Tag Archives: restaurants

Are you a restaurant superfan?

Posted on by
2

You might be a restaurant superfan if…

You’ve ever camped out in a parking lot overnight to be among the first customers at a new restaurant opening.

You’ve ever driven hundreds of miles just to eat at your favorite restaurant.

You’ve created and maintain a website dedicated to a favorite restuarant or menu item.

An Associated Press story on Inforum today details the lenghts to which restaurant superfans are willing to go to prove their devotion.

Photo courtesy Forum archives.

The article reminded me of the October, 2002, Krispy Kreme opening in Fargo when then North Dakota first lady Mikey Hoeven did the “Glaze Craze” dance with Trollwood  Performing Arts School students. It was a party in the parking lot. People even camped out for free donuts and T-shirts before the donut shop opened.

Of course, that restaurant closed five years later, so its fans must not have been super enough.

 

If you think you’re a restaurant superfan, we want to hear about it.   

We know from past posts that restuarant fans are vocal and opinionated.  But how far would you go for your favorite meal or if say, SONIC Drive-In, finally did decide to open in Fargo?

 

 

 

Outback Steakhouse not planning Fargo return

Posted on by
5

Despite the wishes of some Fargo-Moorhead diners, Outback Steakhouse is not planning a return to the market. Ever since Outback closed its Fargo location in April, 2008, it has been rumored that the restaurant planned to return.

Shannon Black with OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC, parent company of Outback Steakhouse, said “there are is not a restaurant scheduled to open in Fargo, N.D.” 

Outback Steakhouse, known for its grilled steaks, chicken and seafood, spent 10 years in Fargo before closing its 401 38th St. S. location abruptly.

Rumors have also surfaced that The Cheesecake Factory and Cracker Barrel restaurants are coming to Fargo. Company representatives also refute those rumors.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, a chain of family restaurants known for home-style food, does not have a Fargo location on its development plan, according to a company spokeswoman. Cracker Barrel does have a Bismarck location.

The closest Cheesecake Factory restaurant is in Edina, Minn., and that’s not about to change anytime soon.

Mark A. Mears, chief marketing officer for The Cheesecake Factory, said, “while we are always on the look-out for A+ sites to grow The Cheesecake Factory, I am not aware of any plans to establish a location in the Fargo area at this time.”

The Cheesecake Factory is an upscale casual dining restaurant that offers more than 200 menu selections and 50 cheesecakes made fresh daily.

Chick-fil-A not flocking to Fargo in near future

Posted on by
Reply

Despite whispers on the rumor mill, Fargo is not getting a Chick-fil-A restaurant anytime soon.

Brenda Morrow, manager of new store construction for Chick-fil-A public relations said Fargo is not on the Chick-fil-A list as a new market at this time but the company may consider Fargo as a new market in the future.

Chick-fil-A is a fast-food restaurant that offers chicken sandwiches, salads, wraps, nuggets and strips. It’s the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States, according to the company’s website. There are more than 1,500 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C. In 2010, annual sales were over $3.5 billion. Chick-fil-A is privately held and family owned.

Moorhead to get new, locally owned pizza shop

Posted on by
Reply

A new, locally owned pizza delivery shop will be opening soon in Moorhead.

Nick Enderson of Fargo said he was tired of working in the corporate world and has always loved cooking. Since pizza is his favorite thing to eat and he worked at a pizza place in college, he decided to open his own restaurant.

Pizza Nico will offer crust, toppings, and sauces made from scratch.  Enderson plans to keep the shop open until 3 a.m.

He hopes to open Pizza Nico in about a month at 501 Main Ave.

Red Raven Espresso Parlor in new Fargo location

Posted on by
Reply

Red Raven Espresso Parlor has moved a few blocks from its original 14 Roberts St. location to 916 Main Ave., just across from McDonald’s.

Joe Curry, who owns the business with Sara Watson Curry, Andrew Johnson, Erik Meyer and Kenny Skoglund, said the key to the business’ success will be convincing people that downtown extends beyond Broadway.

While loyal customers have moved with the business, Curry said they only see about 15 percent of their former neighbors.

The building is a former fire station, built in 1910, Curry said. The espresso parlor occupies the main floor of the building. At 2,000 square feet, it’s about the same size as Red Raven’s first locale, but the current space is more open. The book room, show room and coffee shop used to be in three separate rooms and are now all in one space. A large brick wall will serve as a gallery for local artists. A courtyard will allow for outdoor seating and music when the weather improves. 

Red Raven is also building a stage for live music, comedy and poetry.

The business, which offers coffee drinks, juices and fruit smoothies, plans to expand its menu to include soups and sandwiches.

“In this location, we know we have to become more of a destination,” Curry said.

There are 15 art studios in the basement of the building called Seagrave Studios (named after a fire engine company) and a communal living space upstairs called the Station House Cooperative.

Parking is available in the back of the building.

Read more and view a photo gallery on Inforum.

45th Street McDonald’s to reopen soon

Posted on by
Reply

The Fargo McDonald’s on 45th Street and 19th Avenue South, closed since an Oct. 30 grease fire damaged the restaurant, is targeted to reopen March 1.

Fargo and Moorhead fire departments responded to an Oct. 30 kitchen fire at the Fargo McDonalds at 4501 19th Ave. S. Dan Haglund / The Forum

In addition to refinishing and repairing fire damage, the business is also remodeling the exterior, adding storage space, and making the grill area more efficient, said Gregg Matejka, director of operations.

Customers are eager for the restaurant to reopen, Matejka said, adding that he is often asked when that will happen.

“It’s a very good location so there are a lot of people who miss it,” he said.

Employees were relocated to other Fargo McDonald’s locations. Many of them moved to the new McDonald’s that opened in the Love’s Travel Stops & Country Store at 32nd Avenue South and Interstate 29 a couple weeks after the fire, Matejka said.

The 45th Street McDonald’s is now hiring in preparation for the March reopening.

Silver Moon supper club is closing

Posted on by
4

Two years after making a comeback, the Silver Moon supper club at 309 Roberts Street closed today, owner Monte Jones said.

Jones called the decision “a business choice.” He said a combination of the recession and flooding had made it difficult for higher-end restaurants to get by.

The Kilbourne Group, which bought and renovated the building that houses the restaurant three years ago, said it’s seeking a suitable replacement for the location.

Read more about the Silver Moon’s closure in tomorrow’s Forum.

West Fargo: Pub hub?

Posted on by
Reply

Stand at the intersection of 13th Avenue and 9th Street East in West Fargo, and you’re within walking distance of four bars. Two more are set to open on the block within the next year. The area is developing into a bit of a one-stop pub crawl – enough so that a handful of residents showed up at West Fargo’s city commission meeting this week to voice their concerns about the state of the neighborhood.

“How many bars do we have to have in this town?” asked one resident. That’s for the town to decide, of course, but the real question might be, “How many bars want to come to this town?” And lately, the answer seems to be, “A lot.”

Why? Many reasons, but two seem to stand out: 1) It’s about 100 times less expensive to get a full liquor license in West Fargo than it is in Fargo, and 2) It’s virtually impossible to get a full liquor license in Fargo that doesn’t come with a food sales requirement.

For more, check out tomorrow’s Trade Talk column in The Forum, where we take a look at the disparity in liquor license barriers between Fargo and West Fargo – and the reasons why Fargo city officials aren’t worried about it.

Thai Orchid changes location

Posted on by
2

Popular Moorhead restaurant Thai Orchid has moved.

The ethnic food establishment moved from its First Avenue North location to the Moorhead Center Mall, Sept. 10. It now occupies the 10,000-square-foot space* Country Kitchen vacated in 2008.

The restaurant, owned by Thamrong “Keng” Dechawuth and David Scheer, seats 120 people – about the same as the old location, but it has a more open layout.

The menu hasn’t changed much.  A few unpopular items were dropped and the restaurant has added some new options, Dechawuth said.

Thai Orchid first opened at 900 1st Ave. N. in 2005.

Read tomorrow’s Forum or inforum.com to find out how First Avenue North construction affected the business.

—

*Because of a typo in a previous story (we don’t like to name names, but it was mine), this figure was originally reported as 100,000 square feet. As an astute reader points out below, that’s entirely too large – we like Thai food, but not THAT much Thai food.
-Marino Eccher

Sonic is coming to Fargo

Posted on by
8

We don’t know where and we don’t know when, but after years of rumors, The Forum’s Tracy Frank confirmed through a company spokeswoman last week that a Sonic Drive-In will open in Fargo sometime in the next year.

 That’ll mark the first foray into North Dakota for the Oklahoma-based chain, which currently operates more than 3,500 restaurants in 44 states (the other five that are still waiting for their first franchise: Alaska, Hawai’i, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).

Among local devotees, the chain has developed a reputation as something of a tease: You can see the commercials on television, but you can’t actually get the food unless you’re keen on trekking  212 miles down the road in Elk River, Minn. (Sonic lovers in the Twin Cities went through the same look-but-don’t-eat phase before the chain moved in a few years ago.)

Now, those days of stomach-rumbling frustration appear to be number. The members of the Bring Sonic to Fargo Facebook group can rejoice. Just one question: Isn’t January weather going to be a little rough on servers at a drive-in?

Hungry for more burger news? Check out Saturday’s Trade Talk column in The Forum.

—-

Got an opinion on shakes and onion rings, or an idea on how to keep those intrepid servers warm when the climate takes a turn for the frigid? Contact The Forum’s Marino Eccher here.