A Sea Of Red

New Brauburgers location going in on Rivermont.

https://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/ ... 4b951.html

https://wset.com/news/local/the-corner- ... -moving-in

We're not in that area very often but glad that they're expanding. We love their food.

I just wish Burger King would finish remodeling on Timberlake Road.

ballcoach15 wrote:I just wish Burger King would finish remodeling on Timberlake Road.

That darn tornado should have hit McDonald's across the road instead!!

On a related note, Steak and Shake is closed for renovations.

Cider Jim wrote:On a related note, Steak and Shake is closed for renovations.

Hopefully they're renovating their staff.

Cider Jim wrote:On a related note, Steak and Shake is closed for renovations.

We haven't been there in forever, it was just nasty and smelled like a wet shoe. Amazing they have to renovate already.

ALUmnus wrote:

Cider Jim wrote:On a related note, Steak and Shake is closed for renovations.

We haven't been there in forever, it was just nasty and smelled like a wet shoe. Amazing they have to renovate already.

Yeah, I've heard a lot of things through the grapevine. I hear there was a turnover in management and staff after someone posted a bunch of dirty stuff behind the scenes on Facebook several months back. I've heard that they're going to convert it into a Taco Bell since the Steak n Shake was so unsuccessful, but I haven't seen anything to back that up outside of a few Facebook posts from former employees of the Steak n Shake.

Is the Denny's still coming in across the street?

Cider Jim wrote:On a related note, Steak and Shake is closed for renovations.

If LU has anything to do with it, it will remain vacant.

My guess is that it won't reopen and the owner is looking for someone to take over the local franchise. No reno plans have been filed with the city.

Yeah I noticed there were no permits on file for work on that building. Employees were told it would be converted to a Taco Bell and that it will be reopening in January.

LU doesn’t own that tiny parcel so hopefully something will get done with it.

Yacht Rock wrote:Yeah I noticed there were no permits on file for work on that building. Employees were told it would be converted to a Taco Bell and that it will be reopening in January.

LU doesn’t own that tiny parcel so hopefully something will get done with it.

Wait. A Taco Bell 3/4 of a mile from the other Taco Bell? That seems smart.

Yeah, that's what I said. Although to be honest, the intersection at Wards and Candlers is high traffic and it can be sketchy getting out of that parking lot and back on the road depending on the time of day.

rogers3 wrote:No reno plans have been filed with the city.

What would trigger that necessity? If it were simply installing new tables, booths, etc. would that do it? FWIW, I did see workers there today (~5 vehicles).

ElmersTwin wrote:

Yacht Rock wrote:Yeah I noticed there were no permits on file for work on that building. Employees were told it would be converted to a Taco Bell and that it will be reopening in January.

LU doesn’t own that tiny parcel so hopefully something will get done with it.

Wait. A Taco Bell 3/4 of a mile from the other Taco Bell? That seems smart.

They’d probably just close down the other location, no? Is it still the same old building? If so, it’s due for a demo anyway.

adam42381 wrote:

ElmersTwin wrote:

Yacht Rock wrote:Yeah I noticed there were no permits on file for work on that building. Employees were told it would be converted to a Taco Bell and that it will be reopening in January.

LU doesn’t own that tiny parcel so hopefully something will get done with it.

Wait. A Taco Bell 3/4 of a mile from the other Taco Bell? That seems smart.

They’d probably just close down the other location, no? Is it still the same old building? If so, it’s due for a demo anyway.

They just renovated it in probably the past year or so. So I doubt they are getting ready to move to a different location.

Do y’all know if it is the same franchisee? I think the Taco Bell lead is bunk.

Yeah, it's definitely hard to believe but here's the quote from the GM on Facebook.

2day is the hardest day as a gm. To let my employees know that sns is closing and converting over to taco bell. No they do not loose jobs my employees are employees my manager are managers I'm still me. But we are no longer steak n shake but taco bell. Our store will shut down for the remodels but we will be back catch us at a taco bell near u until then....

Someone else has stated that the Steak N Shake employees are currently training at local Taco Bells to prepare.

As this is all stuff on the internet, of course it all comes with a grain of salt.

This is an interesting tidbit of an article of on what happened to the Steak 'n Shake in Waynesboro. Both of these franchises are operated by the same company, "Steaks of Virigina."

https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/l ... 791201002/

According to an article from Restaurant Business, Steaks of Virginia filed a lawsuit in April against the restaurant, claiming it was losing money at all nine of its locations. Steak ‘n Shake’s pricing strategy means the franchisor dictates how much operators can charge no matter where the restaurant is located, the article said.

From the Restaurant Business article:

http://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com ... e-strategy

Steak ‘n Shake’s pricing strategy means the franchisor dictates how much operators can charge, despite the location of the operators’ restaurants. The strategy is the centerpiece in a lawsuit filed by a franchisee in Virginia last week.

The lawsuit comes after two notably difficult years for the 600-unit chain. Same-store sales fell 0.4% in 2016 and another 1.8% in 2017. Traffic last year fell 4.4%.

The decline in traffic wiped out the chain’s profits. Operating earnings per location declined from $83,300 in 2016 to just $1,000 in 2017.

For franchisees that operate 173 of the 585 U.S. locations and have to pay for royalties on top of other costs, the traffic declines risk sending many locations into financial losses. In addition, rising minimum wages in many markets, along with competition for labor, could put further pressure on that profitability.

Steaks of Virginia, the franchisee that filed the lawsuit last week, claimed it was losing money at all nine of its locations.

93.7, citing the Waynesboro.com Facebook post, reports that the Waynesboro location is converting to a Taco Bell.

https://937now.iheart.com/featured/stev ... ll-coming/

This information comes from unnamed employees as well.

Waynesboro also has not received any applications for a permit for remodeling either. From the outside though, it appears for certain that the franchisee is not making as much money as they'd like on Steak 'N Shake. Perhaps the closings are tactics used as part of the lawsuit that's been filed.

When all is said and done, this comes to mind.

Wow! I would say that what you found is likely true then. I still wonder at the success of Taco Bell at that location.

Yeah, one of the supervisors at SNS commented on the WSET story, stating:

...we will open with something bigger and better.

Red Robin. Bigger and much better. Likes malls.

badger74 wrote:Red Robin. Bigger and much better. Likes malls.

Would be nice, but it seems pretty small compared to the RRs I've seen.

badger74 wrote:Red Robin. Bigger and much better. Likes malls.

RR isn't franchised, is it?

It is.

Rumors around town state that Steak N Shake at River Ridge now has a "Taco Bell Coming Soon" sign up. I haven't been around that side of town today so I can't independently confirm.

EDIT TO ADD - Confirmed

https://www.newsadvance.com/news/busine ... 47069.html

As of Wednesday new signs which read “Taco Bell Coming Soon” hang above the restaurant located at 3351 Candlers Mountain Road.

...

According to city of Lynchburg online records Taco Bell received an interior renovation permit on August 28.