Table Restaurant... (shop, good)

[BZEP]

The Grand Lux, would be a cool restaurant there. It is basically an upscale version of Cheesecake. Same ownership.

[redlikemethodz]

I just read in uptown magazine's real estate issue that restaurants sometimes have a hard time keeping their business going with repeat customers simply because everyone is trying to find the next new place to eat. I myself tend to do this.

[AlexBlueTable]

Hello Everyone, this is Alex, owner of Table and Blue. Thank you for your kind comments! I think all of you are right. Location, economy, access, etc. (and Cheesecake would do great there, but not big enough) There are always many reasons businesses fail. We anticipated more Upscale national tenants, and some big anchors. That did not materialize. You are right Charlottean, I was determined not to close, but it became unavoidable. Thank you for your support and I hope to see you at Blue

[Gumbo]

My wife and I were discussing the Ballantyne Village Shopping Center last night. We live about a mile away (if that) and spend more time at Blakeney Shopping Center. About the only time we get over to Ballantyne Village is to catch a movie (we rarely go out to movies), visit the Y Express, or pick something up at Moe's. I can see why Table had trouble there, it just doesn't have the draw that Blakeney does.

I'm disappointed that the Ballantyne Village wasn't able to follow-through on the original design and have upscale condos on either side. Also really wish the rooftop bar that was talked about would have taken place. We definitely would have taken advantage of that. Ultimately, there are just too many stores there that don't fit in...ABC Store, Cingular/AT&T, Kinkos, the new Electronics Store, etc. Need more stuff like Jesse Browns. The Banana Republic, Victoria's Secret, and Ann Taylor would have been better fits.

Any ideas on what would replace Table?

Are the luxury condos completely off the plans now or is this something that could be revisited in the future?

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by AlexBlueTable

Hello Everyone, this is Alex, owner of Table and Blue. Thank you for your kind comments! I think all of you are right. Location, economy, access, etc. (and Cheesecake would do great there, but not big enough) There are always many reasons businesses fail. We anticipated more Upscale national tenants, and some big anchors. That did not materialize. You are right Charlottean, I was determined not to close, but it became unavoidable. Thank you for your support and I hope to see you at Blue

Thank you for posting, Alex! Continued success at Blue . . .

[solnechko]

Finally, someone who agrees with me! I have long thought that BV is very cool but needs some upscale anchors to draw traffic. They seemed to be very proud of the fact that they didn't have any "chain" stores when they opened. That may well be their problem. There are a few boutiques, but it's hard to window shop there. If there were, for example, a Gap store, I'd go there a lot more often. I realize that's not "upscale" but it would drive some traffic through there. Or maybe a Pottery Barn or PB Kids, Williams Sonoma or Restoration Hardware. Some stores that people know and enjoy strolling through.

The design is poor, too. The flow is not right. People coming to Panera or the Y or Moe's should walk through, not just come in the back door. Personally, I think the place is doomed -- sad.

[Doorway]

I agree. I think you will see the whole thing "turn over". I do feel bad for some of the merchants because some of them rely on anchors to attract traffic to the stores. I do, however ,feel that a really good restaurant should not need a shopping center or anything else to keep it busy. Excellent food, service, and ambiance is all it should take. Something must have been missing for the Table to have failed. If it were good, people would have found it. If it were really good, people would have returned. JMHO

[BarbJ]

I personally was very disappointed with Ballantyne Village. There are so many more interesting places to shop. I agree with Solnechko that the design is poor. The flow is not right and it is very boring to window shop there; moreover there are few stores to draw me there. When I go to a shopping center, unless I go for a quick trip to a destination store, I want there to be several places where I can stop and look into; maybe a bookstore, a cooking supplies store, a yarn store, a Crate and Barrel, an Ann Taylor, a Marshalls a Stein Mart, a Curves, a fabric store, a Trader Joes, etc. The only reason I go to Ballantyne Village is for the cinema or the girls' night out. Since I live near the center of town, I would not go there for a restaurant, even a good restaurant, when there are so many excellent restaurants more conveniently located. Although I do not like the traffic at the Arboretum, it has much more to offer than BV. So does Stonecrest. Ballantyne Village just misses the mark and reminds me of a deserted village.

[anifani821]

BV seems very fragmented. I prefer a more connected shopping experience. It really comes across as strip malls - just configured in a different layout. Not workable for wandering around, IMO.

BarbJ and Solnechko described my impressions about the area very well. I am close enuff that this would be a very convenient area for me to shop/browse but I do not find it to be a compelling experience. Williams Sonoma, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Ann Taylor - yes, I agree - all good suggestions of the types of shops that would draw my interest and patronage. Sur la Table, a nice Hallmark store or discount flower shop such as Flowerama (none around here anywhere -loved those stores while in midwest).

Regardless, the layout of the "village" doesn't quite work for me - but I would go there more often if they provided a better mix of shops.

[Jake Ryan]

Originally Posted by BarbJ

Ballantyne Village just misses the mark and reminds me of a deserted village.

I hear what you're saying, but BV is anything but a deserted village. Maybe it's just that they have limited parked, not counting the parking garage since I don't really park there, but the parking lot is always full. Maybe we go there at different times, but here's an example of my recent experience...
My wife and I went there on Friday night and it was very crowded. We ate at JADE (AWESOME SUSHI BTW) and the outside area was packed. There were plenty of people sitting outside at Village Bistro, It's a Grind and Under the Grape enjoying the live music. While I was dining outside I watched plenty of people go in and out of Kilwins for ice cream and whatever. I wasn't positioned to see what was happening at Villa Antonios, but I can assure you there was a wait.
I just named 5 places that have pretty good traffic which is par for the course in Ballantyne on a weekend which are all in BV, and I didn't talk about Panera, Moes, Solara, and Vesuvio which are all 'Big Hitters'.
That being said, I look at places like Blakeney and see tons more people on the weekends, but I also think it's a different crowd. More people with kids, but where are they shopping on a Friday night? I think most of them are eating which, if that's true, is not much different than BV it just doesn't have a playground to attract the Soccer Moms.
I guess my conclusion in all of this is that Table failed IMO because there was something missing that I can't put my finger on, it wasn't just location. Because I can guarantee if there was a Cheesecake Factory or a Red Robin there, it would still be in business.