Friday, August 31, 2007

IHOP coming after all

Friday's Herald has an article detailing a few of the new businesses which are coming to Grand Forks. Most of these projects - Denny's, Shoppes at Aurora strip mall, and remodeling the Gateway Hardees into a Subway/Little Caesar's - are not news to Grand Forks Life readers. However, one new business is a surprise: IHOP.

That restaurant chain is apparently coming to Grand Forks after all. The IHOP will be in the location that was previously mentioned as a site for an IHOP - 32nd Avenue just east of Village Inn. A new Denny's and a new IHOP both being built right next to an existing Village Inn...we must love pancakes in this town.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have information that Simonson's have purchased the old Mini-Mart location on 32nd Ave S just north of Gate City Bank and are most likely turning it into a Simonson's Station and store.

Anonymous said...

That is great news. I filled up at that mini mart all the time.

IHOP sux

Still Fighting It said...

Interesting... will local breakfast joints be able to stand the pressure?

Anonymous said...

I'll still be getting my breakfast fix at Village Inn. Unless of course it is like 2:00 AM, then I might go get some "Eggs of My Hammy" at Denny's. As for IHOP, I'm not a fan.

Anonymous said...

by far...village inn is the worst food......lunch is really bad.....

Anonymous said...

Do we really need three breakfast-oriented restaurants in a one block radius. I would think it would be better business to spread the three out. As for the simonsons at the old mini-mart location- that would be very convenient

Anonymous said...

I think Denny's will do really well. I was at a store last night and heard an older couple as the clerk where the closest Denny's was. They were a bit disappointed that there wasn't one in town. If we are ever heading out of town, we wait until we get to Fargo to eat breakfast at Denny's. Ive never been to IHOP though

Anonymous said...

Why is Hardee's so unpopular in Grand Forks? They have the best variety and taste of food compared to the other fast-food joints. Everytime I go in the Columbia Road location it is near empty. The other locations closed. I wonder if it is all about marketing to kids, and the kids choose McD's or BKing over Hardees.

Anonymous said...

The Hardee's locations closed because the owner went bankrupt. The remaining Hardee's was a different franchisee. I think there was 30+ Hardee's that closed because of that bankruptcy.

Anonymous said...

Great that is all we need is another store owned by simonson's in this town. They already control the price of gas in this town the more stations they own thats worse for the consumer...

GrandForksGuy said...

I'm actually really looking forward to Denny's coming to town. I don't like Village Inn and Perkins doesn't do much for me. Denny's has decent food at very decent prices. Also, it never hurts to have another 24/7 dining option in town. IHOP is ok, but I like Denny's better.

BTW, isn't it a little funny that Grand Forks has never had an IHOP or a Denny's and in the past week Denny's broke ground on a new restaurant and IHOP announced that they would break ground next month?

Anonymous said...

Again, this may be duplicating services, but it is a very good thing these companies want to invest in Grand Forks. I can't wait to eat at both.

Anonymous said...

My biggest concern is where are they going to get employees? Our employment rate is so low there already, can Grand Forks really support this many job openings?

Anonymous said...

anon, UND just started..so there are probably at least a few hundred of those students looking for a job.

Anonymous said...

I've heard of too many people getting sick after eating at the Fargo IHOP. I prefer Village Inn. They have the best omelettes in town.

Anonymous said...

the 24/7 dining options in Forks are extremely limited, which is crazy considering how much business there is to be made... Subway and I-29 pretty much have that locked up, Denny's would be a great alternative, glad to see more businesses coming.

Matt BK said...

Again, this may be duplicating services, but it is a very good thing these companies want to invest in Grand Forks. I can't wait to eat at both.

I think it's dumb. There is more to the world than 24-hour greasy chain restaurants.

Here's to Grand Forks getting even less healthy!

Coffee Guy said...

"I've heard of too many people getting sick after eating at the Fargo IHOP. I prefer Village Inn. They have the best omelettes in town."

I see the management of the Village Inn has weighed in.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a fan of Denny's nor Village Inn. My worst dining experience EVER occurred at the Village Inn on 32nd Avenue. My Dad's hamburger came without the top bun, the malts we ordered were melted, and the service was gawd awful. Never again.

I see the Third Street Cafe downtown recently started opening overnights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to accommodate the bar rush. I've eaten there during the day and the food is wonderful! Especially the knoephla soup.

Still Fighting It said...

Denny's will make an awesome after-gig hangout for the band. Wooty woot-woot!

Anonymous said...

coffee guy...AKA skeptical guy.

I am not management at Village Inn. I was in Fargo one weekend and overheard staff at the place I was at talking about how sick people get eating at IHOP. Don't be so quick to judge.

Anonymous said...

haha alright, matthew, would you rather see a couple more fitness centers pop in the land by village inn? Watch out, Denny's will single handedly increase heart disease in GF by 70%!!!11 Just let the town grow, man.

Coffee Guy said...

anonymous, post your W-2 and I'll believe you.

Anonymous said...

coffee guy-

Get real. I have NOTHING to do with Village Inn other than I eat there on occasion and find their omelettes to be the best in town. I have posted on here before and you seem to get a little argumentative at times. Almost whiny. Why don't you call all the posters who blasted Lithia or merchants in town. We are entitled to add an opinion without you getting nasty.

Coffee Guy said...

You take the Internet seriously.

Coffee Guy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GrandForksGuy said...

"I'm not a fan of Denny's nor Village Inn. My worst dining experience EVER occurred at the Village Inn on 32nd Avenue. My Dad's hamburger came without the top bun, the malts we ordered were melted, and the service was gawd awful. Never again."

I too have had a couple of horrible experiences at the 32nd Avenue Village Inn. I've heard other people tell about similar experiences and say that they'll never go back again. I'm not sure how the GF Denny's will be, but I've had fairly good experiences at the Fargo Denny's...and some not so good experiences at the Fargo IHOP.

Anonymous said...

Never had a bad experience at Village Inn in Grand Forks. I have to admit that I don't care for Perkins anymore. Both buildings in town could use some updates. If they sit you in the former smoking section, you can still smell it. Pretty nasty.

Anonymous said...

"I've heard of too many people getting sick after eating at the Fargo IHOP..."

A new colleague of mine just told me yesterday she's eaten at the Fargo IHOP three times, and each time she's found hair in her food; like long hair in between pancakes and such.

She must have been held hostage to go there that many times to repeat that awful experience.

Anyway, it might explain why people have apparently gotten sick eating there.

Angie said...

OK the hair thing at IHOP seems to be a universal IHOP standard. I had the same experience at the on in Sacramento.

Anonymous said...

I completely agree on Perkins needing a face lift. I used to love going to Perkins back home because of not only the food but the atmosphere.

Anonymous said...

I ate a Denny's in the twin cities and got very ill later that day. I went to the zoo and was wishing one of the big cats would eat me so my suffering would end. No kidding it was awful and I'll never go to another one.

Anonymous said...

The worst dining experience I have ever had was at Village Inn so I'm glad Denny's and IHOP are coming to town and hopefully CRUSH Village Inn
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!!!!!!111111

Anonymous said...

pb-you made me laugh out loud. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

"Here's to Grand Forks getting even less healthy!"

My doctor told me this area of the country has some of the highest per capita instances of coronary disease in the US. When I went in for an angiogram at Altru at 7:00 am, there were 3 people ahead of me, 4 behind me in hall on gurnies, and 7 in the waiting room.

Anonymous said...

Maybe people have bad tickers from the stress of constant negativity, rather than having a positive outlook, at least once in a while.

Anonymous said...

Probably more due to a constant diet of beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, pie, and a cholestoral-soaked liver.

Anonymous said...

Wow...I have lived here for 11 years and have never witnessed anyone eating liver...mmmmmmliver!

Anonymous said...

Yes. Hair kills

Anonymous said...

I worked my way thru college at the north Village Inn (Gateway Drive) in the late 80s. That was the place to be.

I remember when south 42nd Ave was a dirt road!!!!