Crews are preparing the former Schaefer Shell site at Big Bend and Manchester for a new Raising Cane’s restaurant. They recently pulled gas storage tanks from the ground.
40 South News reader, Rita Fuhrmann, sent this photo of a gas tank being removed.
Maplewood City Council heard and approved first votes on the fried chicken fingers restaurant at its July 12 meeting. The next council meeting is set for August 9.
The site is being prepared for the restaurant, yet the council has not had the final vote. This whole process has lacked transparency on the part of the City. The land would not have been purchased long before it was made public what the business was, if the City had not made assurances that the Council would grant the requested zoning modifications. The public forum, time and again, is a front for citizen participation and oversight, while the city staff have gotten comfortable governing as they see fit with “honorary” oversight from the City Council.
What about a Captain D’s? Bet it would do a lot of business. There are more than enough places for pizza, subs, chicken, etc.
Let’s have a captain d’s / long johns silver’s mix. Let’s pack that area of the city with as much crappy fast food as possible.
I don’t understand why people keep comparing Gus’s to Raising Canes. If you’ve ever been to either one it’s clear they are completely different businesses. Do both places have chicken on their menu? Yes, but Raising Canes is fast food chicken fingers while Gus’s is sit down fried chicken. It’s like comparing KFC to Chick-fil-A. They just aren’t the same.
Oh yeah, I forgot there is a KFC just down the street so I’ll add that one to the list. So we’re up to 4 fried chicken places within a mile.
If we’re going to increase the density of fast food in the area, let’s at least get something different. How about a Culver’s. That would look really nice right across from the White Castle.
Ah, yes, something different like Culvers who are known for their burgers. Let’s count the burger places within a mile: White Castles, Jack n The Box, Steak n Sheak. After all, burger places are all the same.
I thought I made the sarcasm apparent, but I guess not glaringly obvious enough.
Culver’s also serves fish
I look forward to trying the new restaurant. If everyone in Maplewood doesn’t like the new restaurant, no worries. It will fail, just as many many many small diverse businesses have failed in downtown Maplewood. It’s been fun to watch new businesses start up in Maplewood, and guess which will make it and which one won’t. Give it a chance.
I love the way people jump the gun and slam a place before they open, closed minds, this isn’t Mcdonalds, if you’ve been down in Baton Rouge and know the story you might change your mind, but I doubt it, your self centered. Good tax base also.
People aren’t necessarily slamming the place. The place makes no difference to me. My question is if we are really so concerned about diversity in the businesses in the city, why do we need a fried chicken place when Gus’s is less than a block away and Porter’s is within a mile. It’s better than a vacant lot, but it’s still a fast food chain that has similar offerings to nearby businesses.
We don’t need it. But “we, the city” don’t own the property. People seem to really struggle with that on this site. And what is the city gonna do, say “we don’t want your sales tax dollars because we have a fried chicken place down the street”? Regarding business diversity, that is probably more geared towards the Special Business District, and the intersection of Manchester and Big Bend is outside that district. The reality is that it is and will always be a heavy traffic intersection, prime for gas stations and fast food businesses with the money to own the properties. The best we and the city can do is influence the zoning and design of the building.
Thankful someone else gets it. 100% agree.
1000% agree with this! You are spot on with your comments.
what about my self centered?
I love run on sentences too.
I’m glad we get a third fried chicken restaurant, and yet another chain store. But we can’t have a nice beer store. Thanks City Council.
Fourth. Sit down, carry-out, whatever. Fried chicken is fried chicken is fried chicken is fried chicken. Four of them. But, they all will be supported. ‘Cuz what is the obesity rate in this country?
Obviously more fast food options is exactly what the city needs/wants.