1. Yes, it's a whole new look! Have questions or need help? Please post your question in the New Forum Questions thread Click the X to the right to dismiss this notice
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Seeing tons of unread posts after the upgrade? See this thread for help. Click the X to the right to dismiss this notice
    Dismiss Notice

"Restaurant Row" on Waxpool forced to close down?

Discussion in 'Area Restaurants, Dining and Food' started by Mr. Linux, Dec 16, 2009.

  1. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Messages:
    2,260
    Likes Received:
    34
    aww man I liked the Spicy Pickle :(
     
  2. SW Hokie

    SW Hokie New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2007
    Messages:
    53
    Likes Received:
    0

    Noooooooooo :-( I will miss Spicy Pickle!! Goodbye tasty sandwiches!
     
  3. SchwarzFamily

    SchwarzFamily New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2006
    Messages:
    271
    Likes Received:
    1
    The cook from Winwood Children's Center (we know him as Mr. Johnny) is leaving to open a Chinese Restaurant called 'Happy Chopsticks'. Apparently he's already secured space somewhere in Broadlands. I wonder if this is the spot.
     
  4. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,929
    Likes Received:
    69
    stay tuned- the website says they are pending relocation... let's hope it is in Ashburn.
     
  5. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2001
    Messages:
    3,277
    Likes Received:
    69
    Yes, that's the spot on the corner where the dry cleaners were located. I was at Cafe Opera over the weekend and checked out the 'licenses' they had posted in their window and definitely saw the name of the business as "Happy Chopsticks"...

    I wish "Mr. Johnny" good luck; he's going to have a VERY rough time competing with Cafe Opera and its established clientele...
     
  6. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,929
    Likes Received:
    69
    why why why why..... :shakehead: my loyalty to Cafe Opera is unwavering.

    and by the way- that plaza is looking rougher every time i drive by at night- SO many lights blown out on the business names- can you say Broken Window Syndrome?

    I hope whoever has the power to tell the tenants to fix their lights or <if that's even the rule> face a fine will do so soon if not already.
     
  7. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2001
    Messages:
    3,277
    Likes Received:
    69
    I noticed that too! And did you see the red neon signs for the pizza place on the corner? Over the weekend they were flashing like crazy! Made that corner look so 'trashy'...
     
  8. SchwarzFamily

    SchwarzFamily New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2006
    Messages:
    271
    Likes Received:
    1
    He's a great guy and the restaurant has been a longtime dream for him. The food at Winwood was better than 90% of the institutional food you'd ever eat. I really hope both restaurants can succeed there.
     
  9. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,929
    Likes Received:
    69
    i'm sure he's a very nice man and i love to see people go after their dreams, but 2 doors away from another Asian restaurant?? as hard as the food biz already... i dunno. :confused:
     
  10. Pirate

    Pirate Overland Park Denizen

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2007
    Messages:
    133
    Likes Received:
    8
    Cafe Opera will still be my choice. Sorry, Johnny, but not the best decision.
     
  11. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2006
    Messages:
    2,512
    Likes Received:
    19
    Probably not the one with Ledo's since there is another thread here saying the Bloom there is closing Feb. 3. Now unless you count Wendy's (and I don't) the Ashbrook shopping center doesn't have a burger place...
     
  12. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2002
    Messages:
    5,281
    Likes Received:
    344
    Johnny will not see one penny from me.
     
  13. JLC

    JLC Member

    Joined:
    Apr 18, 2003
    Messages:
    897
    Likes Received:
    8
    I'd give Happy Chopsticks a try, but we only order Chinese maybe once every 3 months and our business isn't going to make or break them.

    Had Cafe Opera last night. It was fine, but I don't get what all the hoopla over them is.
     
  14. fidothedog

    fidothedog Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2004
    Messages:
    313
    Likes Received:
    21
    Ditto on Cliff. I will not try the new Chinese place. Cafe Opera for me.
     
  15. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2002
    Messages:
    2,260
    Likes Received:
    34
    Yen's Cafe over near Home Depot is great, anyone tried that?
     
  16. PowerPlay

    PowerPlay Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2008
    Messages:
    436
    Likes Received:
    16
    There's no reason these 2 restaurants can't survive this close to each other. Look at BK and McD's that are in the same shopping center, or all the Asian restaurants back to back in Chinatown, or all the Vietnamese restaurants filling the Eden Center in Arlington.

    He might offer a type of Chinese cuisine that is completely different than what Cafe Opera offers. Everyone's tastes are different, just as some like BK over McD's.

    Let's see how it is when it opens and try to offer our support for his success.
     
  17. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,929
    Likes Received:
    69
    YES. it's excellent. Taiwanese cuisine- very different than anything at Opera.
     
  18. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,929
    Likes Received:
    69
    i dunno- nat'l chains HAVE a name and rep and everyone already has a fave by now. two independent bizzes both serving Chinese food (though Opera offers MUCh more than just chinese-) is hardly and apples to apples comparison.

    my prediction: it will split the biz enough so that NEITHER prosper, or one will fail miserably. there are barely enough people to keep the 10 Asian restaurants we ALREADY have within 5 miles of each other in biz...

    that plaza survives on Broadlands support- there's no occasional drive-by or walk in biz- a huge % of the biz is from our hood- not Ashburn as a whole.

    again- i wish him luck but don't support the idea of 2 Asian retaurants in that tiny little plaza.
     
  19. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Messages:
    5,358
    Likes Received:
    250
    A McD and BK near each other can compete because both have an extremely strong brand and image behind them. They don't struggle to be found or get people to know who they are.

    You other examples illustrate the second point. The proximity and tastes of your audience. You can have a lot of similar resturants in chinatown because of the size of the potential audience aligned with your product. Even if only 30% of Chinese prefer your style.. if you are in an area with 10x more Chinese... you'll be fine. That also applies to the McD/BK situation. There are so many potential customers that are looking for your type of product... you can afford to be specialized.

    But out here in the 'generic' suburbs... you don't have as many people looking for that specialty... so you are competing for a smaller customer base.

    It's why you have boutiques in cities... not rural areas. Sustainable amount of potential customers looking for your product.
     
  20. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,929
    Likes Received:
    69
    FLYNNIBUS!!!

    We posted almost the EXACTLY same thing- we agree 100% on an issue. I;m not sure what that's a sign of, but my feet are awwwwwwwfully cold... lol
     

Share This Page