eyehrtfood

well, well... news reports out seem to indicate the GCC has pulled their petition, said the deal needs to happen, and they may have something to announce... The plot thickens.... http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/08/anti-gcc_rally.html#incart_m-rpt-1

Amazon often has multiple warehouses in a region - as each may focus on different things, for efficiency. They already have facilities in Twinsburg (sortation center) and Euclid (local delivery center... say people I know... butvdon't see it on the below). So the Randall Park site might be a "large sortable" center while Euclid, if built, might be a "small sortable" center, as,often they are different warehouses. Also, a Prime Now warehouse - for same-day delivery could be an additional facility they may open in area. An interesting list: http://www.mwpvl.com/html/amazon_com.html

I get how petition signatures work, but how can an organization that sloppily delivers 22,000-ish signatures - of which only 13,000 are valid - be taken seriously?

W

I have gone from excited about Icelandair to a little worried that 2 Icelandic carriers, with a similar type of connecting service, will have service from CLE (vs no other non-stop Europe carrier or vs, say, a London non-stop, etc...) I assume each had to know about the other's plans though.. and still proceeded... Right?

Icelandair confirms (via Twitter) that the CLE flights "will most likely be served by both 757s and 767s"...

I have flown Icelandair to Europe - and spent the "night" (more of a "dusk") as a stopover in Iceland. Strangely beautiful and memorable place.

It will keep money IN the CLE metro and introduce untold numbers to IKEA for the first time. I have spent thousands of $ at IKEA in the last 20 years on my now college senior's room, including hundreds of $last week in Pittsburgh (which was slammed...) - and many hundreds more $ on the way when taking her east to school/her first apartment this week. Wish I could have spent that in CLE,for easier transport/decisions, etc... Pretty much every bit of bedroom furniture and bedding and rugs and storage and knick knacks for her 21 years has been from IKEA. There is a reason they are popular, whether it is everyone's thing or not. C'mon Garfield Heights.

The 2.2MM is only the Cleveland/Elyria MSA which doesn't even include Summit County, which is 20 minutes from downtown CLE. Add Akron (Summit) metro =2.9MM. Add Canton - and you have 3.5MM+ within an hour of airport. Lots of folks.Not sure why nobody gets the right, even locally. NEO isn't as tidily wrapped up onto one city like Columbus, etc...

But does it have to be built in Cuyahoga County? Both of Ohio's IKEAs are not in their primary county but in adjacent, growing suburban counties (Butler and Delaware). Could it not be built in, say, Medina or Lorain County? I'm not saying it should but Cuyahoga would be an anomaly in this state for the primary county to get one. Every market is a bit different, of course - and while in Columbus, the IKEA sits north - though close to other major shopping areas - and in Cincinnati the IKEA also is north - but between two major metro areas - IKEA is on record in stating that they want a central location for the NEO location - likely taking the east/west Cleveland areas and the southern Akron/Canton markets into consideration. Here's what was said when Elyria pitched a deal after the Brooklyn deal fell through: "Joseph Roth, an Ikea spokesman, said that while the company is still scouting out possible locations in the Cleveland area, it isn’t looking to go too far east or too far west, which makes Lorain County a “pretty unlikely” destination. “We’re looking for something a little more central in the metropolitan area,” he said. Cities from across the region, including from the counties east and west of Cuyahoga County have both reached out to the company since the announcement earlier this month that the Brooklyn land Ikea had been considering was out of the running." http://www.chroniclet.com/news/2016/02/23/Ikea-rep-County-a-bit-too-far-west-for-NE-Ohio-store.html

IKEA seemed pretty committed on the Brooklyn site - purchase agreement and all - until the Army Corps stepped in and screamed "wetlands."

Here's pretty strong evidence, from a local real estate insider, that IKEA may announce a northwest corner 480/Transportation Blvd location in the "very near future" - a year since the published reports on this site began and public officials went silent...... (For those keeping score, most recent IKEA new store announcements have occurred on Tuesdays or Thursdays... so keeping an eye on the calendar...) http://www.grs-global.com/messin-with-sasquatch-in-cleveland/ If this is the location, will be interesting to see what might become of the nearly vacant CityView center on the south side of this intersection... The increased traffic might be enough to make something happen there...

And CLE-Newark is still about $1,000(!) for an early in/late out same day trip on United, like I am doing next week, even buying a month+ out. Instead, I actually booked CAK-Newark non-stop on United for around $350... Just for fun, I looked again right now and on a randomly chosen Sept 19th, you can fly CLE-Newark for $30 non-stop (arriving 10 am), but must pay $1,100 to get back at 9 pm. But if you try to book the $30 flight just one way, it is $600. (Have to be IN Newark so easier to fly there...)

I know for a fact that they are owned by the same people. The menu's and concept are the exact same. Condado very much so is working in Columbus seeing as how they have 3 locations that are all always packed. The "original" Condado is located in a place that was oddly enough one of the diviest dive bars in Columbus so you are right there :-). However it is a pretty nice little atmosphere and they have a great patio. Barrio's co-founder sold his share in Barrio - then founded the similar Condado in Columbus as a potential national testing ground. They don't appear to be/have been sister concepts from the same company: http://www.thelantern.com/2014/11/condado-tacos-giving-columbus-a-test-2/

As for the supposed time savings landing from SW, remember that only a portion of the flights originate from the south. I am on flights from Chicago several times a month and it is a straight shot east from O'Hare, across Lake Michigan/over Detroit - then a right hand turn into Hopkins. Of my 20-30+ landings a year at Hopkins, I would say 75% are from the NE/downtown TO the southwest...

Neighborhood extortion shouldn't be rewarded - but hopefully an agreement on some funding can be reached to appease the neighborhood avoid the delay of a vote that will probably go in the arena' s favor anyway.

More Maggiano's info: Apparently they have only closed 3 other locations - out of 50 or so - in their 26 years of business.. Fans of chains or Beachwood or not, not good for the market's retail reputation... (Minneapolis and Sacramento 2 of the 3.. Both "weak sales"). Also recently opened locations in Kansas City, Las Vegas and Houston are all 8,000-9,000 square feet with limited banquet space.. Beachwood is 17,000 square feet - too big - iffy historical location for restaurants - at end of 12 year lease - and with a big following if the 1,000+ Facebook comments to local media stories are any indication I certainly could envision a new 9,000 square foot east or west location a year or two down the road.. Hey, maybe not, but something seems off about the way this was announced..

yes, not a good sign for the mall or CLE - when just one of the 50 or so restaurants in a chain closes at your mall/in your town - whether due to soft business or high location costs. I do know of a very successful chain restaurant in a nearby development that is a top performer in that chain that is already questioning whether it will renew its lease in its current location.... Changing demographics...

By all accounts, Maggiano's wasn't a ghost town or anything - it appeared to have a good following and was often among the top booked local reservations on OpenTable - so the biggest culprits are likely the sheer and costly size of the space. ... 18K+ square feet on two levels - which is about 50% larger than, say, the Cincinnati Maggiano's, challenges in the post recession banquet/catering world that necessitates that space being filled to pay for it, plus the overall lack/underperformance of the mall as any sort of dining destination, unlike many major malls in NEO and elsewhere. Maybe it is that the front of the mall is hidden from those in Cedar, etc.. And lack of visibility hurts.. But this WILL setback the mall and efforts to lure new restaurants (after Pub and McCormick/ Scmicks failures...). I don't suppose they will pop up in a smaller space in another CLE location - though their 2 month wind down and lack of "underperforming" type comments, which they have used when stores in places like MSP and Sacramento closed on the past, I guess makes it seem like there is always a chance this is just,, say, a negotiating ploy, etc. Note: this outlet was the chain's store of the year just 2-3 years ago, and can't imagine that goes to an under performing store, so who knows.

Huge! Could IKEA be next on mall site, with it being cleaned up? Hmmm. Already being rumored they are looking at that corner on southeast side.

And I have been to the restaurant twice, once before grand opening, once after. Both times a 3-4 hour wait - as they still clearly are only choosing to fill a portion of the tables, leaving many open and empty, to seemingly ease into the biz despite the crowd. We did not wait either time - and area restaurants, including the great Collision Bend, where we went both times, were visibly full of no-wait Margaritaville groups/families also (overheard comments to that effect). Spinoff business will be had by the neighboring places for some time, for sure. Packed in FEB last Sunday and Monday before July 4th Tuesday.

Wahlburgers tonight, pre-Billy Joel, was full with a wait list. Grabbed an open bar seat and had not only a delicious (like REALLY good) unique, open faced, fried onion straw topped sloppy joe(!) - but very attentive and pleasant service from a team of 3 behind the bar. Whatever its opening week stumbles, it was running well and was surprisingly good. Will go back. (With that said only went there because everything in 4th St was 1+ hour wait/no bar seats.)

We Clevelanders love our sprawl. I'd suggest we in Cleveland don't even know what modern sprawl is... See: Atlanta Indianapolis, Columbus... Cleveland doesn't make the top 40 in sprawl on a list of cities like that. (Not are we anywhere near the top of the "our two seasons are winter and construction" list... Or anywhere near the worst "if you don't like the weather wait 5 mins..." locale. .. cliches, all...)

In a metro without a sizeable, major, national university to help feed our local populace and work force with a continuing stream of top notch graduates each year (think: OSU) - bolstering the visibility of our already way-too-locally-prominent community college is what the region's taxpayers should be asked to directly support? I just don't get it...

Looks like invited guests this weekend and likely open for real Monday.