote:i haven't worked downtown in awhile, but i used to work at city center. they had both a taco bell and a mcdonald's there. i'm assuming neither are there anymore?

I never saw them when I was there last year, but I've only been to the food court there once.

the mcdonald's inside CCS food court has been gone for several years. there is technically* still a taco bell inside town pavilion.

* it's a taco bell / pizza hut combo, and i don't believe it's the full experience for either, but i have never stepped foot inside for fear of instant gastrointestinal failure.

DaveKCMO wrote:the mcdonald's inside CCS food court has been gone for several years. there is technically* still a taco bell inside town pavilion.

* it's a taco bell / pizza hut combo, and i don't believe it's the full experience for either, but i have never stepped foot inside for fear of instant gastrointestinal failure.

It's a KFC / Pizza Hut.

The McDonalds closed because the franchisee is the same as the midtown restaurants and was convinced they needed a drive thru...they never considered that being buried in the back of a dingy food court with no outside signage (at the time) could have been the reason.

I was outside city center square one Saturday around November or December. a mail delivery lady couldn't get inside because the doors were locked. the post office had just started Saturday service to the building. nice planning

the Starbucks which has their own entrance has customers outside building hours.

Jason's Deli is closed weekends and evenings. Milwauki Deli is two blocks away and is open when they aren't

That building has bigger issues than signage. it's having actual realistic hours.

A McDonalds without a drivethru downtown that doesn't get locked after hours would be smart for the family draw. One Light is fine to not have retail because of it's tight footprint. Two to Four should have part of their ground floor on all open sides with dedicated retail spaces with their own entrance. then pull a Chicago style and put retail on floor 2 too. let the parking start at the third floor

It doesn't count as fast food but is it the first bbq in downtown KC since Famous Dave's closed shop? I cannot think of any others. Plowboys will be on the corner of Main and Petticoat in the Town Pavilion.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 57765.html

Highlander wrote:It doesn't count as fast food but is it the first bbq in downtown KC since Famous Dave's closed shop? I cannot think of any others. Plowboys will be on the corner of Main and Petticoat in the Town Pavilion.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 57765.html

Winslows and Jack stack. Still excited for plowboys even though it's almost certainly going to be lunch only.

KCPowercat wrote:

Highlander wrote:It doesn't count as fast food but is it the first bbq in downtown KC since Famous Dave's closed shop? I cannot think of any others. Plowboys will be on the corner of Main and Petticoat in the Town Pavilion.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 57765.html

Winslows and Jack stack. Still excited for plowboys even though it's almost certainly going to be lunch only.

There's also a 3 Little Pigs in the Crown Center food court. I don't think their meat is actually smoked, seems to be oven-cooked and mushy then slathered in their sauce. I'm hopeful Plowboys will be 100x better.