Openings/Closings outside Downtown

[dogbo]

Saw this in the city council minutes:

VERTIGO ROCK BAR 3701 INGERSOLL AVE C Liquor

Anyone know anything abou this new place?

[Young DSM Social Club]

That is the block the Greenwood is on. I wonder if it's just the Greenwood ... also looks like it could be what was a coffee shop (which sold liquour) ....

[Ingersoll1978]

I saw that too Dogbo. 3701 Ingersoll is that gas station that was turned into a coffee shop.

[NOG's Wife]

That is the block the Greenwood is on. I wonder if it's just the Greenwood ... also looks like it could be what was a coffee shop (which sold liquour) ....

...seems like that place changes hands every six months or so. The latest two names were Corso Coffee and then the Piccolo. I think they were both Bosnian-run bars.

[DMRyan]

Corso Cafe was in there for a few years. It was actually a pretty nice little niche hangout, and they used to have dj's spinning house music--albeit to a very small crowd, but the place wasn't made to hold the masses I suppose.

For a second I thought that the Dinner Theater location would get filled with a new venue.

[Better Life dude]

Sad news this week: The Wine Experience on Hickman Road announced it was going to be closing December 31st - and now it appears that it has already closed it's doors.

Hats off to Kyl Cabbage "The Wine Guy" for elevating the level of wine drinking sophistication for central Iowans. I can remember many fun evenings spent at the Wine Experience taking their wine classes and enjoying their banquet style sit down dinners with friends. The after work wine tastings were major cattle calls for those of looking to expand our appreciation of different wine lables and varieties.

Kyl's motto is that the best wine is the one you enjoy drinking.

In the twelve years since the Wine Experience opened, there has been an explosion of places in the Des Moines metro to buy a good bottle of wine. The vineyard and winery business in Iowa is on the verge of becoming a major industry for our state (just last week the New York Times ran a story featuring several Iowa vinyards and wineries).

Thanks Kyl!

[Opus]

Very sad news indeed, and I'm with you Dude on the nights spent taking Kyl's classes and how much fun it was to get snockered with 40 other people while learning to appreciate wine. I truly hope Kyl lands on his feet and can find another project to devote his talents and sense of humor to. I don't think it's an exageration to say the DSM and Central Iowa 'wine' industry (including the WineFest) owe much to Kyl's efforts to educate the formally cold-beer-swilling masses here in Capital City. Before Kyl's classes I was content drinking the $4 White Zin from Gallo for those special nights with the wife, let alone those 2-liter plastic bottles of Sun-Country wine coolers in college

It makes you wonder though the extent of the financial misdealings done by his former partner. The wine classes and dinners still seemed to be full right up to the end, and the wine tastings had big crowds too. I know grocery stores and the big-box stores can really undercut prices on wine compared to the specialty shops, but having an expert show you the ropes when it comes to finding a wine you like and letting you taste them before buying was a big plus. I wonder if the Metro-Downtown area will eventually get a wine store, it seems they are all located way out west in new developments presently.

Thanks again Kyl, it was a lot of fun learning how to drink the good stuff

[econboy]

Did I hear correct that Jordan Creek is still open?

[Ingersoll1978]

Did I hear correct that Jordan Creek is still open?

Valley West and Jordan Creek are still open.

[4th&Court]

Apparently run separately by a partner.

[dmluvr]

BUMMER!!

I completely agree with you guys---a big kudos and thanks to kj for all that he has done.
I wonder what this means for the wine scene in dsm. Hasn't it been growing and doing quite well over the last few years??

[speeder]

Anybody know anything about Kahounaville, a restaurant opening soon inside Valley West Mall, across from the food court on the lower level? Looks like a kind of cool Rain Forest Cafe knockoff with an arcade, restaurant, and bar/club. The only other one (Kahounaville) I can find is in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

[Ingersoll1978]

It was on another thread somewhere...they also have a location in Las Vegas.

[wmjindsm]

I had posted it in the Valley West Mall thread half way down, but it has been kinda buried now.

Here is their website:
http://www.kahunaville.com/

The closest location is in the Wisconsin Dells

[DMRyan]

There are reports of the Old County Buffet on 22nd Street in West Des Moines closing their doors. Let's all mourn this loss and hope they re-open with a brand spanking new building out at Jordan Creek.

[wmjindsm]

Old Country Buffet (22nd Street) is indeed shut down. I passed by this afternoon. The signs have been taken down. No explaination for the closing just an appology that the location was closed. I also hope they open somewhere else. I liked this one better than SE14th's. I wonder if it was a leasing problem? They seemed busy many times.

[mistertwister]

The Earl May on 50th and E.P. True is closing as of January 1st. The salesperson I spoke with stated that they lease the building and land and that thier rents have become too high to continue business at that location.

It's a shame...but a nice location with heavy traffic patterns so I'm sure it won't sit empty for too long.

[dogbo]

The Earl May on 50th and E.P. True is closing as of January 1st. The salesperson I spoke with stated that they lease the building and land and that thier rents have become too high to continue business at that location.

It's a shame...but a nice location with heavy traffic patterns so I'm sure it won't sit empty for too long.

Oh no!! That's Jerry Cluver's(sp?) store!!

[Ingersoll1978]

Who is that Dogbo?

[dogbo]

Who is that Dogbo?

You know....the cheerful Earl May guy that is on WHOTV 13 every Saturday morning.

[Ingersoll1978]

Oh...LOL Well looks like he'll have to go up the 22nd and University store!

[DMRyan]

Cluver has worked at the SE 14th Street for most of this year.

[wmjindsm]

Update on the closing of Old Country Buffet. In November, the company the owns OCB merged with Ryan's Buffet, And since they are about a mile apart, they decided to close one down. Think they will keep the Ryan's up or switch that location to an OCB? I'm not sure which site was busier.

I was at Ryan's a few weeks ago and the theme song to The Biggest Loser started playing over the PA music.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs. ... 9/BUSINESS

[DMRyan]

Speaking of Earl May, that is an Iowa retail store that unfortunately seems to be on its way out. Killed off by large chain competitors that sell garden center products at half of the cost.

Earl May sells (or used to sell) quality stuff, but their retail business is no longer what makes them money, it's their trucking line, and supplying other businesses with their nursery stock. The expertise (but not service) at Earl May is refreshing, but you can get the same thing at Lowe's, albeit in a much larger and busier environment. I used to work at Earl May when I was a teenager and while it has been my favorite non-career type job, it is a company with problems. The pay was so low when I was there that Lowe's Garden Center ended up taking 2-3 store managers (with the same expertise you can find at Earl May) with them to Lowe's.

[dsmLA]

I saw signs this weekend that the golf store on the corner of Douglas and Merle Hay is closing. This is a key corner on an often overlooked area of Des Moines. I hope something comes in behind it.

[4th&Court]

Surely something will. That is a HUGE traffic intersection. Probably one of the heaviest in the metro. My guess is that will be a highly sought-after location and will fill fast. I never went in that golf shop. Wonder why it went out.

[speeder]

Reichardt's To Close

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Reichardt's Clothing in Des Moines is closing.

The doors will close on Friday and will reopen the following Thursday for a going-out-of-business sale.

Eventually the clothing lines and the staff will move over to the Badowers store on Ingersoll in Des Moines. Both stores are owned by the same company.

Copyright 2007 by KCCI.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[DMRyan]

That will leave a big time hole in the Shops at Roosevelt center, but it's probably nothing that can't be filled relatively soon due to the popularity of this little piece of niche retail.

Times have changed for the success of stores like this. Bond's of Beaverdale and now Reichardt's. Too long time DSM clothiers closing or consolidating operations very recently.

[DMRyan]

Now the Sherwood Gallery will be closing their Shops at Roosevelt location, leaving some holes in this shopping center.

I'd bet that they don't stay empty for long, but hopefully the replacements are of equal quality.

[mistertwister]

I know of one business that wants to move into some of the empty space so I doubt very much the space will sit vacant for long.