The Official "Business Destroyed By Lockdown" Thread

[HoughMade]

All so true; before we moved out of Marion County, our southside home had three Steak 'n Shakes within reasonable driving distance. Only one was reasonably good, but it, too, went downhill.

No attention to any kind of quality or customer service.

I-69 expansion just killed the store at Southport Road and SR 37; I have no idea how it possibly managed to stay open until the INDOT buyout.

In the distant past (it seems) we made a practice of attending the State Fair when our kids had projects advance from our local county to state. This happened fairly frequently. We usually stayed in the Drury Inn at 69 and 465 on Shadeland. There is (was?) a Steak and Shake just off of Binford. Went there 3 times over the years. 1st time, slow service. Gave then another try on a later trip.....horrific service. 3rd try, I'm forgiving....no order take for 45 minutes. Left. But hey, anyone can have a single bad store.

Friends wanted to hit the Steak and Shake in Merrillville...I would have preferred not to. Took the order promptly...food took almost and hour.

When the kids were younger, we had a little Christmas tree tradition where we cut our own (points east of Valpo) and came back to the Steak and Shake in Valpo for lunch after. That was fine for a few years (early to mid 2000s), but eventually, the service got slower and slower until I had had enough. No more. They had closed down the Valpo store and recently reopened it. I don't know why.

I have committed myself. Never again.

I have not been to a sit-down restaurant since March (I wonder why), but since about 2010, whereever I was, I have always sought out the local Greek family diner. I have not been disappointed.

 

[terrehautian]

The terre haute one routinely had bad service. One time I went at midnight after work. 20 minutes to get drink order, 20 minutes to get drink, another long wait for food. There were a few times we had great service though.

 

[hopper68]

Over saturation, it's a real thing. It amazes me that people in business fail to realize that a market area can only can only sustain a certain number of same style businesses no matter how niche it is.
The Indianapolis Metro area had a HUGE explosion of Micro Breweries/Brew Pubs that started in 2010.

One was opened in Plainfield years ago and has closed to my knowledge, Mooresville had one open in the last 6 months, and might make a go of it because of it's aggressive approach towards it food menu.

30 million people would love to own a cash cow like a McDonald's. When was the last time you seen a Micky D's close? It's because even McDonald's knows over saturation is a bad thing. To my memory the only McDonald's I ever seen closed was the one on the corner of Rural and Roosevelt Ave located a block south of the I-70 Rural/Keystone exit. I said when it was built it was the wrong neighborhood and wouldn't last.

30+ years ago a burger joint in Petersburg, IN shut down and McDonald's moved in. The name can get you only so far and loses to bad management eventually. When you walk in and look around and say I would not eat in here then look behind the counter and say I would not eat packaged food those people touched....

Petersburg McDonald's shut down earlier this year all from their own fault.

 

[mmpsteve]

Speaking of poor service (or poor choices), a recent incident I encountered reminds me that a lot of these Covid Closures are self-inflicted. I need a haircut, so I head a block north to my normal place. Walk in, and there's no one in the place but the proprietor, who cuts hair. She grabs her notepad behind the counter and says "you need an appointment". Me, thinking she's kidding because there's no one in the place, whip out my phone with a smile and say 'you want me to call you'?

Then I realize she's not kidding. She says she has a 1:40 appointment, but can fit me in later, and she's ready to write me in. Now it's 1:20, and my hair takes all of 10 minutes to cut. I just tell her I'll have to check my schedule, and walk out shaking my head. She won't survive long with the kind of rent she pays. When it comes to business, stupid does hurt, but she'll blame it on the China plague.

.

 

[JettaKnight]

I have not been to a sit-down restaurant since March (I wonder why), but since about 2010, whereever I was, I have always sought out the local Greek family diner. I have not been disappointed.

This is my wife:

‘I Can’t Wait For Things To Get Back To Normal,’ Says Woman Spending Friday Night Dining With Friends In Crowded Indoor Restaurant




Due to the increased church services to decrease density, we've been to the local breakfast joint on Sunday too many times to count...


We've been keeping restaurants busy - no, no, hold your applause. I'm just trying to do my part; I'm not trying to be a hero.

 

[JettaKnight]

Speaking of poor service (or poor choices), a recent incident I encountered reminds me that a lot of these Covid Closures are self-inflicted. I need a haircut, so I head a block north to my normal place. Walk in, and there's no one in the place but the proprietor, who cuts hair. She grabs her notepad behind the counter and says "you need an appointment". Me, thinking she's kidding because there's no one in the place, whip out my phone with a smile and say 'you want me to call you'?

Then I realize she's not kidding. She says she has a 1:40 appointment, but can fit me in later, and she's ready to write me in. Now it's 1:20, and my hair takes all of 10 minutes to cut. I just tell her I'll have to check my schedule, and walk out shaking my head. She won't survive long with the kind of rent she pays. When it comes to business, stupid does hurt, but she'll blame it on the China plague.

.

Wait, this is your normal place, but you don't know they require appts?



I just realized this might a chop shop you're talking about. If that's the case, let them go under. There's plenty of good barbers out there that deserve the work.

 

[ghuns]

Wait, this is your normal place, but you don't know they require appts?

I think walk ins are prohibited under one of the stages of our lockdown BS.

 

[terrehautian]

I think walk ins are prohibited under one of the stages of our lockdown BS.

They say that but most places don’t abide by it. Great clips does walk ins if not busy.

 

[HoughMade]

This is my wife:

‘I Can’t Wait For Things To Get Back To Normal,’ Says Woman Spending Friday Night Dining With Friends In Crowded Indoor Restaurant


Due to the increased church services to decrease density, we've been to the local breakfast joint on Sunday too many times to count...

We've been keeping restaurants busy - no, no, hold your applause. I'm just trying to do my part; I'm not trying to be a hero.

Honestly, I didn't go to restaurants that often before. We always went as a family after my son's band concerts...none of those. I used to go for lunch once a week...I got out of the habit, now I'm eating very strictly, so not eating out. I'm not traveling for work. Not much in the way of entertaining clients these days.

Anyhoo, will be reviving the post Christmas Tree cutting lunch tradition (at a Greek family diner) in a few weeks. May be the first time back.

 

[mmpsteve]

Wait, this is your normal place, but you don't know they require appts?



I just realized this might a chop shop you're talking about. If that's the case, let them go under. There's plenty of good barbers out there that deserve the work.

Well, I need a haircut bad, like I havn't been there in months. Last time I was there, walk-ins were fine, and that was after restrictions started. The owner has changed her policy, which is her right to do, obviously. I was more commenting on her not taking my 10 minute/$20 cut when her next appointment wasn't for 20 minutes. She must not need my $20. Again, her place, her rules. It's a 2000 square foot facility - even if I overlapped her next appointment, plenty of space to not breath on one another. She must see it different.

And yes, I have an appointment with a real barber after lunch today.

.

 

[jamil]

Honestly, I didn't go to restaurants that often before. We always went as a family after my son's band concerts...none of those. I used to go for lunch once a week...I got out of the habit, now I'm eating very strictly, so not eating out. I'm not traveling for work. Not much in the way of entertaining clients these days.

Anyhoo, will be reviving the post Christmas Tree cutting lunch tradition (at a Greek family diner) in a few weeks. May be the first time back.

We’ve never been all that fond of dining in. Usually we get take out 2 or 3 times a week. Covid has not changed that except when restaurants were completely shut down.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Speaking of poor service (or poor choices), a recent incident I encountered reminds me that a lot of these Covid Closures are self-inflicted. I need a haircut, so I head a block north to my normal place. Walk in, and there's no one in the place but the proprietor, who cuts hair. She grabs her notepad behind the counter and says "you need an appointment". Me, thinking she's kidding because there's no one in the place, whip out my phone with a smile and say 'you want me to call you'?

Then I realize she's not kidding. She says she has a 1:40 appointment, but can fit me in later, and she's ready to write me in. Now it's 1:20, and my hair takes all of 10 minutes to cut. I just tell her I'll have to check my schedule, and walk out shaking my head. She won't survive long with the kind of rent she pays. When it comes to business, stupid does hurt, but she'll blame it on the China plague.

.

things like this are also exactly why the dems blocked liability waivers for employers. they want everyone terrified and not operating

 

[DRob]

I've been in a rut for breakfast for many years. Lincoln Square Pancake House at Stop 11 & Emerson on the south side of Indy is "our kitchen". Unless an early tee time conflicts, I/we are there 6 days a week. Sunday I go to YiaYia's at 135 & Main, Greenwood. We get there are at opening time and neither is ever busy but by 8:30 or so, they begin to pick up. Good food, good service, seating at about 50%, same owners. As a side note, they know most of us are carrying.

OTOH, I agree that some places must have been operating on a shoestring and COVID cut it for them. Steak & Shake at 37 & Southport Rd is closed and the building doesn't even have the name on it. The Southport & McFarland S&S is drive thru only (with unused picnic tables in the parking lot) and according to a friend who got a burger there, they must be precooking and nuking them. Burned his mouth on a burger. Not in sight, it can't be right! The KFC across the street is closed but I hear the Health Dept may have closed them down for repeated violations. CHUY's Mexican restaurant, where Cheeseburger in Paradise was, made a big splash a few months ago, but has not opened. They claim they are opening Dec 31. Mexican restaurants are everywhere and all seem to be doing well. The Ale Emporium at Emerson and County Line Rd seems to be packed every night. Just out of Marion County. I don't know what their seating is or if they require masks for entry.

The wife and I walked into Great Clips in front of Meijer on Southport Rd about a week ago. She had "checked in" on line. There were no other customers.

 

[IndyTom]

I actually shopped at a JCP over the summer for an item of clothing that my daughter needed that we couldn't find anywhere else. It seemed to be doing well given the line we were in to check out.

 

[bwframe]

Huse Culinary closing book on downtown Burger Study due to pandemic

 

[bwframe]

Carmel to force controversial tavern on Monon Trail to close by 2 p.m. daily

Not closed yet, but...

 

[ghuns]

Carmel to force controversial tavern on Monon Trail to close by 2 p.m. daily

Not closed yet, but...

You sure this is a 'Rona lockdown related issue?

The tavern has since upset neighbors with its late-night noise and unruly patrons, so much so that the city council approved new public urination and defecation fines Monday night to start addressing the issue.

 

[Cameramonkey]

So there are noise issues, leading to a 2PM shutdown order? Really? Overreact much? I could see 10P but 2P?

 

[ghuns]

So there are noise issues, leading to a 2PM shutdown order? Really? Overreact much? I could see 10P but 2P?

I can't go back and re-read, used up my free articles, but I thought it said they bought a business in a residential area that was previously a breakfast joint that the city said said had to close two and turned it into a bar.

The city looked the other way and let them operate during normal bar hours.

The city is now enforcing the 2pm shutdown because neighbors complained about the noise and the patrons s***ting/p***ing up the neighborhood.

Did I miss anything? I mean, maybe it's not that bad and a couple neighborhood busy bodies are just causing a stink. But if I lived there, I don't think I'd call it overreaction.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Either close them down totally because they are operating outside zoning norms, or let them run normal hours for a restaurant. Forcing them to only be open for breakfast and lunch is an overreaction to to problems that happened well beyond dinner hour norms. Presumably drunken behavior starts after 9 or 10pm, right? So why not let them operate normally (7a-10p?) and prevent them from being open when folks are more likely to be drunk and disorderly? Assuming we arent talking about day drinkers crapping on the sidewalk at 3pm.

This ranks right up there with kicking a kid out of school because he has behavior problems only while playing football. He's fine in class, but gets overly aggressive and gets kicked out of games. By your logic its ok to kick him out of school, even though all of his problems are isolated to football games after school hours. So why not kick him off the team instead of kicking him out of school, depriving him of an education?

IMHO this is an overreaction. Once again, either apply common sense restrictions based on the problems, or close them permanently because they are operating outside the zoning restrictions.