May 22, 200817 yr Last Updated: 12:39 pm | Thursday, May 22, 2008 P&G carwash downtown BY KEITH T. REED | [email protected] Procter & Gamble plans to open its third Mr. Clean Car Wash location in downtown Cincinnati. It won’t, however, be the same as the two existing full-service Mr. Clean washes; it’ll be a so-called Mr. Clean Auto Spa located inside the Fountain Square garage. Pete McIndoe, the P&G executive overseeing the carwashes, said the new concept, which will be operated in partnership with an outside company, will use a special formula that cleans an entire car with less water than in a typical Aquafina bottle. The price for a basic wash could start as low as $19, but final pricing has yet to be determined. The company hopes to target downtown workers and shoppers.
May 22, 200817 yr will use a special formula that cleans an entire car with less water than in a typical Aquafina bottle. The price for a basic wash could start as low as $19, but final pricing has yet to be determined. 19 dollars? That's almost the cost of 5 gallons of gas. I understand the importance of water conservation but I can't imagine people buying into this!
May 22, 200817 yr The company hopes to target downtown workers and shoppers. So what about downtown residents? I agree that $19+ for a car wash is crazy.
May 23, 200817 yr While some see this as crazy & odd, I see it as a testament to downtown. There are plenty of people who spare no expense on their car. I have been in a couple of downtown garages and when I think about it, I did notice a lot of expensive cars BMW, Mercedes, Saab, Volvo, Cadillac, Porsche, Lexus, etc etc... While this new auto spa may not be marketed to the budget conscience, I think the market they are targeting will "buy into this". It's all about service & convenience. If this catches on across the country, I guess we know where it all started.
May 24, 200817 yr ^ Yeah. It totally depends on the car owner AND the type of car wash. If this thing gets vehicles appreciably cleaner than other car washes (not including doing it yourself, of course), I could see this doing some decent business, even at that price. How much do those specialty car washes run these days (like Johnny's or Ms. Classic Car Wash). That's not the gas station type, but the kind where you get out and watch your car run through a big machine. Those were relatively pricey if I remember correctly.
July 8, 200816 yr Chipotle applied for a liquor license at 1 Fountain Sq. Plaza. No word on an opening date yet or when construction will begin.
July 8, 200816 yr So what about downtown residents? I agree that $19+ for a car wash is crazy. I have been going to Mr Bubbles car wash on 13th st in Pendleton for years. Check them out. Chipotle applied for a liquor license at 1 Fountain Sq. Plaza. No word on an opening date yet or when construction will begin Great news!!
July 8, 200816 yr Chipotle applied for a liquor license at 1 Fountain Sq. Plaza. No word on an opening date yet or when construction will begin. If their hours suck, I will be pissed. I'll go out of my way to make sure that I am there 2 minutes before they close every time. ;)
July 8, 200816 yr ^ I thought all Chipotles had the same hours. It seems like they all close at 9:30 or 10:00. I suppose there could be exceptions, though.
July 8, 200816 yr Chipotle will rule the square! I am not a big fan of chains but Chipotle is my fave for fast food.
July 8, 200816 yr Chipotle applied for a liquor license at 1 Fountain Sq. Plaza. No word on an opening date yet or when construction will begin. If their hours suck, I will be pissed. Me too. They better not have the same hours as Potbelly's. I will definitely complain. On the other hand, Chipotle applying for a liquor license is a good sign. I can't imagine going through the trouble of obtaining one just to be open for limited hours. I would assume that most alcohol sales take place after 5 PM and increasing the later it gets.
July 8, 200816 yr Me too. They better not have the same hours as Potbelly's. I will definitely complain. Potbelly just recently expanded their hours so feedback does make a difference! On the other hand, Chipotle applying for a liquor license is a good sign. I can't imagine going through the trouble of obtaining one just to be open for limited hours. I would assume that most alcohol sales take place after 5 PM and increasing the later it gets. XUMelanie, you of all people should know it is 5 o'clock somewhere! :)
July 8, 200816 yr Great to hear that Chipotle is moving forward, and it is also great to hear that Potbelly has expanded their hours. Keep on keepin' on.
July 8, 200816 yr Potbelly just recently expanded their hours so feedback does make a difference! That is great! It's nice to know that businesses are willing to listen. XUMelanie, you of all people should know it is 5 o'clock somewhere! :) Very true. But whenever I see you at a bar or a happy hour, it's 5:00 or later. ;)
July 8, 200816 yr Me too. They better not have the same hours as Potbelly's. I will definitely complain. Potbelly just recently expanded their hours so feedback does make a difference! Or ... it could've been me going in at the last minute every time on purpose! ;)
July 8, 200816 yr What are Potbelly's new hours? I walked by during lunch, and they had their original hours still on their sign.
July 8, 200816 yr Or ... it could've been me going in at the last minute every time on purpose! ;) Unfortunately, this trick does not always work. :( Last time I went to Servatti's on Court and Walnut on a Saturday, I arrived ten minutes before their closing time (noon). Several people came in behind me to buy stuff. I thought maybe this would tell Servatti's that they need to expand Saturday hours. Instead, they went the other way. They are now closed on Saturdays. So now I buy desserts and pastries from Graeter's on Fountain Square instead.
July 8, 200816 yr From DRC newsletter: "OPEN LATER: POT BELLY on Fountain Square . Pot Belly will now be open till 9 pm on Thursdays and Fridays."
July 8, 200816 yr "OPEN LATER: POT BELLY on Fountain Square . Pot Belly will now be open till 9 pm on Thursdays and Fridays." :clap: I can't believe I missed that in the newsletter! I hope they post a sign soon about their extended hours.
July 9, 200816 yr Or ... it could've been me going in at the last minute every time on purpose! ;) Unfortunately, this trick does not always work. :( Last time I went to Servatti's on Court and Walnut on a Saturday, I arrived ten minutes before their closing time (noon). Several people came in behind me to buy stuff. I thought maybe this would tell Servatti's that they need to expand Saturday hours. Instead, they went the other way. They are now closed on Saturdays. So now I buy desserts and pastries from Graeter's on Fountain Square instead. Thats because people kept showing up at the last minute on Saturdays so no one wanted to work that shift anymore. :-P
July 9, 200816 yr Or ... it could've been me going in at the last minute every time on purpose! ;) Unfortunately, this trick does not always work. :( Last time I went to Servatti's on Court and Walnut on a Saturday, I arrived ten minutes before their closing time (noon). Several people came in behind me to buy stuff. I thought maybe this would tell Servatti's that they need to expand Saturday hours. Instead, they went the other way. They are now closed on Saturdays. So now I buy desserts and pastries from Graeter's on Fountain Square instead. Thats because people kept showing up at the last minute on Saturdays so no one wanted to work that shift anymore. :-P lol, I'm an ass ... I know.
July 9, 200816 yr Anyone been to any of the Indie Summer shows on the Square? I was down there two weeks ago after dinner at Boi Na Braza. FS was packed. It was awesome on a Friday night to be able to finish dinner walk right across the street and watch some cool bands for free.
July 9, 200816 yr I went on a Sunday evening for the jazz and there was a great crowd. I thought how interesting it was since it was a Sunday evening!
July 9, 200816 yr From CinWeekly: Help Bring VH1 To Cincinnati's New Fountain Square VH1's Top 20 Countdown: Live in Cincinnati! Mayor Mallory's YP Kitchen Cabinet has collaborated with a number of local, regional and state leaders to extend an invitation to VH1 to tape its popular Top 20 Video Countdown from Cincinnati and our re-energized Fountain Square, in light of the popularity of the 3 Doors Down video, "It's Not My Time," which was shot entirely in Cincinnati (due to the great work of the Film Commission). VH1 President Tom Calderone has shown interest in this as well. But we need your help, and urgently. Please visit the following link on VH1.com to vote for the 3 Doors Down video, which depicts 20 Cincinnati landmarks, including Fountain Square, Government Square, Over-the-Rhine and our majestic Queen City skyline. http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/top_20_countdown/vote.jhtml **This Effort Would Generate Six Hours Of National Publicity In 90 Millions Homes VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown is a two-hour program that airs three times during the week – beginning from 9-11 a.m. Saturdays – and features a dozen mini-remotes during which host Alison Becker touts the different venues from the assigned location of the week. VH1 penetrates 90 million homes. A remote broadcast from Cincinnati would generate six hours of positive national publicity for Cincinnati on VH1. Alison would be able to tape from our new Fountain Square, Government Square, the Freedom Center, restaurants and nightclubs that have sprung up around the square, plus some views overlooking the city. This is a tremendous opportunity to promote our new Fountain Square, our re-energized Downtown! Thanks so much. Please vote early and often!
July 9, 200816 yr ^So did I...I also sent out an email to all of the local bloggers to help spread the word.
July 10, 200816 yr From CinWeekly: Help Bring VH1 To Cincinnati's New Fountain Square VH1's Top 20 Countdown: Live in Cincinnati! Mayor Mallory's YP Kitchen Cabinet has collaborated with a number of local, regional and state leaders to extend an invitation to VH1 to tape its popular Top 20 Video Countdown from Cincinnati and our re-energized Fountain Square, in light of the popularity of the 3 Doors Down video, "It's Not My Time," which was shot entirely in Cincinnati (due to the great work of the Film Commission). VH1 President Tom Calderone has shown interest in this as well. But we need your help, and urgently. Please visit the following link on VH1.com to vote for the 3 Doors Down video, which depicts 20 Cincinnati landmarks, including Fountain Square, Government Square, Over-the-Rhine and our majestic Queen City skyline. http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/top_20_countdown/vote.jhtml **This Effort Would Generate Six Hours Of National Publicity In 90 Millions Homes VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown is a two-hour program that airs three times during the week – beginning from 9-11 a.m. Saturdays – and features a dozen mini-remotes during which host Alison Becker touts the different venues from the assigned location of the week. VH1 penetrates 90 million homes. A remote broadcast from Cincinnati would generate six hours of positive national publicity for Cincinnati on VH1. Alison would be able to tape from our new Fountain Square, Government Square, the Freedom Center, restaurants and nightclubs that have sprung up around the square, plus some views overlooking the city. This is a tremendous opportunity to promote our new Fountain Square, our re-energized Downtown! Thanks so much. Please vote early and often! So just voting for 3 Doors Down is going to bring VH1 to Cincinnati? I am not buying it...
July 10, 200816 yr ^ really? You would think they would add another shift right afterwards then. I was just kidding
July 10, 200816 yr So just voting for 3 Doors Down is going to bring VH1 to Cincinnati? I am not buying it... It sounds corny, but they like to shoot their countdown in some place that relates to a video near the top of the list. With 3 Doors Down they could shoot from Fountain Square and various other locations that the music video used.
July 10, 200816 yr Bring VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown to Cincinnati http://www.urbancincy.com/2008/07/bring-vh1s-top-20-video-countdown-to.html
July 10, 200816 yr So just voting for 3 Doors Down is going to bring VH1 to Cincinnati? I am not buying it... It sounds corny, but they like to shoot their countdown in some place that relates to a video near the top of the list. With 3 Doors Down they could shoot from Fountain Square and various other locations that the music video used. I guess that shows that I haven't watched MTV or VH1 in years. (5+)
July 29, 200816 yr SoapDish for July 29, 2008 http://www.soapboxmedia.com/features/24soapdish.aspx Much of the proverbial Shakespearean “ado” has been made of the $42 million extreme makeover of Fountain Square, what with the predictable sniping of “we liked it better before/if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” butting heads with the “it’s a whole new city of dazzling wonder and blinding urbanist awe” brand of bubbly enthusiasm. One point, however, that cannot be debated is that this is much “ado” about something (indeed, $42 million worth of “something”). Not surprisingly, I fall somewhat into the latter camp of bubbly enthusiasts, as do, I suspect, the majority of other Cincinistas who have frolicked and cavorted on the Square during any number of its increasingly popular events. I never quite understood the crusty complaints about the makeover, the most articulate of which seemed to boil down to something along the lines of “we used to be able to see the fountain while zooming by on 5th Street in our car….now we have to actually get out of our car, and we’re not happy about it.” While some may quibble about certain minor points (e.g. an underwhelming, to this point, tree canopy that bears no resemblance to the lush Gramercy Park-style forestry depicted in drawings), there is really no debate that the Square’s makeover has been a resounding populist success. At the risk of rehashing a point I made in an earlier “Soapblog,” one of the justifications for the added emphasis on redoing the Square was its prime role as a fixture in the center city, and that by refurbishing the Square, resulting developmental successes would ripple outward like a stone tossed in a pond. Just ticking off the names of new bars and restaurants rippling outward from the newly redone Square, it is clear that the theory has been proven empirically correct. Via Vite, Graeter’s, Potbelly, Morton’s, Boi Na Braza, McCormick & Schmick’s, Cadillac Ranch, Nada, and Oceanaire are just a few of those pond ripples emanating outward in surrounding blocks. Word on the street is that Chipotle has recently applied for a liquor license at One Fountain Square plaza, thereby adding yet another culinary option. Now if we can only get Joseph Beth to open up a bookstore and we’ll be set (for at least the time being). Moreover, the crack team of entertainment programmers headed up by Midpoint Music Fest panjandrum Bill Donabedian and his staff have been putting on events seemingly every day and night on the refurbished piazza, all of which have been both admirable in their enthusiasm and rewarding in the results. I recently ventured down during one of the popular Indie Summer concerts on a recent Friday to check out a few bands, as well as investigate the locally-oriented T-Shirt fest which was also happening simultaneously. The crowd was a veritable melting pot, to use an exceedingly tired but apt cliche, the demographics of which I’ll try to summarize as follows: downtown single residents and families mingling with couples from Wyoming; mingling with off-duty panhandlers and indigent downtown denizens enjoying some spirited barefoot dancing; mingling with a West Chester couple hoisting their infant up to see the band; mingling with rival Reds and Mets baseball fans from a recently concluded game; mingling with smiling police officers and equine comrades adjudicating friendly disputes between said baseball fans; mingling with just off-the-bus MegaBus travelers eager to roll the suitcases over for a quick post-journey beer (or three); mingling with St. X clergy checking out the scene; mingling with singer-songwriters eager to ply their trade at the late-night acoustic open mic; mingling with Northside hipsters eager to support their favorite band (or three); mingling with one member of the aforementioned band who took an unauthorized splashdown in the Fountain. The crowd really was an inexplicable amalgam coalescing together in the glowing spray of the Fountain, enjoying the best of the local music scene in one of downtown’s best settings (with the queues for both the beer and wood-fires pizzas growing increasingly longer as the clock approached 11:00). This whole scenario plays out in a similar manner with the various other programming on Thursday nights (salsa), Saturday (gospel afternoon plus movie double features at night!) and Sunday (soul and R&B). Not to be overlooked, the daytime lunch crowd is never at a shortage of entertainment options as well. As a downtown worker myself, the transformation in available lunchtime options has most certainly not gone unnoticed. The positive buzz from Tuesday’s “Market on the Square” is palpable whenever I have checked it out, and if you ever need to find 3CDC major domo Stephen Leeper there’s a good chance you can find him on the Square at lunchtime, kicking the tires, checking to see if a speaker is working or acting as impromptu maitre’d to a mother and two toddlers (to use just two documented examples from last Thursday). Bottom line, if you can find anyone still griping about the wisdom of investing $42 million in the Fountain Square makeover, my guess is they’re still trying to spot the Genius of Water while whizzing by at 35+ mph in their cloistered automobiles. By: Casey Coston, 7/29/2008
July 31, 200816 yr Next for square: Chipotle http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/BIZ01/307310064/1055/NEWS A commenter, on this article, mentioned some more details regarding opening date. I can't verify if this is accurate or not, but it's something to chew on. Here is the email the commenter said they received: From: Lyn E Jenkins [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:23 PM To: ****, Adam Subject: RE: Reply from Chipotle Hey Adam, Yes…we can share some info at this point. We have two locations opening in the month of October. One in Norwood. And another at 5th and Vine (Fountain Square)…which looks like where you work. Yeah!! Fountain Square is slated for end of Oct, first of Nov. Thanks for being so patient! Lyn
July 31, 200816 yr Next for square: Chipotle http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/BIZ01/307310064/1055/NEWS A commenter, on this article, mentioned some more details regarding opening date. I can't verify if this is accurate or not, but it's something to chew on. Here is the email the commenter said they received: From: Lyn E Jenkins [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:23 PM To: ****, Adam Subject: RE: Reply from Chipotle Hey Adam, Yeswe can share some info at this point. We have two locations opening in the month of October. One in Norwood. And another at 5th and Vine (Fountain Square)which looks like where you work. Yeah!! Fountain Square is slated for end of Oct, first of Nov. Thanks for being so patient! Lyn How thoughtful of the commentor to censor his own last name, while leaving poor Lyn E Jenkins and her corporate email address exposed.
July 31, 200816 yr nice to see that a startup weekly "soft news" urban cheerleading quasi-lifestyle e-zine like Soapbox would scoop both the Enquirer as well as the BizCourier......ahem..... :roll: Or maybe it's just a concidence that this comes out a few days after the Soapdish piece posted above.
July 31, 200816 yr nice to see that a startup weekly "soft news" urban cheerleading quasi-lifestyle e-zine like Soapbox would scoop both the Enquirer as well as the BizCourier......ahem..... :roll: Or maybe it's just a concidence that this comes out a few days after the Soapdish piece posted above. That does seem to happen a lot. I did an article about 'third places' and 3 days later the Enquirer did a story about a 'third place' and then 2 days after that Soapbox had an article covering a similar issue.
August 1, 200816 yr Cincinnati's Fifth Third sues contractor, claims square leakage http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/08/04/story7.html
August 1, 200816 yr I think editors commonly look at blogs for inspiration. Yup, and I think many bloggers do the same (getting inspiration from newspapers). The difference is that we cite them, and link to their stories...thus illustrating that the idea for the story is not completely original and that if you like it you could find more reading elsewhere.
August 20, 200816 yr Over the summer, Potbelly supposedly expanded their hours (open until 9) on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They never ever bother posting a sign stating this. Now, supposedly, they will try remaining open until 9 again on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for three weeks after Labor Day. Again, they plan on posting no information about this, and I heard that they also do not plan on advertising this. They are just going to stay open as a trial run. Does anyone else get the impression that they do not want these extended hours to succeed? It seems to me that if you're trying extended hours, you would at least post a sign and do whatever you can to get the word out.
August 20, 200816 yr Over the summer, Potbelly supposedly expanded their hours (open until 9) on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They never ever bother posting a sign stating this. Now, supposedly, they will try remaining open until 9 again on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for three weeks after Labor Day. Again, they plan on posting no information about this, and I heard that they also do not plan on advertising this. They are just going to stay open as a trial run. Does anyone else get the impression that they do not want these extended hours to succeed? It seems to me that if you're trying extended hours, you would at least post a sign and do whatever you can to get the word out. With a place like Potbellys (cheap and fast), with its location on FS where a lot of people either start or end their night, and many more people will casually pass by, most of their evening business will probably be from people who were going to be on the square anyways and just kind of wonder in. I'm not sure who they would advertise to, besides downtown residents, as no person from the burbs is going to see that Potbellys has extended their hours and make a trip downtown to get a 5$ sandwich...
August 20, 200816 yr We went by Potbelly's last Friday before 8PM and they were closed...end up going to Arnold's instead. Who knows what time they close....
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