Restaurants

[twism]

Re: Restaurants

I like Chipotle, also in Iowa City I know Pancheros is a huge favorite down there. Both are amazing.

[jacksfaninne]

Re: Restaurants

Chipolte is OK. I like Qdoba better. What I don't like is Chipotle's politics.

[NightHawk78]

Re: Restaurants

Brookings could use a nice, formal restaurant and probably a couple more casual, sit-down places. The problem is that Brookings (last I knew) was out of liquor licenses, which are virtually required for these types of businesses. There are a few possible ways to solve this dilemna:

1) Get more people living in the city since SD law allows cities to issue on-sale liquor licenses by population. Counting the people, however, seems to be a problem......
2) Have a developer obtain a county liquor license (if available) for a site at the edge of Brookings and then get annexed into the city. This license then becomes a city liquor license and does not count towards any set limit. This method is how Mitchell is able to keep adding liquor licenses despite being way beyond its state limit.
3) Attempt to persuade the SD state legislature to completely overhaul the state's liquor license laws. Sioux Falls is maxed out (and has a significant wiaitng list), Mitchell and Davison County keep running their loophole, and the system seems to be broken. My best suggestion is a two-tiered system, with one being used for the traditional bar (more limited in number) and the second being used for catering/restaurants (make these more available, but perhaps disallow video lottery or other restrictions).

If Brookings was a red-hot market, a restaurant entrepreneur would likely be more inclined to just go to a local owner and attempt to buy the business for the liquor license. That, however, is expensive and risky.....

(to be continued....)

[NightHawk78]

Re: Restaurants

I know that a lot of people groan over the existance of fast-food restaurants, but Brookings probably could use a couple more, particularly since a lot of workers have a limited (half-hour) lunch break and the exisitng fast-food scene is actually pretty limited for a town of this size couple with SDSU. The completion of 6th Street and the planned development of the NE corner of U.S. 14 and I-29 will likely help. Here's my list, by category and in order, of places we should get:

Fast-food:
1) Arby's
2) Taco Bell
3) Wendy's
4) Culver's
5) Jimmy John's or Quizno's
My hunch, however, is that a second McD's (insert groan here) will be one of the next places to go up (new development east of I-29; Burger Pete is proving wise for setting up shop over there.)

Sit-down:
1) Buffalo Wild Wings (probably away from downtown)
2) Minerva's-type restaurant
3) Timber Lodge Steakhouse (or something similar)
I'm not sure how many sit-down places fit here in town due to the workforce and all of the poor college students. Country Kitchen closed w/o any replacement. Plus, the liquor license issue often rears its ugly head here. I don't know what the long-range plans are for the new owners of the Staurolite, but getting a franchise restaurant (or having Minerva's manage the place) might play a big role in givng the ol' Staurolite its much-needed makeover.....plus, they already have the liquor license!

Other:
1) Dunkin' Donuts (hey, they're going national!)
2) Starbucks (Hy-Vee kiosk is all right, but a full-service store closer to campus would be great)
the former Mad Jacks on 6th could work for either.....)

Where to put these fine establishments:
1) Attached to an existing hotel (I'm calling you out, Saturolite!).
2) Former Mad Jacks location on 6th Street. (close to campus)
3) Redevelop a location near downtown.
4) Redevelop another location near campus. (former EconoFoods building site?)
5) NE corner of I-29 and US 14, the DOT site that the city has bought for development. Eventually, I could see four to six restaurants in this area if it develops as planned.
6) Squeeze it in somewhere between 22nd Ave and I-29.
7) Around Hy-Vee/University Mall....other than Hy-Vee, where's the nearest place to grab food? This place would have to rely on local residents though.....

[thebluehatman]

Re: Restaurants

Acutally a Culver's or Wendy's or Arby's will be the next in town according to the people I know in the city government.

[luvstate]

Re: Restaurants

Chipotle is very tasty, but I like Panchero's better! As a small business owner, I support small business as much as possible, so either place does not get alot of my money.

Isn't there a small, family owned Italian place in Brookings...it's like an old house? Or is that in Watertown?

[dr_jack]

Re: Restaurants

Panchero's is great. I would have wasted away in graduate school without it.

But I guess I'm not all that interested in chain restaurants of any kind (national, regional, local). I would like to see some good, authentic ethnic food here. We could use a nice Indian or Thai restaurant. I've never lived in a college town so few decent ethnic places. Guadalajara is OK. The Chinese place is OK. We need some more interesting places like that... only better. I would hate it if we bring all of these young people here and they never get exposed to anything outside of their cultural or culinary comfort zone.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Restaurants

if the logistics weren't so poor, how about a sushi resteraunt?

[jackmd]

Re: Restaurants

if the logistics weren't so poor, how about a sushi resteraunt?

Sushi when its great is great. Sushi when its in Brookings, SD is a bad idea.

Indian cuisine is fantastic but I'm not sure it would fly in Brookings either. I'd eat there at every opportunity but I'm not a big eater.

Culvers seems like a reasonable front-runner in my mind. Not that I am happy with that, just seems reasonable.

[jackrabit1]

Re: Restaurants

Sushi in Brookings=bait! ;D

[More_Cowbell]

Re: Restaurants

How about Quiznos?

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: Restaurants

if the logistics weren't so poor, how about a sushi resteraunt?

Hey MJA: Have you ever ate at that Hibachi Japanease Restaurant in Milwaukee? They served some good sushi along with the Hibachi grill.

[BTownJack]

Re: Restaurants

I'm a big fan of another sit down get a drink type of place. Applebees went up and has been a gold mine since. That place is always packed when I go there, lunch or dinner!

If it has to be a chain, then great...Olive Garden, Outback, TGIFridays, etc. That is my vote.

I'm also up for a nice resturant to move into town. The Ram does just fine but that gets old when you reside in Brookings.

I do know the Cellar has recently upgraded to allow eating. It is located in the basement of the Safari Lounge/Bar on Main St. downtown. It is an old rustic basement that started out as a upscale bar. They recently closed over the summer for an upgrade and installed a kitchen and hired a cook. The have a very limited menu but it is very good from what I've heard. The problem is that this place is a membership style bar/club/resturant. It's only $100 for a yearly membership and I'm pretty sure they'd let anyone in one time to come and check the place out. Otherwise you just have to find someone that has a membership and go with them. I'd say they've done a very good job with the decor, drinks, food, etc. My only complaint is that when people start smoking cigars in the cigar room it becomes much too smokey in there.

Lastly, as a Brookings resident, I'm really tired of heading 50 miles south to get a good bite to eat with a little variety.

[JackJD]

Re: Restaurants

Chipotle is very tasty, but I like Panchero's better!  As a small business owner, I support small business as much as possible, so either place does not get alot of my money.

Isn't there a small, family owned Italian place in Brookings...it's like an old house?  Or is that in Watertown?

The Italian place was in Watertown...no longer in business.

But, even so, you're all invited to Watertown any time...drive up for a nice meal and then back to Brookings for a game! 42 minutes up the Interstate. Starbucks just a couple blocks off the south interstate off-ramp...some of you mentioned Culver's...that's about 1/2 block from the Applebee's (about two blocks from the Starbucks) and will be opening soon. Venture downtown for a couple of interesting little places too. (In Watertown, we're all volunteers for the Chamber of Commerce and we've learned the value of self-fulfilling prophesies: e.g. we always lied in the past and said our population was 20,000. Well, we've exceeded that so just ask us now and we'll say we're "about 25,000&quot

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Restaurants

I like Chipotle, also in Iowa City I know Pancheros is a huge favorite down there.  Both are amazing.

Chipotle is currently not offering franchise opportunities for anyone interested. So they probably won't be coming to Brookings anytime soon.