GF Goodribs closing
The rumors apparently were true. GF Goodribs is closing its doors for good this coming Friday. The restaurant, located in the northwest corner of town near Gateway Drive, has been open now for over 21 years.
The building that houses GF Goodribs has actually been for sale for a few months now. Earlier in the year when asked about a possible closure, an employee did not directly answer the question but instead stated that the restaurant was accepting reservations throughout the summer. Looks like those reservations will have to be moved over to Eagle's Crest Grill, the restaurant at King's Walk Golf Course operated by GF Goodribs owner Paul Waind.
With a couple of other recent restaurant closures in town, I'm wondering if any other restaurants will close down in the wake of so many new restaurants coming to town. Are any other restaurant's days numbered?
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15 comments:
I wonder if the Royal Fork will be able to hang on. They used to have terrific business, but traffic seems to have dropped off since the Golden Corral opened. I was at the Royal Fork last week and the place was extremely quiet. I went to the Golden Corral a few days later and could hardly move through the crowds.
It's exciting when the chains come in and lay waste to local businesses. Progress is wonderful.
As wonderful as the food at GF Goodribs, I guess. I don't know if I was more underwhelmed by Goodribs or the Bronze Boot.
What's so wrong about letting the market dictate which restaurants stay and which ones go? That's not a good enough system? Sounds like pinko talk to me!
As far as the Royal Fork and Golden Corral go, the one (and only) time I ever ate at the RF the food was terrible and dried out. This was with the manager standing right there. Shame. At least the food at the GC, fattening as it is, is palatable.
Many of the local restaurants could use some of the quality controls measures instituted by corporate restaurants.
"It's exciting when the chains come in and lay waste to local businesses. Progress is wonderful."
Never had the chance to go there. For all the better, when multiple friends advise you how crappy the food was, what do you expect? As the other poster said, let the market dictate who stays open. If a local joint can't pull their jock, then tough love.
I gave that place so many chances. It always seemed like it should be better. And I like to eat ribs. Probably to a fault. For a place that called itself GF Goodribs, the ribs were far below average. Good local places can make it.
As I noted elsewhere, the place had really slid over the past ten years, it's in a declining neighbourhood (well, sort of,) and there are other options. Not a big surprise, but I'll be interested to see what comes of things out at Eagle's Crest. We've been there for Sunday brunch, and, while it's not the best in town, it was a good meal.
It's exciting when the chains come in and lay waste to local businesses. Progress is wonderful.
There's something of an argument that can be made about chains having the resources to compete that locals do not, but, in an instance like this, not only was no (overt) effort made to compete with Texas Roadhouse, the decline had begun long before, and there was a hole in the market that you could drive a truck through.
But the quoted attitude is a bit like bemoaning the passing of the witchdoctor or tribal shaman when the World Health Organization brings modern medicine around. Isn't it exciting when the voodoo goes out the window, and all we have left is the cures and stuff that people want?
A good locally owned restaurant may have a tougher go against a chain, but there's nothing that says they can't succeed. However, if they have something that no one wants and refuse to respond to demand, the simple fact that they're locally owned isn't really much of a reason for people to come in the door. You deserve success because you try, and you succeed -- not from some sort of pity.
Whitey's Cafe may be next to go down. The last 2 times we ate there the food was bad and the service terrible. We use to hand pick and deliver the potatoesbut, things have been slipping for years, on the other hand the Blue Moose is super, both in food and service, plus the deck is great, all we need now it the Riverboat to return. greenglass4.
Greenglass, I appreciate your watchdog/skeptic point of view but, I discovered recently on the web that you're a holocaust denier. For this, I can summise that you are nothing but a complete scumbag.
Post away, scumbag. I don't care. Just realize, you've been exposed as a whacko whose words have no meaning.
Did I say scumbag? The term fits in your case.
The finest dining experiences are rarely, if ever, at chains....
This could get good.
You guys are all "post proof." HA! My words are proof, you fools!
I have to say that GF Goodribs presence will be missed among the all-alike chain restaurants that we have now. There are few places that you can go and have a dining experience, rather than sit among flat screens and/or loud music.
And it may be that popularity wins, so be it. Eating out has changed over the last twenty years, and we will be another average city with the same restaurants as everyone else, minus the few left (as for them-Whitey's and Blue Moose= location,location,location).
I used to work at goodribs many years ago. I'm glad it's gone.
I still have some fond memories of Goodribs. I know not everyone loved the place, but their Sunday and daily lunch buffetts ruled! And contrary to what someone said above, their ribs weren't all that bad. Maybe not spectacular but certainly good.
Finally, their Beer Cheese soup gets my seal of approval. Sorry to see you go Goodribs! Who's next?
The major thing that killed GF Goodribs, and pretty much anything along the Gateway Drive region, is the location. All of the development in the last 15 years has been to the south and west, leaving these businesses to flounder.
Getting friendly, quality service is often necessary at a restaurant, and you can tell the people at Speedway, Bronze Boot, the former GF Goodribs, the former Fire Island, the former Capone's, and many others severely lack(ed) in this department. The newer restaurants are more apt to hire the people willing to work for sub-minimum wage and strive for tips, and their work ethics and drive are notable.
Once again, though, location and development (along with quality service) make a major impact on the survivability of a restaurant. Until people start to pay attention to and supporting the north end of town, look for places to continue to close up shop as traffic moves away.
/End rant
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