I believe the bowling alley and Nippers building have already been sold and are scheduled to be torn down at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

I believe some type of mixed use is going up in their place.

I hope not, 25 cent beers on Mondays at that bowling alley.

walty12 said

I must say that bowling alley is very Boca.  You ever been to a nicer bowling alley?  I haven't.

I've seen a few that are nicer inside (the trend now is to have leather coach seating for bowlers and waitresses who go group to group serving food and alcohol). That said, the Boca bowling alley has something like 60 or 70 lanes, right? Most places have half that so we lucked out there.

As HootinHollerin mentioned, the bowling alley also has some great "college" specials like quarter drinks and games, although I'm not sure how many FAU students know about it or plan on it because advertising in general is sh*t-poor in Boca Raton. And as dusky mentioned, the place has been sold and is getting torn down. Here's the important part of the press release off Market Watch:

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BOCA RATON, Fla., July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ – Glenn Gromann, President/Member of 1750/Center Realty Associates/Prestige International Realty, announced today plans to invest approximately $1 Billion in redevelopment projects in the City of Boca Raton. After completion of the successful "The Milan at Town Center" office project, Gromann sought foreign and other investors to complete a mixed use project to be prospectively known as "The Fountains at Town Center" on nearby property. The Milan project houses the Florida headquarters of Comerica Bank, and is also home to CBIZ Goldstein Lewin, the local arm of the national accounting and professional services firm. Plans for a high-end Miami-style club called "Sofia at Milan" which Gromann plans to do with local chef Angelo Morinelli are also proceeding with financing commitments in place. The Sofia at Milan is a unique concept and the only use of its kind currently approved in the City. "Expect some celebrity involvement," says Gromann.

The mixed use "Fountains" project at Town Center is expected to be between 250,000 and 500,000 square feet and run in the $250 Million to $450 Million range. The project is slated to include high-end retail, boutique hotel, multiple restaurant uses, banks, specialty office and both rental and condo residential uses. "Whoever is not currently in the Town Center area is going to want to be involved in this project. The best thing about this project is that I am not really competing with anyone in the area. I am bringing new and specialty uses which complement the existing infrastructure and provide a value-added benefit and draw to the existing office and retail components." The proposed residential space in this pedestrian friendly project will add density and customers for all of the local businesses. "The smart tenants are already lining up for space," cites Gromann.

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Blegh. Point is, the bowling alley will be gone. Considering that inevitability, I'd like to see a Splitsville open down here, particularly along Airport Road.



^^the Downtown Disney version (that replaced the Virgin Megastore) but you get the idea. Actually, the original incarnation of iPic was an upscale bowling alley that also had a restaurant and movies. It was one of two bids that went out and ultimately the Airport Road panel, using former Boca mayor Steve Abrams as consultant, elected to put a City Furniture in the space instead.

So that leaves us without a bowling alley in a year.

walty12 said

I have always been suprised that Buffallo Wild Wings doesn't have locations down here.

A very good question. It's a franchise so it would be easy to pick up and implement.

walty12 said

Another thing, I think a Mellow Mushroom would do very well in between PF Changs and J. Alexanders across from FAU where 10 restaurants have failed since I was in college.

Absolutely. Absolutely. There are about a hundred people I know that have this same idea but until a developer with the capital gets the same idea, it's just a great dream.

That is a prime location for a pizza place.

I really hope in this 20th ST they Open Bar Bars and just to many of the club types. Club type Bars do not last long because it does cater to a large crowed Alum are not trying have a beer at Club ( Insert weird name) after a game also i hope they do load the place with chain places. I am thinking of places that give the school an identity Think of a pace like Swamp at UF or Skyy bar at Auburn which is right in Toomers corner if you did not know. I hope they take ideas from students maybe let student alum with some money to be the first to get a chance to open a bar restaurants.

Rick said

Another location with volatility is the southeast corner of Dixie and Glades…

….

But everything that has come in since has flopped, floundered, or failed.

I'm also expecting that PA place to fail. Not sure what will go up in its space.

It's a decent location with a small parking lot but most of the restaurants there put out passable food with little attention to atmosphere. That's why a lot of restaurants fail. You need word of mouth, a reason that people want to come back and get your food. If people leave thinking, "Well, that was okay but I wouldn't write home about it" then they're probably not going to come back.

Once again why Mellow Mushroom needs to come to Boca!

PA has been there for a few years, and the food is pretty good but if it does fail I would say its because of lack of advertising. I don't think many people know it's there and if they do I don't think anyone is going to go out of their way to eat at PA. Not with Shane's and Mississippi Sweets in the area too.

Mellow would be good there if they can make the parking lot bigger. That lot is too small to accommodate the amount of people Mellow would bring in

owlcountry40 said

also i hope they do load the place with chain places.

There will probably be a good representation of that in the beginning because it's a tried-and-true strategy. For instance, "Rita's Pitas" just opened by Nakava and Go Greek. Ever eaten there? I haven't. If it has been a Subway though, people would be all up in there. That's the thing.

I did try Las Fajitas on Dixie north of 20th (across from where University Park will be) after a bunch of people raved about it. Food was damn good. Apparently it's the sister restaurant of Senor Burrito? Don't think it's a chain. Anyway, if you guys haven't been there yet, check it out.

owlcountry40 said

I am thinking of places that give the school an identity Think of a pace like Swamp at UF or Skyy bar at Auburn which is right in Toomers corner if you did not know.

Heh, that's my dream for that "condemned" house on 20th next to "Busy Bees Academy of Learning." If I had the $1M, I could buy the acre of land (going for $750k!  :o) and turn it into a bar/grill/beer garden/Dada's type thing. Unfortunately, since I'm not a businessman/restauranteur and instead I'm in school for something totally different, it will likely become something completely different (I think it's zoned for townhome space).

Ah well. Maybe someone else will have the same idea.

Or I'll win the lotto.

…yeah, maybe someone else will have the same idea.

Owl2Doc said

owlcountry40 said

also i hope they do load the place with chain places.

There will probably be a good representation of that in the beginning because it's a tried-and-true strategy. For instance, "Rita's Pitas" just opened by Nakava and Go Greek. Ever eaten there? I haven't. If it has been a Subway though, people would be all up in there. That's the thing.

I did try Las Fajitas on Dixie north of 20th (across from where University Park will be) after a bunch of people raved about it. Food was damn good. Apparently it's the sister restaurant of Senor Burrito? Don't think it's a chain. Anyway, if you guys haven't been there yet, check it out.

owlcountry40 said

I am thinking of places that give the school an identity Think of a pace like Swamp at UF or Skyy bar at Auburn which is right in Toomers corner if you did not know.

Heh, that's my dream for that "condemned" house on 20th next to "Busy Bees Academy of Learning." If I had the $1M, I could buy the acre of land (going for $750k!  :o) and turn it into a bar/grill/beer garden/Dada's type thing. Unfortunately, since I'm not a businessman/restauranteur and instead I'm in school for something totally different, it will likely become something completely different (I think it's zoned for townhome space).

Ah well. Maybe someone else will have the same idea.

Or I'll win the lotto.

…yeah, maybe someone else will have the same idea.

Las Fajitas the best Mexican ever so good.

Wow, God bless the Swamp.  Had a damn good time there this past Spring as my fraternity had it's Southeastern meeting in Gainesville.  The fraternity gave returning brothers neon yellow wrist bands to wear the whole weekend, and first time attending brothers received neon green wrist bands.  Just my luck, the Swamp's 21+ wrist band that Friday night was neon yellow.
Long story short, I didn't make the meeting on Saturday.

If I had the education and money for it, I also would buy a plot of land on University and open up a bar/club type of place.  Starting that now, get the developmet started, and sell it when the development peeks.  $$$$$$$$$

I used to live right off 20th and we would pass by Las Fajitas all the time. At first I was a little scared to try it until a bunch of people raved about it and then we probably visited once a week. Super small place but good food, and lots of it.

I think a Splitsville would be great down here.