Old Collective,Ballers,Hardwood property

[wildgoose]

Drove by today and the old Collective has a new sign,

Campus Grill
Breakfast, Lunch, and a Night Life

[dsjeffries]

I noticed this on Thursday and forgot to share the news. I have several hopes for this place: a)they have good food, b)they're open late, c)they don't get screwed by the landlord like the Collective did, and d)that it will be around for more than just a few months or a year.

Knowing the building's storied history and apparently colorful owner, I have doubts. But I hope, nonetheless, that it is a success.

[Markk]

Who is the owner?

[brianh]

Another bar & grill, that's too bad.  It would have made a nice Starbucks or expansion to Shades of Brown.  Pubs are  a way too crowded market. The Collective sold coffee, but the setup was like something you would find at a serve yourself motel 6 morning breakfast. That place was doomed to fail, which I feel bad about because I didn't say anything about their coffee bar setup the one time I went there. 

[Conan71]

Another bar & grill, that's too bad.  It would have made a nice Starbucks or expansion to Shades of Brown.  Pubs are  a way too crowded market. The Collective sold coffee, but the setup was like something you would find at a serve yourself motel 6 morning breakfast. That place was doomed to fail, which I feel bad about because I didn't say anything about their coffee bar setup the one time I went there. 

You don't think coffee is a crowded market?  Everyone has horned in on the boutique coffee game, including every gas station and C-Store and even fast food outlets are into it.  Saffron's tried to do the deli and coffee house thing a couple of blocks away and I loved the place, but it didn't seem to attract the TU crowd they were counting on.  Within walking distance of TU's campus you can get a gourmet coffee at probably 8-10 different places including on campus.

Not trying to spar with you, but there's plenty of good coffee and WiFi around TU as it is.  Whomever is going in there would be wise not to target their business model predominantly at TU students. 

[Ihearttacos]

You don't think coffee is a crowded market?  Everyone has horned in on the boutique coffee game, including every gas station and C-Store and even fast food outlets are into it.  Saffron's tried to do the deli and coffee house thing a couple of blocks away and I loved the place, but it didn't seem to attract the TU crowd they were counting on.  Within walking distance of TU's campus you can get a gourmet coffee at probably 8-10 different places including on campus.

Not trying to spar with you, but there's plenty of good coffee and WiFi around TU as it is.  Whomever is going in there would be wise not to target their business model predominantly at TU students. 

agreed, the TU student population is too mobile to be hassled with walking anywhere.  Their parking issues are pretty non exisitant and seem have no issue encroaching on the residential neighborhood surrounding.

[cannon_fodder]

The campus residential population has more than doubled in the last 2 years, so the dynamics have probably changed a lot.   BUT - the campus also has at least three coffee shops and one bar ON campus.  So it's hard to say what the effect is.

Nonetheless, there are ~7500 people across the street for 9 months of the year.  That can't be bad for business.  Particularly on the 6 days when 35,000 people are across the street or the 12 days when 8,000 additional people are there (game days).  I find it hard to believe someone can't succeed there . . . and I was hoping the Collective was it.