Tuesday, May 08, 2007

From Smoky to Ashes - The Fire Is Out

It certainly took longer than I imagined and it was definitely bigger than I thought. Darden Restaurants Incorporated announced that it has closed its Smoky Bones Barbecue and Grill in Waco. That was long overdue. In addition, Darden says it is closing 56 of its Smokey Bones Barbeque and Grill locations and will offer the remaining 73 for sale. I guess that people in other states loved their barbecue about as much as I did.

I predicted several posts back that Smoky Bones wouldn't last. We have too much better Q in Waco. All of the Smoky Bones west of the Mississippi will be closed along with some in Indiana and Florida. Darden operates about 1,400 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones and Seasons 52 restaurants across the United States. Could we get a different Darden franchise in the same location? None of Darden's other franchises will make an impact here.

What are the top choices to appear in this market?

Any Pappas Restaurant
Abuelo's
Cheesecake Factory
Saltgrass Steakhouse
Chuy's
Texas Land and Cattle Company
Macaroni Grill
Mimi's
Baker Brothers American Deli

Do you have other favorites that could take over this spot in Texas Central Marketplace?

1 comment:

girlcalledkitty said...

Macaroni Grill would be great, but I would also vote for a Chipotle, Carrabba's, or something new for Waco like Genghis Grill!