- Welcome to The Ames Fan Club.
Recent posts
#1
Defunct Department Stores / Re: Service Merchandise
Last post by TheFugitive - Today at 02:08:07 PMMy daughter, who now lives nearby, informs me that the Handel's Ice Cream stand next to my old Service Merchandise store seen above has permanently closed.
This is sad because their ice cream was truly delicious and frankly they were one of the best memories I had of working at that store. Service Merchandise execs, who rarely had anything good to say about either Pittsburgh or our store, at least all complimented the ice cream they could enjoy while visiting.
I did have a falling out with Handel's in 2020 when in the midst of the pandemic they refused to serve me because I was not wearing a mask. DUH! IT WAS AN OUTDOOR ICE CREAM STAND WITH NO INTERIOR SEATING! I WAS OUTDOORS AND YOU WERE INSIDE, BEHIND GLASS, WEARING A MASK!! So stupid!
Handel's is a chain based in Ohio and some of you may be able to still find them out there someplace.
This is sad because their ice cream was truly delicious and frankly they were one of the best memories I had of working at that store. Service Merchandise execs, who rarely had anything good to say about either Pittsburgh or our store, at least all complimented the ice cream they could enjoy while visiting.
I did have a falling out with Handel's in 2020 when in the midst of the pandemic they refused to serve me because I was not wearing a mask. DUH! IT WAS AN OUTDOOR ICE CREAM STAND WITH NO INTERIOR SEATING! I WAS OUTDOORS AND YOU WERE INSIDE, BEHIND GLASS, WEARING A MASK!! So stupid!
Handel's is a chain based in Ohio and some of you may be able to still find them out there someplace.
#2
Current Restaurants / Re: Red Lobster abruptly close...
Last post by TheFugitive - Today at 09:44:50 AMSome more interesting stuff on this from a Hong Kong-based business reporter.
Details from the Red Lobster bankruptcy filing are wild. So much mismanagement!
▫️$1 billion in debt, $30 million in cash
▫️Previous owner sold land and leased it back to Red Lobster at "above market rates".
▫️$20 Endless Shrimp cost it $11 million but the interesting part is that one of the chain's owners is Thai seafood firm Thai Union (which also owns Chicken By The Sea) and it may have used Endless Shrimp to dump its own shrimp supply through the 578 restaurants in North America.
▫️Thai Union became the only Red Lobster shrimp vendor, overcharging for shrimp and skipping quality reviews (Thai Union has written off its $500m+ investment).
▫️Red Lobster has had 5 CEO in the last 5 years (!!!)
▫️Sales down 30% since 2019
Details from the Red Lobster bankruptcy filing are wild. So much mismanagement!
▫️$1 billion in debt, $30 million in cash
▫️Previous owner sold land and leased it back to Red Lobster at "above market rates".
▫️$20 Endless Shrimp cost it $11 million but the interesting part is that one of the chain's owners is Thai seafood firm Thai Union (which also owns Chicken By The Sea) and it may have used Endless Shrimp to dump its own shrimp supply through the 578 restaurants in North America.
▫️Thai Union became the only Red Lobster shrimp vendor, overcharging for shrimp and skipping quality reviews (Thai Union has written off its $500m+ investment).
▫️Red Lobster has had 5 CEO in the last 5 years (!!!)
▫️Sales down 30% since 2019
#3
Current Restaurants / Re: Red Lobster abruptly close...
Last post by TheFugitive - Yesterday at 11:33:58 AMRed Lobster has officially filed for bankruptcy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/how-red-lobster-s-misguided-endless-shrimp-promotion-drove-it-into-bankruptcy/ar-BB1mJbCp?ocid=BingNewsSearch
Analysts are blaming to a large degree their Endless Shrimp promotion. Apparently Americans can eat a whole lot more shrimp than they thought we could. RL's Asian investors are pulling out and the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the company is for sale.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/how-red-lobster-s-misguided-endless-shrimp-promotion-drove-it-into-bankruptcy/ar-BB1mJbCp?ocid=BingNewsSearch
Analysts are blaming to a large degree their Endless Shrimp promotion. Apparently Americans can eat a whole lot more shrimp than they thought we could. RL's Asian investors are pulling out and the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the company is for sale.
#4
Current Restaurants / Re: Chick-fil-a
Last post by TheFugitive - Yesterday at 09:04:48 AMYou got that right.
#5
Current Restaurants / Re: Chick-fil-a
Last post by Retail Regents - May 17, 2024, 01:17:21 PMQuote from: TheFugitive on May 17, 2024, 12:59:02 PMAs I continued to wait the two young women began having a very loud conversation. One of the women was telling her friend about her recent trip to the gynecologist, and was going into WAY too much detail. I was rolling my eyes and looking out the window, pretending that I could not hear them.
Not so for the old guy with the cane. He glared directly at them and scowled.
Seriously, girls, you have to have this conversation here? Right in the middle of
Chick-fil-A where a bunch of people are trying to have lunch?
People have less shame in talking about overly personal business, and would get angry at us for reacting. Such weird times we're living in.
#6
Current Restaurants / Re: Chick-fil-a
Last post by TheFugitive - May 17, 2024, 12:59:02 PMI went to the Chick-fil-A near my office to have lunch the other day. I ordered my meal on the app. When you arrive you can sit at a table (they are all numbered), open the app and tell them what table you're sitting at. They'll bring the food to your table. Pretty cool.
In a booth directly across from me were two young women who were around 18 or 19 years old. As I sat there an older gentleman with a cane walked in and sat down at the table next to me.
As I continued to wait the two young women began having a very loud conversation. One of the women was telling her friend about her recent trip to the gynecologist, and was going into WAY too much detail. I was rolling my eyes and looking out the window, pretending that I could not hear them.
Not so for the old guy with the cane. He glared directly at them and scowled.
Seriously, girls, you have to have this conversation here? Right in the middle of
Chick-fil-A where a bunch of people are trying to have lunch?
In a booth directly across from me were two young women who were around 18 or 19 years old. As I sat there an older gentleman with a cane walked in and sat down at the table next to me.
As I continued to wait the two young women began having a very loud conversation. One of the women was telling her friend about her recent trip to the gynecologist, and was going into WAY too much detail. I was rolling my eyes and looking out the window, pretending that I could not hear them.
Not so for the old guy with the cane. He glared directly at them and scowled.
Seriously, girls, you have to have this conversation here? Right in the middle of
Chick-fil-A where a bunch of people are trying to have lunch?
#7
Shopping Cart Sightings / Thrift store finds
Last post by Retail Regents - May 15, 2024, 06:12:08 PMA Big M cart (appears to be a United Steel & Wire product) in the Glenville Salvation Army and a Hannaford Unarco from February 1998 in the City Mission.
You cannot see attachments on this board.
You cannot see attachments on this board.
You cannot see attachments on this board.
You cannot see attachments on this board.
#8
Department Stores / Re: Walmart
Last post by TheFugitive - May 15, 2024, 11:17:23 AMWalmart has laid-off "hundreds" of office staff, and is requiring remote workers to return to the office.
https://apnews.com/article/walmart-layoffs-relocations-remote-work-cb6382a65d92f43058efb3a7fae238f1
This article is a bit unclear but it appears as if Walmart is shutting down campus offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Toronto and consolidating those functions in Bentonville, Hoboken, NJ and the SF Bay Area.
https://apnews.com/article/walmart-layoffs-relocations-remote-work-cb6382a65d92f43058efb3a7fae238f1
This article is a bit unclear but it appears as if Walmart is shutting down campus offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Toronto and consolidating those functions in Bentonville, Hoboken, NJ and the SF Bay Area.
#9
Dead or Defunct Malls and Shopping Centers / Shenango Valley Mall to close ...
Last post by TheFugitive - May 14, 2024, 01:29:39 PMThe Shenango Valley Mall, located in Hermitage, PA about an hour north of Pittsburgh, is slated to close on May 31.
https://www.sharonherald.com/news/thousands-bid-final-farewell-to-shenango-valley-mall-before-its-fall/article_558ded00-0a61-11ef-a05e-d7934ca8ccd5.html
The sprawling mall, which opened in March of 1968, suffered a fatal blow in 2017 when both Sears and Macy's announced that they were pulling out of anchor locations at the same time. They are down to just ten tenants plus the JC Penney anchor. The mall has been through several ownership changes and local officials wanted it torn down and replaced with a mixed-use development. The original owners of the mall, Forest City Enterprises, gave JC Penney a veto over any changes to the mall in order to get them to sign a lease and move in a year after the mall opened. In the opposite of what generally happens Penney's exercised its veto and effectively blocked the mall from being shut-down. This produced a multi-year legal battle which eventually wound-up at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In January Penney's decided to end the battle and announced that the store would close at the end of May. The other remaining tenants have been given notices to vacate by that date.
There is a section of this mall which was sealed-off from public access during a remodel and has retained its pristine vintage 70's decor. It can be seen in YouTube videos giving tours of the mostly empty mall. Plans are to begin demolition as soon as possible once all of the tenants have left.
https://www.sharonherald.com/news/thousands-bid-final-farewell-to-shenango-valley-mall-before-its-fall/article_558ded00-0a61-11ef-a05e-d7934ca8ccd5.html
The sprawling mall, which opened in March of 1968, suffered a fatal blow in 2017 when both Sears and Macy's announced that they were pulling out of anchor locations at the same time. They are down to just ten tenants plus the JC Penney anchor. The mall has been through several ownership changes and local officials wanted it torn down and replaced with a mixed-use development. The original owners of the mall, Forest City Enterprises, gave JC Penney a veto over any changes to the mall in order to get them to sign a lease and move in a year after the mall opened. In the opposite of what generally happens Penney's exercised its veto and effectively blocked the mall from being shut-down. This produced a multi-year legal battle which eventually wound-up at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In January Penney's decided to end the battle and announced that the store would close at the end of May. The other remaining tenants have been given notices to vacate by that date.
There is a section of this mall which was sealed-off from public access during a remodel and has retained its pristine vintage 70's decor. It can be seen in YouTube videos giving tours of the mostly empty mall. Plans are to begin demolition as soon as possible once all of the tenants have left.
#10
Current Restaurants / Red Lobster abruptly closes 87...
Last post by TheFugitive - May 14, 2024, 11:46:59 AMRed Lobster has abruptly closed 87 locations across the U.S. Their website lists the locations as "temporarily closed" although the media is reporting that liquidators have already been lined-up to sell off the equipment and furnishings.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/red-lobster-website-lists-87-locations-temporarily-closed-in-27-states-see-full-list/ar-BB1mnjXc?ocid=BingNewsSearch
It has been widely reported that Red Lobster is considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing after some poor quarterly results.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/red-lobster-website-lists-87-locations-temporarily-closed-in-27-states-see-full-list/ar-BB1mnjXc?ocid=BingNewsSearch
It has been widely reported that Red Lobster is considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing after some poor quarterly results.