Drago's is closing

[cajundiehard]

Toucans> Booties > Serranos > Bako's > Mellow Mushroom > Drago's

Might be missing something in between

Before all that... Shoe Town. lol

[CajunJeaux]

Judice inn and olde tyme grocery would like a word with you. Just proves, if you have good food, it doesn't REALLY matter.

Schit, when you put it that way you have a good point haha.

But, Old Tyme and Judice Inn actually have character. Walk Ons is just tables and TVs. Kind of like BWW - just nasty dining rooms.

[cajun4life]

Same fate as Luna’s downtown. Great menu and atmosphere, then the lease rate tripled. So they closed, absolutely zero to do with service, food or atmosphere.

[zephyr]

Went to Dragos in Metairie for over 25 years for their oysters. Lafayette location just as good. Lafayette supports chains and restaurants owned outside of Lafayette. Flock to latest opening. Locals getting hammered.
We’ll have to drive to other locales to eat.
OK. I’m ranting but I’ll miss my charbroiled oysters.

Well, its mostly chains who are shutting down.

[zephyr]

Dragos has great chargrilled oysters…but then that’s it.

Both Don’s and Chimes blow it out the water for other menu items, in my unprofessional opinion.

Dons definitely. Neither place touches Dons for its food and consistency. Chimes is OK for a few dishes but they will see a dropoff like everyone else in the future.

[zephyr]

I give The Chimes..at the gates of River Ranch..five years. Lafayette is a very fickled town when it comes to food and entertainment. Same thing with whatever they're building at the Randol's site. Top Golf, Dave and Buster's, all the same. There is only so much discretionary money to go around. Novelty and newness, then forgotten. WalkOns...ain't what it was at the beginning, had not been in a few years.

When that interchange at Ambassador and 90 is complete, there is your next hot zip code. Ask any local old timer...in a rough 50 years window, went from 70501 to '06 to '03 to '08.

I give Superior a better chance. This town really likes mexican and they will be as good or better than just about anybody around. They have some of the best margaritas in town and they are probably going to do it up nice outside. It should be a fun place but I think they will be in it for the long haul. Chimes has such a financial hill to climb with their entry costs being sky high. Don't want to see anybody fail but they could be a good candidate.

[zephyr]

Word has always been that you have to pay 3 LEASES..

1.) Land Lease ( 5K )
2.) Parking Lot Lease ( 5K )
3.) Buidling Lease ( 5K )

Very likely. The Judice family owns all that land so it could be possible.

[CajunVic]

What makes you think Chimes entry price is higher than Superior Grill?

[zephyr]

Yea if I'm not mistaken, it went from Toucan's to Booties. There was prob another one between those two.

It was also Bako's before Drago's. Gabe Bako who worked at LaFonda's for years opened it up there.

[CajunT]

I give Superior a better chance. This town really likes mexican and they will be as good or better than just about anybody around. They have some of the best margaritas in town and they are probably going to do it up nice outside. It should be a fun place but I think they will be in it for the long haul. Chimes has such a financial hill to climb with their entry costs being sky high. Don't want to see anybody fail but they could be a good candidate.

Superior Grill has never been a disappointment in Baton Rouge for me. Once they open, you will be lucky to get in less than an hour.

[zephyr]

What makes you think Chimes entry price is higher than Superior Grill?

Well, for one they bought more than double the amount of hard corner land which was amongst the most expensive in town. Second, they are not only in it for the massive construction costs of their building but of the development, buildings and infrastructure of the surrounding parcels.

[Swamp]

It was also Bako's before Drago's. Gabe Bako who worked at LaFonda's for years opened it up there.

Yea I meant between Toucans and Booties. Just that window.

[zephyr]

Man, how does one invest in remodeling someone else’s property without a long term agreement in place first?!?

I do not believe his explanation he got from someone was accurate. That lease, when they left, had a number of years left on it. However, I think that lease had escalations yearly and it just outpriced them for the amount of food they were selling.

[ZoomZoom]

It was a service station a very long time ago. (Back when the drive in theater was still operating).Texaco I think. They tore it down and built a shoe town. Then the succession of bars and restaurants. Tucans was owned by Bobby Silor. A bar/restaurant owner that had establishments that would have "fires". The joke around town was "how much gasoline does it take to burn a restaurant down.....toucans".
All I have to say is the only thing in common with all the establishments that were there is the landlord.

Ah, much like Boo-Boo’s and Chateau Rouge. Darnedest thing, they just happened to burn.

Maybe our CHSNI guys could confirm this, da berry lore had a famous local politician tell his son one afternoon not to leave his new bike too close to the house that night. Allegedly, the house burned and the namesake told his fb teammates at practice about it. Dogged the boy mercilessly.

[Swamp]

Similar food genre as Lafonda.

Will it pull from that crowd? I doubt it but will probably affect Chuy's and the like

SG will have the parking lot in grid lock for first year, but she will long term earn very valuable, Lafayette market share.

Just pray they don't have some catastrophe grand opening like Burger Tyme.