Friday, January 23, 2009

GF Applebee's closing?

I've been hearing an interesting rumor lately that: the Grand Forks Applebee's will be closing. I have to say that I would be shocked if this rumor turns out to be true. It would be odd for one of the biggest restaurant chains in the country to not have a location in Grand Forks. The rumor has the East Grand Forks Applebee's location staying open. Has anyone else heard anything about this rumor? Are there other rumors out there about any other Grand Forks-East Grand Forks businesses that might be thinking about closing?

Posted by GrandForksGuy at 12:39 AM

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11 comments:

Chet said...

NOOO! I don't want to have to drive all the way to EGF to get my crappy prepackaged food heated up in a microwave. Say it aint so Joe.

10:36 AM, January 23, 2009
Lynsey said...

I guess I'm not that surprised. Many of my friends preferred to go to the EGF Applebee's because the service and the specials were better.

6:27 PM, January 23, 2009
Jtown11 said...

I would say this is just a rumor. If communities like Jamestown and Fergus Falls have successful stores, it would be hard to imagine the GF store failing. Probably another disgruntled employee making rumors.

8:24 PM, January 23, 2009
Jess said...

The EGF Applebee's is much better... More room, better service, and not as loud.
I wouldn't mind seeing something else pop up there.

1:30 PM, January 25, 2009
elucidarian said...

On average, it seems like the EGF location is never quite as busy as often as the GF one. While I do prefer the layout in EGF, I still go there less.

10:28 AM, January 27, 2009
Unknown said...

Applebee's... makes me think of that movie Dane Cook was in... you know the one.

I was at a family-style and family run restaurant in Marquette, MI last year. Menu was like a Perkin's/Ember's, but food care and quality was far superior to these chains. Pricing was similar. Service was SO spectacular that it was a _pleasure_ to lay down a heavy tip. A real rarity.

I was there for breakfast/brunch and the place was absolutely packed out. The locals there all seemed to be long-time regular patrons. Staff was personal with many of 'em.

Good/simple food. Tasty and freshly prepared. Attractively priced. Served with a touch of deference and an earnest wish for you to come back and try 'em again.

It was a Gordon Ramsay moment and precisely what the GF scene needs more of. BTW: The place is called "Tommy's Family Restaurant" and if you're passing thru the Marquette MI area in the U.P., I highly recommend you stop in for a bite!

Chains... foo-bar!

I see the lights up at Space Aliens. I'm probably not the only one groaning. Prediction: flash in the pan, and exactly the thing GF already has in spades and of which it could do better with less.

12:57 AM, January 29, 2009
Wendy said...

Kind of a sidebar, but does anyone know if Space Aliens opened up this week?

7:10 PM, January 29, 2009
Logan said...

Meh, that Applebee's is a less than spectacular restaurant. Decent to average service, and a mediocre franchise menu. Though it does seem to stay relatively busy most nights. The EGF 'bee's is quieter and more spread out because it's way too big for the amount of people it serves. That's like plan C if the Moose, Mikes, and Whitey's is too busy.

As for space aliens, I foresee it's closure within two years. For all the time they took "converting" it from Boston's, it doesn't seem like they did much. Definitely doesn't have the feel of the Fargo one, not even the cool entrance, although they do have a guy in an alien costume being led around buy a cute server. Besides nailing rubber aliens to the wall and hanging scale planet models from the ceiling, it's basically just Boston's. Not counting the greeter who seated us, and the girls who actually delivered the food, we had 4 waitresses! It was ridiculous!

11:35 PM, February 02, 2009
djstangl said...

I just had to respond to Chet. I'm sorry that some of average, middle class Joe's like Applebee's, since we can't afford the overpriced food at the locally owned restaurants like Sanders. I'll take my microwaved food any day rather than pay $100 for meal!

9:47 AM, February 04, 2009
dale said...

Sanders isn't really that expensive, and the food quality is significantly better than a chain, as you'd expect.

Having just returned to town after about a month gone, I was happy to see that Mamma Maria's is up and running in EGF, much less happy to see that my usual order, the Cheesesteak Hero, had gone up in price by about two dollars and shrunk to less than 2/3 of its previous size. Given that was pretty much all I ever ordered, it's doubtful that we'll go back.

10:40 AM, February 04, 2009
InTheKnow said...

Just a rumor... unit still makes decent money. As for the microwave Chet mentioned, I have to agree with you, could be EGF has a better one!

Have no interest in Space Aliens, however will say the entrance is much better than the cheesy one Fargo has. Building could have been changed more, guess cheap is cheap.

11:06 PM, March 10, 2009

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