Chattanooga now has The Cheesecake Factory, can Huntsville support one? (Birmingham: extended stay, hotel)

[bmrisko]

Originally Posted by Shakeesha

No I'm not, and my family has been there for decades.

OK, it is no Franklin or Brentwood (where I'm originally from), but IMHO, Chattanooga is light years ahead of the Huntsville Metro in tourism, dining, planning and quality of living. Yes, there are bad pockets, but those exist in Huntsville as well. Just my opinion of course and you're entitled to yours. Also, I've never based my decision on where to live on the existence of a Chipotle, but apparently some folks do. I'm sure the multiple locations of the successful local chain, Mojo Burrito, may have weighed on the decision for someone to not open a Chipotle store there.

Not sure what difference it makes, but I have family who still live over the river in North Shore.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

Chattanooga is light years ahead of the Huntsville Metro in tourism,

You missed this post perhaps:

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Surprise surprise, people constantly underestimate or downplay what is happening in the Huntsville area.

Madison County (Huntsville) had more than 85,000 more tourists visit from 2016 for 3.1 million guests. Those visitors spent $1.3 billion in the county - a 9.8 percent gain from 2016.(Alabama State Tourism Bureau)

Hamilton County (Chattanooga) hit $1.1 billion in direct visitor spending — a 4.6 percent increase over 2016 — putting it behind only Davidson County with $6.5 billion, Shelby County with $3.5 billion and Sevier County with $2 billion. Knox County also had about $1.1 billion in tourism spending. (source Chattanooga Visitors Bureau.)

Also, median household income in Hamilton County is $38,930 and the median household income in Madison County AL is $44,704.

[Teko03]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Surprise surprise, people constantly underestimate or downplay what is happening in the Huntsville area.

Madison County (Huntsville) had more than 85,000 more tourists visit from 2016 for 3.1 million guests. Those visitors spent $1.3 billion in the county - a 9.8 percent gain from 2016.(Alabama State Tourism Bureau)

Hamilton County (Chattanooga) hit $1.1 billion in direct visitor spending — a 4.6 percent increase over 2016 — putting it behind only Davidson County with $6.5 billion, Shelby County with $3.5 billion and Sevier County with $2 billion. Knox County also had about $1.1 billion in tourism spending. (source Chattanooga Visitors Bureau.)

My guess are these numbers are probably slightly ignored by certain developers because the numbers are inflated by business travelers versus people visiting for leisure (actual tourists). So I wouldn't say it's downplayed, but there's a difference in visitors coming to vacation (translation, spend money) and visitors coming to Redstone Arsenal & Research Park on business. My point is that Chattanooga attracts actual tourists.

[dijkstra]

Originally Posted by Teko03

My guess are these numbers are probably slightly ignored by certain developers because the numbers are inflated by business travelers versus people visiting for leisure (actual tourists). So I wouldn't say it's downplayed, but there's a difference in visitors coming to vacation (translation, spend money) and visitors coming to Redstone Arsenal & Research Park on business. My point is that Chattanooga attracts actual tourists.

I agree. I just cannot imagine that Huntsville is close to Chattanooga in actual tourism. If you go to Chattanooga on practically any weekend and almost any day during the warmer months, all of the tourist attractions are busy and there are people walking everywhere around the aquarium area and restaurant areas. Where are all of those people around Huntsville? I have been to the Space and Rocket center multiple times and it didn't seem like there was anywhere near as many tourists as what there usually are at the Aquarium in Chattanooga. If the government didn't run the Space and Rocket Center, it could really be something. It has tons of potential but gets little love. When was the last time they added an actual attraction or something to do?

[bmrisko]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

You missed this post perhaps:

Also, median household income in Hamilton County is $38,930 and the median household income in Madison County AL is $44,704.

I saw that, I just don't think you can compare the overall attractiveness of each city on a couple statistics. Go and spend days, weeks, years in each location and you'll eventually determine for yourself which City you find more attractive and comfortable.

[Shakeesha]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

I saw that, I just don't think you can compare the overall attractiveness of each city on a couple statistics. Go and spend days, weeks, years in each location and you'll eventually determine for yourself which City you find more attractive and comfortable.

And that's what I have done many times. I stated Huntsville is better in many ways and that's that. I disagree that you have to spend years in each location to determine which city is more attractive, or create a thread to make a specious argument that by having a Cheesecake Factory that somehow that city is now better.

[David1502]

Originally Posted by Shakeesha

And that's what I have done many times. I stated Huntsville is better in many ways and that's that. I disagree that you have to spend years in each location to determine which city is more attractive, or create a thread to make a specious argument that by having a Cheesecake Factory that somehow that city is now better.

I am the original poster and my point in making this thread was not to say that Chattanooga is a better city because it now has The Cheesecake Factory. Instead, it was to ask the question: If Chattanooga which has almost the same population numbers as Huntsville, can the Huntsville market support one as well?


In the past, some people in Huntsville had hoped for several national chains which aren't presently here - Macy's, Trader Joes and The Cheesecake Factory (TCF). There was a perception that the population of the Huntsville area is not enough to support a location of TCF. Now, the opening of one of their restaurants in Chattanooga, a similar sized metro area, refutes that thinking.

[Shakeesha]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

OK, it is no Franklin or Brentwood (where I'm originally from), but IMHO, Chattanooga is light years ahead of the Huntsville Metro in tourism, dining, planning and quality of living. Yes, there are bad pockets, but those exist in Huntsville as well. Just my opinion of course and you're entitled to yours. Also, I've never based my decision on where to live on the existence of a Chipotle, but apparently some folks do. I'm sure the multiple locations of the successful local chain, Mojo Burrito, may have weighed on the decision for someone to not open a Chipotle store there.

Not sure what difference it makes, but I have family who still live over the river in North Shore.

And I have not either. I used those stores to point out the same argument being used to downgrade Huntsville for not having a Cheesecake Factory. All of Tennessee's major cities have stuff Chattanooga still lacks or is just now getting. Chattanooga is in no way light-years ahead of Huntsville. Huntsville is on the rise.

My family lives downtown, Hamilton Place area, Bonny Oaks area, and Red Bank. I know the area well. My previous statements stand. I love downtown Chattanooga, as I was there and in North shore last Thursday with my aunt.

[RocketDawg]

Maybe I'm just in a mood tonight, but having a Cheesecake Factory or not (or any other chain) has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the city and life thereof. It's a crazy argument. The presence of any chain restaurant has absolutely nothing to do with whether I visit the place or not. I daresay I have never set foot in over 90% of the restaurants in Huntsville, and I've lived here over 50 years.

[julypiano1]

There is a Cheesecake Factory in Lubbock, TX. Their metro is much smaller than Huntsville's.