The Bistro has opened at the former Park Heights location. An excerpt (full text) from the Journal’s food blog:
I just got off the phone with Giovanna Azevedo at the Bistro and she has officially opened her restaurant on Park Street. For those who missed an earlier story, The Bistro on Main is now The Bistro on Park and is located in the old Park Heights restaurant building behind Burger King at Crosstown. In fact, the sign outside the restaurant still says Park Heights. That will change soon.
Giovanna opened on Tuesday and business has been really good, she said. Wednesday night the restaurant was full of patrons and operations have been running smoothly.
No word yet about what is going to happen to the Bistro’s old location in the alley off Main. Any suggestions? I’d love some sort of interactive food experience, like a design-your-own gourmet pizza joint. Or a smoothie/juice bar/ice cream place. Or a bakery with a wide selection of decorated cupcakes (think Buttercup Bake Shop in NYC). Or a soup bar. Or, dare I say it, a wine cellar or a wine bar with tapas? Or what about flipping it and going retail? A paint-your-own pottery place like Oxford’s Clay Canvas would be fun.
Or what about a make-your-own jewelry store? I don’t frequent them, but I have several friends who do.
Or — now this is something I would go to – a store where you can make your own perfume and candles? The Body Shop used to have a set-up where you could mix a bunch of oils for a unique fragrance. I don’t think the chain does that anymore, but it would be a fun standalone retail venture for downtown.
“design-your-own gourmet pizza joint”
Kramer? Is that you???
Haha! See, I think Seinfield and the Soup Nazi. I wouldn’t mind a soup joint, but not one where you have to walk on eggshells to get your food. I like to go into a restaurant and know that I am being catered to, not the other way around.
A wine bar. There’s obviously a clientle for it. Old Venice put in a wine machine for goodness sake !!!
So if you were the owner of the wine bar, would you make it a happy hour and dinner business? I’m thinking wine and tapas from 4:30 until whenever. I’m not seeing a big wine crowd demanding a liquid lunch.
i think it would make a good gentlemans club….convinient, sits back in the alley, dark….of course, we will make them wear the lil pasties just to keep the city council happy. afterall, as many have stated, tupelo needs to get out of this small town thinking….
but if not, i like the vino bar suggestion.
Gentlemans club interesting idea. Even if the council would allow something like that the American Family Association would come down hard on it. This is the same reason Tupelo will never have a Hooters. I do agree we need to get away from the small town thinking a good start mind be to do something with the Sunday beer law. I don’t personally drink but I can see this particular law keeping some businesses from locating here.
Adult entertainment is limited to the I-1 zoning district and you can’t serve alcohol. Soooooo, good luck on that Gentleman’s Club thing.
Hooters won’t come because we don’t serve alcohol on Sunday. There not going to spend 5 million on a business that doesn’t open on one of their best days.
I’m sure the AFA would have something to say, but the Hooters uniform is much different than today’s summer wear. Just go to the mall.
I think a Tapas/Wine bar is an excellent idea. Take it a step further and add homemade Sangria !!! Sangria & Tapas, YUMMMMM !!!
Plus, TONS of Gentlemans Clubs have gone BYOB. PROBLEM SOLVED !!!
Wine and tapas is a great idea. However, there is one major thing wrong with that location… it’s not big enough. All food establishments will struggle there unless they are so highly priced that they can turn enough profit to live on. Wine is profitable, but tapas usually involves ingredients that are quite perishable, and hard to buy in small quantities affordably. Tapas (good tapas) are labor intensive and require skill, which at that level leaves you with do it yourself, or if you hire it, there goes the price up even more.
It all boils down to basic math… You have x amount of seats turned over x amount of times with x amount average revenue per seat. It’s not easy at that spot, without it being VERY high end.
I’m not saying it couldn’t be profitable, but will it be profitable enough? That’s a cool spot, but a tricky one.
Joe –
Let’s say you charge $4 – $10 for a glass of wine and $3-$15 for a tapas dish. How often do you think you would have to turn tables to make it work?
I’ll vote for the Tapas. One of my favorite restaurants in Vegas is a Tapas place at Fashion Square Mall. I also think it would be a good thing to encourage young professionals downtown. Now, if we could just get an investor……
If it HAS to be cheap eats, then its going to be hard to beat these guys.
http://www.eatsonponce.net
When I lived in Atlanta, EVERYONE ate at this place.
What is the rent? What is the labor cost involved? What is the food waste? What is the percentage of food cost per tapas item? It is a bit more involved… but either way, you’ve got to turn a good bit.
From a business perspective, first you have to cover expenses, then you have to make a living. I think you’d cover your expenses, just not sure about profitability.
joe
Tapas?
What are those?
Tapas (IPA: [ˈtapˌas]) is the name of a wide variety of appetizers in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as puntillitas, which are battered, fried baby squid).
In the United States and the United Kingdom, tapas have evolved into an entire cuisine. In these countries, patrons of tapas restaurants can order many different tapas and combine them to make a full meal.
Sounds, uh, interesting.
Sounds like crap to me.
And, big… that is exactly why it would be a challenge here. Not enough people are aware of tapas. Good tapas use ingredients that are very high cost and perishable. It makes planning very hard, plus you’ve got to turn numbers of people to make that work, plus sell tons of wine. It can work, but if you go on the internet and look at tapas places, mostly you’ll find the look of places like the old Bistro location, but much larger.
Here is a great link to a tapas bar…
http://www.tapas177.com/
what about strippers and tapas…that should cover the perishables…..havent seen anyone pulling that off yet. this could end up going world wide!!
Another fun tapas bar and one of my faves:
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7158614
Mammoth – you wouldn’t believe the amount of people who think I am saying “topless bar” when I say “tapas bar.” They might get the wrong idea even if it was just tapas. Similar to the appeal of the Barenaked Ladies. An all-male band, but the name leads you in a different direction.
Guys, the first example is a sausage, olive and cheese plate that you could find at ANY restaurant in Tupelo, The second is calamari(fried squid) thats served in a dozen plus Tupelo restaurants.
Didn’t know that, huh ?
These plated already make money in Tupelo.
Joe Joe, 75% of the items on Tapas 177’s menu are Sysco products. Even the Tuna Tartar is flash frozen. The only item thats labor intensive is the paella. Don’t think you can get tender ribs in 10 minutes ? Try the pork wings at the Stables. SYSCO !!!
Southern Ice Cafe offers a few different tapas samplers and they are pretty good. I don’t know how well Tupelo will welcome a tapas restaurant but it is a cool idea.
Golfer – I’ve been digging the charcuterie plate at Park Heights. Sausage, cheese, bread, olives and some sort of fruity jam. Yum.
The world plates at Southern Ice are good, too. However, I don’t think I’ve ever ordered one exactly as it’s listed on the menu. I always mix and match. The beauty of locally owned restaurants – they make it work.
The charcuterie plate is a favorite of my friends as well. IV’s used to do one. We ordered it everytime we went. I wish Al would bring it back.
Women love the options plates like this give you. Just order it and see.
Well, here is a good question… if that location was so good, why did the Bistro move? (to a much larger location). My point is that tapas and wine is a great thing, I love it and have thought about that myself. However, to make money doing that requires a space that is bigger than the former Bistro location. But, more power to anyone if they wish to do that.
However, even $300-500 more a day in sales translates to $7800 – $13000 more a month in revenue (assuming open 6 days a week, all things being equal, which they aren’t). If being in a larger location can do that for you for similar cost in overhead, you’d obviously choose a larger location.
The amount of space could change. The Bistro only used about 25% of that alley. Everyone begs for outside dining. Look at how good Vanelli’s, Romie’s, Stables & Park Heights do with their outdoor tables.
The food doesn’t have to be a knockout. Cold cut plates and fried appetizers aren’t expensive or labor intensive. Giovanna did well with wine there. This doesn’t take a scientific calculator.
You could add 25+ seats outside, with hardly any effort.
Yellowtail Shiraz costs $7, and the restaurants charge $27. Thats $5 profit on every glass(4 in bottle). And thats the lower level. We all know restaurants make a killing on well drinks. I’ve paid $12 for a martini in Tupelo.
The Bistro moved because a well known builing, thats bigger, became available. Giovanna’s smart. But that doesn’t mean the right idea can’t work in the alley.
Tupelo needs to think about ambiance. We’ve been on the rooftop of Park Heights virtually everytime we’ve been out recently. Why ? Because the women want to be outside, in comfortable seating, with wine or a martini.
Maybe you should put it in! You’re right about outside dining.
Sure space was a factor with Giovanna’s move, but she cited the location’s ventilation problems.
From an earlier DJ story (http://www.djournal.com/pages/archive.asp?ID=275881):
In August, this scenario will become real as Giovanna Azevedo moves her 3-year-old restaurant from Main Street to Park Street in Tupelo. The Bistro on Main will become The Bistro on Park.
“The ventilation in the kitchen is poor here,” Azevedo said as she sat at a table in the small brick restaurant located in an alley on Main Street. “That’s the No. 1 reason for leaving. The second is to gain a little more space. I think it will be a little more comfortable for guests” at the larger location, which formerly housed Park Heights restaurant. The current location can hold between 50 and 60 guests inside; the new location can seat twice that.
Where she is moving is a great place for her cuisine and style. I loved that spot.
exactly joe joe….everyone in tupelo has these ideas that they know will work in tupelo…many often complain about it, but they dont have the funds or the means to make it happen. nothing wrong with having dreams, but if YOU”RE not going to make it happen then dont complain about it……ive got plenty of good ideas, but i dont have the money to open them.
if you want to open a tapas place in a 1100 sq.ft. location in the rear of an alley, then jump on it. i think it would make a good living suite…..basically has one bedroom and cool living room and a kitchen already….just needs its own bath.
Location is everything in most retail businesses, but especially restaurants/coffee, etc. If all things are equal and the rent is comparable to 3 or 4 other locations, an alley that is invisible in an area of town that drastically changes based on the time of day, and that is tiny would probably not be the first pick. The place is great, and it might do fine as something else… but the big rooftop at Park Heights is probably going to “eat its lunch” no pun intended, simply because of visibility and it is attached to a building that is already generating a ton of dining traffic.
We are about to announce some major changes to our business too that will come up on the blog later this week or next.
Thats a lame way to take this DISCUSSION BWM. If you look at the top of the page, it says “What should fill the Bistro’s void ?”
Are you saying, if a person isn’t willing to do it themselves, they shouldn’t participate ???
Honestly, if the new business isn’t a restaurant, WHO CARES ?
Lawyer, Financial Consultant, Retail Clothing, Ad Consultant, Real Estate, Doctor, Check Cash, Insurance Office, Tanning Salon, WHATEVER.
Thats not discussion worthy.
Topless tapas is discussion worthy! I’m still laughing over that!
the comment wasnt soley based on you, but a lot of it was…….to me it got past the point of you suggesting it and to the point of complaining that its not a tapas place…..if thats what you want it to be, then open it up or find someone to run it for you.
do you even know what it leases for? do you know the rules and regulations regarding the alley?
i think it should be a authentic mexican taquira myself…ive given up on the gentlemans club since i asked my wife and she refused to do any dancing.
With her coming right out and talking about the ventilation, I wonder if any restaurant would want to go in that spot? Re-working that may be a major expense.
Actually Bizbuzz came up with the Tapas idea. I said it should be a wine bar.
Joe Joe argued the space was too small, and tapas are too expensive and labor intensive.
The next thing I wrote was a cheap eats option.
http://www.eatsonponce.net
After that someone asked what tapas were, and I pulled it of wikipedia. Then I explained that the examples are already making money in Tupelo.
DID YOU EVEN READ THE WHOLE DISCUSSION ???
You and Joe Joe are the only ones acting like experts here.
It seems like Joe Joe is CERTAIN nothing will work there, and thats where you started reading.
You’re one of the most opinionated people on the Buzz BWM. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
so a gentlemans club it is!!! that solves that.
do unto others as you would have them do unto you? this is a blog, not church, round here we track down folks who arent happy with their service and all opinions are welcome. i truely think you should open a tapas place…i WILL come. i promise, ill even bring the whole city council and ed.
for the record, i am a blog expert…..blogga please!!!
Hey, if you build a Gentlemans Club, I’LL BE THERE !!!
BWM FOR PRESIDENT !!!
im gonna call it the boobie trap……i cant wait to have the pic with the city council out front cuttting the ribbon(of course, me being on the council will help)
Somebody’s already beat you to that one.
Wesley in fact.
Ah, you folks make my day.
Yes, we mentioned the wine cellar or a wine bar with tapas. And we suggested a bunch of other ideas (paint-your-own pottery, juice bar, etc). But we put forth the ideas only to get your creative juices flowing. We appreciate people who think outside the box when it comes to economic development and we want to do our part to encourage it on Biz Buzz.
We have no expectation that our suggestions and ideas will come to fruition, but if an investor or an entrepreneur wants to take a stab at it, we’ll be at the grand opening with bells on.
youre welcome bizbuzz…..i do what i can.
if its good enough for lindsey lohan, well frankly its good for tupelo.
and yes, i stole the name from wesley…..sue me. glad to know yall pay attention on the way to b’ham, thought new road bypasses wesleys fine establishment
Stopped there on the way to Talladega one time. They give you a block of wood to bang on the stage. That signals that you want the dancer to come visit you. Don’t know if I’d call it a “gentlemens” club though.
I even bought a t-shirt.
I wasn’t trying to sound like an expert… I am in the business, but I am no expert. I was just saying that the space is considered very small for any restaurant by just about anyone in the restaurant business. I’ve had a few discussions about the place with other restaurant owners myself and all of them are scared away by the size and the location in the back of an alley. Everyone agrees that it is a great spot for aesthetic appeal, but it is a small location, and one that has considerable challenges.
That does not mean there isn’t something that would work there, or that I am right, in fact, I hope I am wrong and that that is a great spot for an entrepreneur at heart. And I think that is the point of the discussion in the first place, to find an idea that will work.
golfer – We had to delete your comment about the Mexican restaurant chain. In this particular context, it crossed the vulgar line. We hope you can understand our concerns.
Please refer to our ground rules for more info:
http://tupelobizbuzz.wordpress.com/play-nice/
If only I was filthy rich, I could quit my job, buy the location and open the bakery I have always wanted to run…at any rate I wish who or whatever moves into the location the best of luck.
what about a miniature bowling alley?
Ha! That would rock, but there’s not enough space for multiple lanes.
What about a mirror maze? You’d have to knock down some walls. Or, the mirror maze could go in Lucky’s old building.
http://www.mirrormazes.com/
thats why its miniature…..the lanes will be 2 ft. wide and 8 ft. long, the balls will weigh 3 lbs…..i will have a lil machine that sells socks just like the real bowling alley for when you forget yours….the socks will be reall life size though.
Sorry for the infraction Bizbuzz. Didn’t mean to step over the line.
I do find it amusing that 4 or 5 people comment about a strip club in Alabama, and I name a chain restaurant, and I crossed the line.
There are pics of Posh Spice taking her son there to eat.
Anyhow, even a mini replacement for Rebelanes is a good idea.
i will serve tacos for sure……thanks for supporting mini-bowl.