This is the definitive place to discuss everything that makes life on & off campus so unique in Central Virginia.

Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke

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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#490921
Best news I've heard since the Bojangles opened on Old Forest Road. :clapping
#533877
alabama24 wrote:Apparently one of the employees live streamed the announcement on FB.
They told the employees when they showed up for their shift. Dirty dealing right there. Someone on facebook joked about a ChickFilA replacing it, but I would be very happy about that. I can't remember the last time I saw a ChickFilA more than a mile from a mall though. They're picky about location.
#533880
Class of 20Something wrote:
alabama24 wrote:Apparently one of the employees live streamed the announcement on FB.
They told the employees when they showed up for their shift. Dirty dealing right there. Someone on facebook joked about a ChickFilA replacing it, but I would be very happy about that. I can't remember the last time I saw a ChickFilA more than a mile from a mall though. They're picky about location.
At least they told them to their face. Ruby Tuesday's put a note on the door and locked it up.
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By adam42381
Registration Days Posts
#533883
Class of 20Something wrote:
alabama24 wrote:Apparently one of the employees live streamed the announcement on FB.
They told the employees when they showed up for their shift. Dirty dealing right there. Someone on facebook joked about a ChickFilA replacing it, but I would be very happy about that. I can't remember the last time I saw a ChickFilA more than a mile from a mall though. They're picky about location.
Almost none of the CFAs in my area are within a mile of a mall. They're all over and they're all thriving. Kind of shocking that Zaxby's is closing less that two years after opening. That had to have been a tremendously bad investment.
#533886
adam42381 wrote:
Class of 20Something wrote:
alabama24 wrote:Apparently one of the employees live streamed the announcement on FB.
They told the employees when they showed up for their shift. Dirty dealing right there. Someone on facebook joked about a ChickFilA replacing it, but I would be very happy about that. I can't remember the last time I saw a ChickFilA more than a mile from a mall though. They're picky about location.
Almost none of the CFAs in my area are within a mile of a mall. They're all over and they're all thriving. Kind of shocking that Zaxby's is closing less that two years after opening. That had to have been a tremendously bad investment.
I just think the location was wrong. It wasn't close enough to the Taco Bell and new Bojangles in Forest to be part of the indecision fast foods. Just a mile or two further down the road could have made the difference, but it's 3 miles from JF and 3 miles from Billy Craft Honda.

@flamehunter I won't goto a Zaxbys again. I've been twice and received pink chicken every time. I asked for a fully cooked sandwich and got another pink one.
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#533887
Honestly, the last time we went, we got pink wings. We showed them to the manager, and he brought us MORE pink wings, which I'm sure came out the same fry basket. It's like he couldn't figure out what to do, so he just gave us a coupon for more free wings.
:dontgetit
#cookthewingslonger
#533888
Cider Jim wrote:Honestly, the last time we went, we got pink wings. We showed them to the manager, and he brought us MORE pink wings, which I'm sure came out the same fry basket. It's like he couldn't figure out what to do, so he just gave us a coupon for more free wings.
:dontgetit
#cookthewingslonger
I'm noticing a pattern.
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By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#533893
We've eaten Zaxbys for years in Houston and never had either a quality control or customer service issue. I wonder about the local franchisee's ability based on thos horror stories.
#533908
That location is down the road from my house and it was always dead. They did give me the wrong salad once but everyone was always friendly, for the most part. They were a little slow and understaffed sometimes when we did show up, but then again, they were slow so I don't blame them. Our experience was that the food was always as good as it was off of Wards.

At the end of the day, location, location, location. My wife and I are looking at investing into a business in the next few years and that's the big thing we're looking at. Sadly, whoever shows up next will likely have the same issue, unless it is so unique/awesome that it becomes a destination unto itself. You just can't be mediocre and expect people to show up.

I watched that video and yeah, if the owner runs his business like he tells people they're losing their job, I'm not surprised it went under and that they had service issues. Fast food workers don't need $15/hr like some people talk about, but you can treat them with respect and honor and let them know that you value what they do. This dude looked like he couldn't wait to get out the door. He didn't seem prepared to know how to have a difficult conversation with a staff or how to wind down an operation in a less difficult way.
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#533912
Since Zaxby's opened, there have been two new restaurants that opened nearby--a pizza place and another Firehouse Subs--so that must be a decent location for them. And all three are on the same side of the road.
By Yacht Rock
Registration Days Posts
#533913
Cider Jim wrote:Since Zaxby's opened, there have been two new restaurants that opened nearby--a pizza place and another Firehouse Subs--so that must be a decent location for them. And all three are on the same side of the road.
I don't know about that to be honest. Time will tell as those haven't been open very long. They do have the benefits of being easier to access from the Neighborhood Market.

To get from Neighborhood Market to Zaxby's you have to either hop on 221 and drive down to the light or drive behind the shops. Also if you are heading toward Forest on 221 you probably pass Zaxby's without knowing it's there.

Until that area gets built up a bit more, I'd be surprised to see Firehouse Subs last as well. Marcos can deliver so they might be able to overcome location woes. That Christmas decor store that is now the Centra Urgent Care clinic closed some time ago as well. The Walmart is good for business for everyone there but they do need something on the other side of the road to really pull people to that area in my opinion.
By Yacht Rock
Registration Days Posts
#533914
Cider Jim wrote:Since Zaxby's opened, there have been two new restaurants that opened nearby--a pizza place and another Firehouse Subs--so that must be a decent location for them. And all three are on the same side of the road.
In the end, if you offer something good enough, it can overcome the location though. I personally don't think either Marcos or Firehouse can do that. But if you look at Mookies down the road, they're continually busy because who can pass up an ice cream/cookie sandwich.
#533915
Yacht Rock wrote:
Cider Jim wrote:Since Zaxby's opened, there have been two new restaurants that opened nearby--a pizza place and another Firehouse Subs--so that must be a decent location for them. And all three are on the same side of the road.
In the end, if you offer something good enough, it can overcome the location though. I personally don't think either Marcos or Firehouse can do that. But if you look at Mookies down the road, they're continually busy because who can pass up an ice cream/cookie sandwich.
Big note for those that will visit that don't live in Lynchburg anymore. Mookies is a thing now.
By rogers3
Registration Days Posts
#533935
The place to be in that strip of highway its either by the Kroger our closer to the OFR intersection. Starbucks is a good bellwether in that respect. I'll go out on a limb and say that most new development in the next few years will be along 221 between the newspaper office and Graves Kill Rd.
#533936
rogers3 wrote:The place to be in that strip of highway its either by the Kroger our closer to the OFR intersection. Starbucks is a good bellwether in that respect. I'll go out on a limb and say that most new development in the next few years will be along 221 between the newspaper office and Graves Kill Rd.
Which is why we live out by Concord! Where we can patently wait for service quotes :mrgreen:
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#533941
rogers3 wrote:I'll go out on a limb and say that most new development in the next few years will be along 221 between the newspaper office and Graves Kill Rd.
That's where I live! And they are putting in a new Starbucks right now in that area not far from the Sheetz but on the other side of the road, corner of 221 and Phillips.
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#533942
WSET posted an encouraging article that Sodexo, LU's food servicee, might be hiring the former employees from Zaxby's.
He said they have 65 open positions; enough to take in all the former Zaxby's employees who qualify. "That's what we love to do: bring people in from the community, give them a position, let them have a good job, and let them have a career where they can move up and not just barely make minimum wage," Irby said.
Now on the menu? A dash of hope with a large helping of faith on the side.
http://wset.com/news/local/liberty-univ ... er-closure
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