eyehrtfood

Chagrin Falls store HAS ski equipment, etc.. but entire main floor is all clothing and shoes (Patagonia, Barbour, Sorel, Keen, etc...).I've never even been up or down to non-clothes areas..

I did read a recent article that said PIT (opened as 4th U.S. IKEA location about 25 years ago) has been the most challenging location (business-wise) IKEA has seen in the U.S. - with the original product mix not appealing to the PIT shopper (chrome, etc...) The store was actually downsized (hence, the attached Toys-R-Us) at one point due to business falling below expectations and they had to build a satellite outpost across the street to handle certain aspects of the biz (Pick-up?) when business picked up. CLE certainly adds to the PIT sales.. - but PIT challenges may be holding it back.. But must say, I see this recent Boston Heights Bass Pro/Costco news and wonder if THAT's the best destination location for a local IKEA - between Akron/Canton and CLE and right at the intersection of several major highways.

I have seen info that 25%+ of PIT Ikea sales come from NEO. I do not recall the source several years ago on this, though I took it seriously at the time based on the source. I have seen recent published info that 35% of PIT store customers come from 1 hour or more. Ikea looks for markets with 2MM people within 40-60 miles. NEO is twice that. New Ikea markets like Kansas City and Columbus just meet that.

With United no longer operating a high fare CLE hub - and with numerous discount airlines now in play at CLE versus before (plus with CLE already an easy in/easy out/easily manageable airport, despite CAK ads to the contrary) - CAK's benefits vs CLE are lessened - and so their traffic will be, too... I'd also figure that the bulk of the NEO residents are within an hour of each of these airports, if not somewhat closer (I live in east CLE suburbs and it's about 35 mins to CLE and just under 60 to CAK a most times and CAK and CLE are about 50 mins apart, if I recall). My take is that CAK serves a relatively small base of frequent corporate travelers - who find the location convenient at whatever price - and a larger grouping of infrequent vacationers, who'd go where needed for a good fare. If CAK's 2MM passengers a year were added into the CLE totals - CLE would have that much more bargaining power and the region's only meaningful airport would be more so... NEO does NOT need - and shouldn't have - two airports. Anything more than Duluth-level essential service at CAK hurts CLE.

Store already listed on Bass Pro website.. ( Costco building there, too) And was very pleased this retailer "gets" NEO with this comment in a part of the press release: "Boston Heights is part of the larger Cleveland-Akron-Canton area, which has a population in excess of four million, making it the 15th largest Combined Statistical Area (CSA) in the United States." I hope NEOers remember that ranking/size as the constant "shrinking population" cries continue. Growing or not - this is a major population area/retail market that dwarfs numerous boomtowns getting all the press. http://m.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&appID=34&template=news_display.cfm&newsID=708

Hope that's true. Nothing better for NEO than CAK getting weaker... CLE needs to be the focus.. My CAK-BOS flights last wek were 25% full, so not surprised.

Opening this week, Jekyll's Kitchen in Chagrin Falls has website back up - with pics of interior and exterior. Menu link on home page - and menu features some items from past menu - but the majority is new... Interesting in that you can get a $9 burger/chicken (a la carte) up to a $39 Prime ribeye and quite a bit in between. Hope it is better than "always decent" Jekyll's of the past. Hyde Park's other/nearby ML Tavern is so much better than Jekyll's was... And the adjacent M Italian is awfully good and reasonably priced, with most item coming in well under Jekyll's, in a nice space, too.... Will be interesting... Also, though I'm a frequent diner-out, not a restaurant operator, I'd argue they are GIVING tons of business away by not being open in the daytime on Saturdays/Sundays in touristy downtown Chagrin Falls (especially Spring-Summer-Fall). The new M Italian and newish Flip Side are people magnets for Sat/Sun lunches... There's more than enough business for Jekyll's on Sunday (and Sat lunch_ - especially with that view of the falls.

I applaud the fitting Schofield name. At the same time, Kimpton's Monaco and Palomar flags are far better known, so not going with one of those brands (as they did with the new Pittsburgh hotel) makes it just that much tougher on the hotel versus the CLE competition, wouldn't you think? Those have some built in name recognition.

The mostly new/larger Jekyll's Kitchen in Chagrin Falls - destroyed by fire in Fall 2013 - is reopening May 14th, per the sign on the door tonight. The former kitchen location, where fire started, is now a nifty looking indoor/outdoor bar - which leads onto the former/current patio, overlooking the downtown falls as does the main dining room) With two Gamekeeper's owned restaurants/patios adjacent - and the new M Italian a few hundred feet to the north, this corner of Chagrin Falls will be restaurant central in a few weeks.

Still haven't heard if the Beachwood Place expansion plans have shifted, potentially based on the very competitive leasing market (Legacy, Eton, Pinecrest + Beachwood Place all actively adding new retailers) and owner GGP's recent purchase of the adjacent La Place center.. Have noticed that Beachwood Place now includes Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn Kids, etc...in the official store lineup of Beachwood Place (location: "outparcel"). What is clear is that Beachwood Place is going through a tough spot on the leasing side right now. At least 8 stores, including Fossil, Lucky Jeans, babe, Delia's, Cache, Wet Seal and Aeropostale all closing in recent months (though on the last 4 stores, all/all/most/many of the stores closed, nationally...) - and Mann Jewelers is still, presumably, closing to move to Moreland Hills, shortly... At least a dozen store spaces are empty or filled with what appear to be (Vollbracht Furs, massage store) short-term filler tenants... PINK, Bath and Body Works and White Barn candle have all opened new or remodeled stores in recent weeks - with Victoria's Secret undergoing a major remodel on the main floor. This place needs a shot in the arm...

A separate article I read indicated Corner Bakery (a longtime Chicagoland favorite) was focused on Beachwood, Solon, Independence, Mentor, Lyndhurst, Mayfield and all the usual suspects, with the first open in 18 months and all within 5-6 years. (Corner Bakeries were originally the casual/quick service side of adjacent Maggiano's full service restaurants and some still exist that way)

JetBlue effect: I am traveling to Boston on Wednesday.. United non-stop roundtrip was $1200 weeks out (didn't buy). As of Thursday, when JetBlue begins, United now $600ish non-stop roundtrip - and that's today's quote, 5 days away.

From a story about FEB: "Crop Rocks, a Haight-Ashbury-influenced eatery with a VW microbus parked out front as the valet waiting area; Crop Sticks, offering Asian food and a zen garden; and On Air, a hybrid of broadcast studio, event space and dining spot. The restaurants were dreamed up by Steve Schimoler of Crop Bistro Bar." http://cleveland.icito.com/headlines/first-look-apartment-leasing-starts-at-flats-east-bank-project-in-downtown-cleveland-photos/

After originally looking at Brunswick, Cabela's was reportedly in talks for First Interstate's Acacia Country Club development, before that land ended uo a park...

Don't know the economics, but it would seem it works out better for LV to continue operating their CLE "store" within Saks vs in the mall... Saks certainly wouldn't want to lose the draw... But CLE remains the largest metro without a free-standstanding LV store... and LV has moved from dept store to mall in other instances...

Alson addition no idea. Eton existing Trader space more interesting... Urban Outfitters? Right size. Only major Crocker retailer with no east location. Stark ties and successful sister stores Anthro and Free People already there. Frame up on new TJ's store. Land leveled. Some concrete poured. Still 2015/2016 opening for nee Eton. Beachwood Place... Unclear.. REI was in their plans and now may go to Pinecrest. Other Darden restaurants Bonefish amd Carrabba's bailed from Eton expansion so could end up tsking those spots. Yard House building west and surely looking east. That GGP bought La Place might change food plans. Sushi space and 2-3 restaurants worth of highly visible former Borders space above. Just my take. With no ground brokem likley nothing changing outside in 2015. Only Beachwood news is Louis Vuitton Saks leased space remodeled/enlarged. Shame it will be new LV store-like but without cache' of freestanding mall store missing from market and obviously not in plans now.

Alson link leads directly to brochure download it appears. BTW, from morning commute, this Alson addition appears to totally block the visibility of the new Trader Joe's from Chagrin Blvd...

Interesting property play by Alson Jewelers - situated right in front of the new, freestanding, doubled-in-size Trader Joe's at Eton, to build a 5,000 sq ft new-tenant addition to the east of their existing store... Brochure found at this link... but, interestingly, the PDF file name says "former Alson Jewelers" - so wonder if that's just a mistake - or a slip - and something else is going on - with Alison soon being "former"... http://goodmanrealestate.com/pmoreinfo.aspx?rid=311

The new M Italian restaurant (from the Burntwood Tavern folks), adjacent to Gamekeepers and the soon-to-reopen Jekyll's, in downtown Chagrin Falls, launched about two weeks ago.. and the town won't be the same. Already a huge, traffic-driving hit. Super indoor/outdoor bar and patio... Great menu. And overlooking a glass blowing studio, to boot. Game-changer for a long-dormant location... www.mitalian.com

Rocket Fizz? That's actually a fairly big deal in that it's a national chain with dozens of stores - taking a chance on downtown (though perhaps run by a local franchisee).

I thought the comments on the right field upper deck in this forum were unnecessarily harsh (especially considering this was privately funded).... UNTIL I sought out some images of Coors Field's seamlessly (elegantly) done party terraces/bar - which look like wide, inviting, exciting spaces... After seeing those, I agree that ALL your comments are accurate. This looks horrible. It could be greatly improved even by simply connecting the individual boxes ao they look more like one wide deck like at Coors.

Based on a liquor license applied for this past week, it appears that this small restaurant chain is planning a Cleveland location at 1144 Prospect, the former Rathskeller space. http://chicagoshomeofchickenandwaffles.com/gallery.html

I landed at CLE last night at 6:15 pm and was surprised to see the C concourse security checkpoint was already closed as I exited to baggage... What? Have I missed that all these years or has funneling everything to B that early long been the norm?

Well I know uniqlo management from Japan has at least been to Cleveland in the last year, as a local company has been working on their website and there were a series of meetings here.

Yes. Warren and Butler Counties. Springboro would be like Hudson. I lived in northern Summit Cty in Hudson for a decade and I don't think anyone had pretty much ever heard of or been to Cleveland (city or suburbs...) Only mildly joking. It was like some far off land even though downtown was only a few minutes longer a drive than from my current Chagrin Falls address and Beachwood, etc was only 30 minutes. These were Akron people... Summit Mall was the mall, etc... (I was always "Cleveland"...) With that said I used to live in southern part of Dayton, worked in between Cin/Day in Middletown, and tthat middle part between cities was sort of a 30 minute drive worths of no man's land... CLeveland/Akron/Canton seem to flow much more directly together than Cin/Day (undeveloped nationL park land aside) but know things have changed in 20 years since I lived there. W