Convenience store chain could build $5-million truck stop; plan may include hotel, restaurant Kwik Trip Inc. will likely buy Watts Cookin for an undisclosed price, although the deal isnt finalized Kwik Trip plans to build a $5-million, 6,000- to 7,000-square foot truck stop The two other Austin Kwik Trips will remain open, as will Watts Cookin during construction Kwik Trip could eventually lease space on the additional 5 acres to a sit-down restaurant and a hotel The truck stop will likely sell compressed natural gas, and could be one of only a score of Kwik Trips to sell it

A Kwik Trip official confirmed this week that the company will likely buy Watts Cookin in Austin.

Although the company is still in the early stages of planning, Kwik Trip Inc. would likely build a $5-million, 6,000- to 7,000-square-foot truck stop, and eventually lease space to a restaurant and a hotel, according to Hans Zietlow, director of real estate at Kwik Trip. Zietlow said the company would keep its two other Kwik Trips open in Austin, and Watts Cookin would remain open during construction, as the new truck stop would be in a different location on the property.

While Kwik Trip officials hope they hope they can finalize a deal soon, Zietlow said, it is still in negotiations.

Its not a done deal, but we are trying to buy it, he said.

The Kwik Trip would employ 30 to 40 workers, and sell compressed natural gas, or CNG, which the company sees as the fuel of the future, Zietlow said. While CNG can be used as an alternative to gasoline or diesel, only a small percentage of vehicles on the U.S. market run on CNG. The Austin truck stop would be one of only 19 Kwik Trips that sell CNG, according to its website, although that includes one in Rochester, Owatonna and Mankato, and a new Kwik Trip in Albert Lea will sell it this spring.

We plan to upgrade an old facility into the nicest facility on Interstate 90 going across Minnesota, Zietlow said.

The Watts truck stop and restaurant, which has 45 employees, would stay open during construction under owner Kermit Watts.

No one else could run the restaurant like Kermit, Zietlow said.

Kwik Trip, which would own about 5 additional acres, hopes to lease space to a sit-down restaurant and a hotel. A restaurant could occupy two acres and a hotel could take three acres, but, Its all kind of preliminary, Zietlow said.

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Kwik Trip likely buying Watts Cookin’

SEEKONK, Mass. (WPRI) The Old Grist Mill in Seekonk could soon be back in business, according to the restaurants owner.

According to the Sun Chronicle, the historic restaurant is expected to reopen by the end of February.

In June of 2012, a truck lost control and flipped near the restaurant on Fall River Avenue. The truck knocked down a utility pole and struck the gas meter for the restaurant, which ignited and spread fire into the building.

Fire crews tore the roof off while fighting the flames in order to get to the interior fire. The restaurant, which was built in 1745, was considered a total loss.

The Seekonk Zoning Board of Appeals voted to grant the restaurants owner permits to rebuild in July of 2012.

Construction teams salvaged as much of the building as they could, such as the original Old Grist Mill tavern sign, and a few ducks from the restaurant's distinctive "duck wall."

There is no exact date set for the restaurants reopening.

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Old Grist Mill may soon reopen its doors

The brick facade of the main entrance to the former Mall at Shelter Cove, shown Thursday, is all that is left of the central section of the mall, which is being demolished and converted into an indoor-outdoor shopping area.

JAY KARR Jay Karr Buy Photo

Construction continues on smaller shops flanking either side of the Kroger and Belk stores that anchor the new 42-acre, outdoor Shelter Cove Towne Centre, at the site of the former Mall at Shelter Cove.

A handful of tenants have committed to leasing space at the shopping center. They include Jos. A Bank and GNC, which are already at the mall. A SERG Group restaurant, Heritage Fine Jewelry and Jake's Wayback Burgers also have committed.

Mall manager Roni Allbritton said Friday more tenants will likely be announced in coming months, and construction of the 290,000-square-foot center remains on schedule for completion in late spring or early summer.

The Kroger grocery store opened Dec. 11, a month earlier than expected and has seen heavy traffic, she said. A final phase of the project will add 210 apartments east of the mall with views of Broad Creek, and a relocated 5-acre park will bisect the shopping center.

The Town of Hilton Head Island has agreed to split the park's cost -- expected to be about $4.5 million -- with the developers.

Plans for the park are still being completed, and construction is expected sometime next year, Allbritton said. No timeline has been finalized for the apartments, but work is likely to begin sometime near the end of 2014, with completion in 2015, Allbritton said.

The $76 million project is expected to generate 450 jobs and $5.1 million in annual sales-tax revenue, according to developer Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial.

"We've gotten phenomenal response from the community and have been very pleased with the feedback," Allbritton said. "This is a project that has been sorely needed on the island, and it's been exciting to see the progress that has been made."

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Shelter Cove shopping center continues to take shape

In what was once a scraggly paved lot next to Dodge City, you'll now find a glass storefront flanked by a trio of brightly painted industrial shipping containers. El Rey, the long-awaited taqueria and beer garden set to open early next month on U Street, was created almost entirely from the giant steel boxes, a resource that's finding favor around the world as an inexpensive, upcycled way to build both restaurants and living quarters.

"Anything that's under cover is containers," says Ian Hilton, who with his brother, Eric, is one of the primary proprietors of the 3,100-square-foot El Rey.

The idea itself isn't new; Southeast Washington entertainment venue Fairgrounds uses the containers, too, though mostly as eye-candy. El Rey, which means "the king" in Spanish, is the first construction in Washington to employ them in substantive ways, to build out kitchens, bathrooms, dining space and design flourishes. In back, a large patio sits under a retractable roof, which can slowly roll back on nice days to shed sunlight on diners, or keep everyone under cover when the prospect of being outdoors is less appealing.

El Rey's menu will focus on tacos and tequila. It will keep a handful of beers on tap, most hailing from Mexican brewers, with a few lesser-known South American brews as well. At a street-facing window, U Street partiers will be able to score tacos without walking inside. But getting to this point was a three-year process, one that included rethinking the whole model for the business.

How El Rey was built:

July 2010: Co-owner Eric Hilton broaches the idea for a temporary summer beer garden and taco shop built out of industrial steel shipping containers. "I had seen, in different places in the Caribbean, houses built out of containers. It's a cool, recycled building material," says Hilton, whose other restaurant/bars include

The first proposed design submitted for El Rey, at 919 U St. NW. (Edit Lab @ Streetsense)

Brixton, Marvin and American Ice Company. "One of our partner-investors owns a shipping company [the Washington-based Paxton Van Lines], so that made it pretty easy to get them." The original plan? "We thought we were just going to throw some containers down and build some bathrooms and call it a day," Hilton says. "The project just sort of mushroomed."

Early 2011: Change of plans. Goodbye, "temporary." The District requires El Rey to undergo the same review process as a permanent structure, and rent on the property is due year-round, regardless of whether the restaurant would be open, co-owner Ian Hilton says. The team decides to rethink El Rey, adding the infrastructure of a year-round business, including a roof.

The architects' second go at El Rey adds a fixed roof over part of the restaurant, and a retractable roof over the beer garden. (Edit Lab @ Streetsense)

The rest is here:
How El Rey, D.C.’s first shipping-container restaurant, was built on U Street

Study: Teens ditching Facebook for other social media sites Study: Teens ditching Facebook for other social media sites

Updated: Friday, December 27 2013 10:25 PM EST2013-12-28 03:25:10 GMT

What does 2014 have in store for your life online? If you're young, it may not involve Facebook as much as an older brother, sister, mom, or dad.

What does 2014 have in store for your life online? If you're young, it may not involve Facebook as much as an older brother, sister, mom, or dad.

Updated: Friday, December 27 2013 10:23 PM EST2013-12-28 03:23:10 GMT

People are lining up to buy the original Air Jordan which Nike is re-releasing on Saturday.

People are lining up to buy the original Air Jordan which Nike is re-releasing on Saturday.

Updated: Friday, December 27 2013 9:30 PM EST2013-12-28 02:30:42 GMT

Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit Friday asking a judge to order a review of what caused an explosion earlier this month at a South Suburban chemical factory that left two workers hurt.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit Friday asking a judge to order a review of what caused an explosion earlier this month at a South Suburban chemical factory that left two workers hurt.

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Construction worker dies after mall construction collapse

In the span of the last year, Adrian Romero went from construction worker to food truck operator to brick-and-mortar restaurateur, specializing in the Agua Prieta-style Mexican cuisine he grew up on in Douglas.

On Dec. 13, Romero, who has lived in Tucson 13 years, opened Ole Rico Mexican Steakhouse in the original Mr. K's BBQ space at 1830 S. Park Ave. The restaurant serves a streamlined menu of burritos, Mexican sandwiches and quesadillas, ranging in price from $2.50 to $4.50. The most expensive item on the menu is the $12 grilled steak plate served with tortillas.

Romero said he has been cooking all his life, but he made his living doing construction with an uncle in Tucson. Last spring, he rolled out his Ole Rico food truck, which looks like a little cabin on wheels. He cooked steaks and burgers on an outdoor grill fueled by mesquite wood. He parked mostly on Tucson's southside near South Valencia Road and South Westover Avenue, and took the truck out on weekends to a few community events including Cyclovia and Second Saturdays Downtown.

Business was good, but the south side neighborhood wasn't the safest.

"It was kind of dangerous where I was at," Romero said. "Where I was at in Pima County, it was hard to find a spot."

Romero said he decided to make the leap to permanent restaurant after talking to the building's owner, Charles Kendrick.

Kendrick, the namesake for Mr. K's BBQ, runs his Afro-American Heritage Museum in half of the building and has had a restaurant in the other half since the late 1990s.

"I think it was the only possible setup for me to work the menu because he has the outside grills," Romero said.

Romero said he started working on cleaning up and painting the space in November. It had been vacant for months, since a short-lived Caribbean restaurant closed last summer. Mr. K's, which Kendrick's son, Ray, ran for more than a decade, moved further south on Park to 6302 S. Park Ave. in summer 2012.

Ole Rico is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

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From roadside to storefront, food truck owner makes the leap

the Holiday Inn Bordeaux is offering a new dining experience. The hotel opened Generals' Quarters on Dec. 19 in the spot formerly occupied by the All American Bar & Grille.

The All American Bar & Grille was closed following a salmonella outbreak in May. The hotel and restaurant are now managed by Interessant Hospitality based in Orlando, Fla.

Generals' Quarters features a casual menu of appetizers, salads, pizza, burgers and sandwiches.

"We are aiming for a place where people can relax more so than a night club feel, which is what it used to have," said Heidi Scheffler, the restaurant's food and beverage manager.

The kitchen is led by new executive chef John Turner, who trained at Johnson & Wales University and has worked in restaurants from Manhattan to Atlanta, said Heidi Politi, a sales manager at the hotel.

The new menu highlights fresh foods and appetizers, such as the crispy catfish bites served with Southern tartar sauce and fried okra. One item that caught my eye was the Cracker Jack Salad, made with caramel corn, peanuts, turkey and apple vinaigrette. I was a big fan of Cracker Jack as a kid. I can't wait to see how the sweet crunch of caramel corn adds to a salad.

The restaurant also received a makeover. Patrons will notice more historical military decor. The restaurant is decorated with items from local military surplus stores and from the Airborne & Special Operations Museum.

"We wanted to pay homage to the military and the community's military roots," Politi said.

Sports fans can watch games on any of the 15 flat-screen televisions. The restaurant opens each day at 4 p.m. and is at 1707 Owen Drive.

I know reading about food is probably the last thing you want to do after a few weeks of turkey, ham and sweet goodies. But bear with me. I have a few more tidbits in restaurant news.

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Retail Therapy: Restaurant at the Holiday Inn Bordeaux has a new look, new menu

STUART As they begin restoring two old buildings at a prominent downtown spot along U.S. 1, Jeff and Christine Hardin have persuaded the owners of a popular Tequesta dining spot to open their second restaurant there.

Hog Snappers, which opened in August 2009 at 279 S. U.S. 1 in the Palm Beach County part of Tequesta, has signed a 10-year lease for the former Bubbas Fish Camp site at 421 S. U.S. 1 in Stuart that has been vacant for more than a decade.

The Hardins company, Straticon Construction Services, specializes in restoration work. They paid $590,000 in February for the 1.34-acre site in Stuart that holds the 64-year-old restaurant property and the 86-year-old building that had been a hotel in its previous lives.

Jeff Hardin said as soon as the city of Stuart grants the permits, he will begin the $400,000 renovation project to build out Hog Snappers to the Rivaldos specifications.

How the two got together is a tale of fate.

After the Hardins bought the property, they looked for a suitable restaurant to fill the space.

Friends told them about Hog Snappers, he said, so they tried it.

We liked the restaurant so much we went and recruited them, Jeff Hardin said.

Hog Snappers owners Arthur and Melanie Rivaldo said the renovated building in Stuart will have the identical menu and seating capacity as their Tequesta restaurant.

But about 60 percent of the 74 seats in Stuart will be under cover outdoors. The Hog Snappers in Tequesta has no outdoor seating.

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Hog Snappers restaurant in Tequesta adding Stuart site

To ensure your restaurant opens on time and within budget, make sure you have your delivery dates nailed down and align yourself with an experienced restaurant construction firm.

We recently gave a restaurant trade magazine some tips on budgeting for a restaurant construction timeline. While the construction best practices we shared might be common knowledge with our experienced Chicago restaurant construction clients, I realize novice restaurant owners or entrepreneurs opening fast-casual franchise restaurants may not know how to create a successful restaurant construction schedule.

First and foremost, a restaurant construction timeline mainly depends on the following:

As the best restaurant construction firms will tell you, the most common reason construction schedules and budgets increase for a restaurant opening is not due to a commercial construction crisis (such a burst pipe, etc.), but because the restaurant contractor is waiting for delivery of construction materials. The scheduling of deliveries is absolutely crucial in opening a restaurant on time.

Because of this, successful general contractors will make sure independents and novice franchisees are aware of all the processes that go into opening a restaurant before construction even starts.

Note: it is during the restaurant design process when lead times on equipment and finishes are realized. For example, an oven could take six weeks to be delivered, certain wall tiles could take four weeks. As an operator discovers these lead times, he/she will start to prepare the construction timeline based on the delivery of these items. Of course, a restaurant construction contractor can also help owners prepare their delivery schedule.

And it is during the bidding process when the best general contractors will perform exploratory services to see if a roof needs to be replaced, if bathrooms arent up to code or if there are any serious construction demons all of which will affect your commercial construction budget and schedule.

Only after these three processes are done can you actually start building your restaurant. Too often, new restaurant operators rent space before they even hire an architect, which is a costly mistake to a restaurant construction budget and timeline. Restaurant operators could be paying rent on a space that they havent even moved into yet.

One way to avoid paying rent on a restaurant space before you open is to make sure there is verbiage in the lease/contract that says something along the lines of rent to commence within 20 days of opening and here is our projected opening date.

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Englewood Commercial Construction - Restaurant Construction ...

John Rivers' dream to open a Texas-style barbecue restaurant simmered for years on the back burner.

The life of this former health-care executive and Jacksonville native had always been fueled by faith and determination. So it was no surprise to many friends that in 2004 he launched a barbecue ministry to help members of a local family pay the mountain of medical bills associated with their daughter's battle with cancer.

Meghan Joyce lost her battle in 2005 at age 7, but her courage, strength and spirit laid the foundation of the core values of what was to become 4 Rivers Smokehouse. In the beginning, Rivers cooked out of his garage for various ministries, charities and friends.

In fact, the original 4 Rivers Smokehouse near Interstate 4 on Fairbanks Avenue was not conceived as a restaurant when it opened in October 2009.

"It was supposed to be commissary for the ministry," said Rivers. A takeout component was added to "Winter Park 1," as the team refers to the building that is now home to B&B Junction, a farm-to-table burger joint. "The next thing we knew, we had a line out the door and a parking issue to overcome."

Locations in Winter Garden and Longwood followed in 2011, and the cramped original Winter Park eatery moved east on Fairbanks Avenue into the old J&W Landscaping property in 2012. And a bakery component called The Sweet Shop offering premium ice cream and artisan shakes, drop-dead gorgeous baked goods and gourmet whoopie pies was added to the new entities.

Today, 4 Rivers has locations in Jacksonville and Gainesville, an eatery on track to open in April on University Boulevard near the University of Central Florida, and in July or August there will likely be another opening in Orange Park, near Jacksonville. There is also a line of sauces and rubs, and a mail-order operation.

And Rivers has just published his first cookbook, "The Southern Cowboy Cookbook," which includes recipes that were menu inspirations for The Coop, his soon-to-open restaurant concept in Winter Park that will focus on Southern comfort foods, including fried chicken.

Rivers is a four-time participant at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and he has cooked at the James Beard House in New York.

"It hard to believe we're at this point in the road," said Rivers.

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Restaurant founder John Rivers builds 2nd career of faith and barbecue