The Atlanta Business Chronicle is announcing that Ruby Tuesday will be closing 70 of its 714 restaurants in the next year or so.
But details of specific closings won’t be announced until January 7th, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see whether Decatur’s often vacant location will be effected.
Mickey Montana
Chris Billingsley
smalltowngal
Larkspur
Sharron
Daydreamer
J_T
Rick Julian
smalltowngal
The Walrus
Kimberly Rhodes
Sharron
DEM
The Walrus
AMB
There’s a Ruby Tuesday’s in Decatur? I thought it was a juror’s cafeteria…
Putting that restaurant in that location showed a complete lack of understanding of the local market. It was doomed to fail from day 1. RT in general is in seriously bad shape. Their attempted makeover came way too late
I’m sorry. I know we’re all debating the plight of that little stretch of Ponce that seems to have trouble hanging on to its restaurants, but Ruby Tuesday is hardly a staggering loss. It’s a soulless, tasteless, pre-manufactured sit-down-concept chain restaurant that always was a poor fit for Decatur, where independent restos (blessedly) reign. And yeah, people are entitled to eat crap like that if they so choose, but you can’t even make that argument, since (as DM points out) the place is invariably empty when I drive or walk by in the middle of what should be the dinner rush (and this was before we hit the depths of the recession).
I should add that there ARE good chain restos out there (for instance, I feel like the Chick-Fil-A is a valuable part of the community and a vast improvement over the Burger King it replaced). But Ruby Tuesday is not one of them. I hate to see any retail space empty, but I just cannot work up any sympathy for a tired old chain meeting its long overdue demise.
Any HEALTHY community has a nice mix of both franchise and local restaurants. You need to have food offerings that drive traffic and that a visitor can find reliable. Once they are drawn by the name-familiar restaurants, then they may venture into more unfamiliar territory.
I always find it so humerous when Decatur folks poo-poo Ruby Tuesdays, the culinary whuppin’ boy, but yet have no complaints about Subway, Quiznos, Chik-Fil-A, McDonald’s. Ted’s, Dairy Queen, etc. I also find it sad that Decatur goes thru so many “home grown” businesses because Decatur simply doesn’t have the density, commercial day-time population and/or unyielding financial support from the residents to support them all.
IMO, Decatur has been too slow to embrace a mix of both local and national restaurants. And the victim of this lack of traffic drivers has been the local restaurants. The City is all but hostile to franchises and IMO that is not the way to go. Balance is the key. And as much as resident complain about not having enough “kid friendly” restaurants, chains are almost by definition “kid friendly.”
And if the City reduces the traffic on Church (Great Lakes wants more traffic calmers near the pool intersection) as it enter Decatur, you might as well kill all the restaurants because you will have greatly reduced the one thing all of these restaurants need…TRAFFIC!!!
BTW – I can’t believe someone called Chik-Fil-A “a valuable part of the community,” when it is also a national chain. Are chains good or bad? The Hardees wasn’t “inherently bad,” it was just “badly run.” I’m guessing “Dairy Queen is also “a valuable part of the community.” Based on what? It being “kid friendly?”
Decaturites are far too concerned with perceived cache of their eateries. Cache wears off and then you simply have a place to eat food. Contrary to popular belief, Chik-Fil-A is more of the “juror’s cafeteria” than Ruby’s every will be. And the reason it is so popular is because it’s a national chain that everyone knows. You can’t have it both ways.
The City is all but hostile to franchises and IMO that is not the way to go.
I just don’t think that is true, Decatur Heights Dad. You mentioned Decatur having Subway, Quiznos, Chik-Fil-A, McDonald’s, Ted’s, Dairy Queen, Ruby Tuesdays. How about Starbucks? Tastings? Little Azios is a local chain. So is Taqueria del Sol, Saba, the coming Thumbs Up, and Fellinis. I’m sure there are more.
Seems like a pretty good mix to me. And based on my memory the city just about threw a parade when ChickfilA opened and had a ribbon cutting when Teds opened.
Parades and ribbon cuttings don’t sound hostile.
I’m with you, Decaturguy. Just because a place is a national chain doesn’t make them immune from the responsibility to know their local market and provide things people want. All the places you mention have done so to varying degrees.
As DM shows in the thread, RT’s inability to deliver something people want is not isolated to Decatur.
Decatur Heights Dad hit it right on the head. You can’t have it both ways.
I feel sorry for that Ruby Tuesday location because many people think they are too cool for it.
My problem with Ruby Tuesday (and obviously I’m not the only one, considering they’re shuttering 10% of their locations), has little to do with its coolness factor, or lack thereof. The food is terrible, the concept is 30 years past its prime, and there are at least 25 different places I can think of within a three-mile radius — local and national — that will work harder and provide more satisfaction for my dining dollar.
As others have said here, even national chains should have to take a stake in the communities in which they operate. That may mean helping sponsor local events, going out of the way to improve the community, or it may just mean endearing yourself to your customer base by offering something unique. Since Dairy Queen was mentioned, go there and see how the owners of that establishment interact with their customers, fooling around with the ice cream as they serve it, making it as much a show as a stop for a hot dog and dessert. Is that part of their franchise agreement? No. Is it a huge thing? Not really. Would I go to any other DQ outside Decatur? Probably not. But I know for the families that patronize that place, it makes it a special part of their day. There’s a reason why people were so concerned about what would happen to the DQ as part of the triangle redevelopment.
Yes, perhaps I was a bit harsh on chains as a whole, and a mix of national and local businesses is important. But Ruby Tuesday is an example of a business that never worked very hard to connect with its customer base, and thus it may be time for it to go.
That’s right lumpintheroad, I forgot to metion how the city went beyond the call of duty to make sure that that national chain, Dairy Queen, could remain part of that development in the Triangle.
Also, Taco Mac is a regional chain. So is Atlanta Bread Company and Mellow Mushroom and Noodle.
After all I mentioned, I would guess more than half of Decatur’s eating establishments.
Decatur doesn’t like chains?
I’m not too cool for Ruby Tuesday, I just don’t like the food. On the other hand, Dairy Queen’s chocolate shake is great.
The Chic Fil A is always supporting Decatur. Hardees didn’t, so no one went.
No doubt. Try the Chic Fil A Spirit Night some time, but take care not to be crushed by the throng. It’s pretty fierce in there.
Noodle is not a chain
Noodle is a small chain – Decatur, College Park, and Midtown (I think the third location is Midtwown)
Highly doubtful our RT will close. A mgr there tells me they’ve got a 99-year lease on the place (guy’s one of my neighbors)
Apparently credit card companies aren’t so hot on Ruby Tuesday, either — not that it’s any of their business.
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/business/stories//2008/12/21/creditcards_1221.html
Does anybody who reads this blog actually eat at Ruby Tuesdays in Decatur?
If they could keep a reasonably fresh salad bar, I might on occasion. It’s not simply that this is a chain (I happened to love the first Ruby Tuesday’s at Lenox back in the 80′s) – but the fact that the food is kind of blah, the freshness is sketchy and the service can be anywhere from o.k to downright terrible pretty much keeps it off my list.
Ruby Tuesday was well-known for their salad bar in the 80s, but it has gone downhill considerably since then. It’s ironic considering the growth of places like Sweet Tomatoes and the general interest in good salad that their bar is actually worse than in the 80s when salad wasn’t particularly popular.
To answer Bic Shaeffer‘s question: yes, I actually did attempt to eat at Ruby Tuesday Decatur once. It was a goodwill gesture, so to speak; and I figured it doesn’t hurt to try anything once. Plus, I’d recently been to an event that location had catered, and they’d actually done a decent job. Oh, and I had a $5 gift card. I visited their website and found what I wanted and called to place a takeout order. It went downhill from there. I was on hold an inordinate amount of time to speak with someone that could take an order. Then I learned that the menu on their website wasn’t current and they no longer offered the item. They had to put me on hold many times to figure out how to handle this. I persevered nonetheless and ordered something else. I arrived at the designated time to find no one at the host stand (and this was a busy Saturday night). I finally asked a server if they could help, and she said it wasn’t her job. No help. Finally someone looked down at me and asked, “Can I help you?” like I was a homeless person and then directed me to the bar, where no one was working. The bartender, I was told by a patron, was outside smoking. So I waited longer. Someone that appeared to be a manager emerged from the kitchen and I grabbed him (like the other employees, he definitely wasn’t making eye contact or attempting to help random people standing around). He told me I’d need to talk to the bartender. Yeah. He looked exasperated (at me more than the situation) but said he would fetch him. I figured they weren’t used to anyone at the bar so the bartender must spend most of the night outside. So the bartender finally emerged *and* actually had my order in his hand. He was even polite. Oh, but that was short-lived. It turns out that the $5 GC was a promo item and was no longer valid. Could the unhappy manager fix this? Oh, of course not. He didn’t care in the least. So I paid full price for my turkey burger (which wasn’t outragous) and left. For my one polystyrene-packaged item, they gave me a LARGE plastic bag (the size of a Big Brown Bag from Bloomingdale’s). I asked if they would reuse it if I just took the burger but was told they would throw it away. So I took the giant bag and went home to eat my burger. Well, of course, the fun didn’t end there. The burger was completely soggy and the broccoli was significantly overcooked. Rather than appearing steamed, it looked more like boiled beyond belief.
So after all of this, I wrote a much larger summary and sent it to them via the website, where of course I was thanked for my “comment.” Did I ever get a phone call, email, or snail mail response? Nope. So I can definitely say I gave them a fair shot and they performed pretty much miserably.
Some of you are confusing the word “chain” for the words “souless and tasteless.” The terms are not mutually exclusive, which is precisely why some chains thrive here and others don’t. People are saying good riddance to RT because it is a terrible chain, not because it’s a chain.
OH for a Houston’s in Decatur!
I have never been to the RTs in Decatur, except to use the restroom. I did, however, attend the Decatur 101 class that the City offers right about the time RTs moved into Decatur.. and learned that the City cannot really exclude anyone from moving into the area just because they don’t like them. If they meet the requirements to operate and get the appropriate licenses, and pay the rent, then they can open..
That said, I don’t like RTs and I won’t go there, and I hope they do close this one so something nicer can move in..
But that’s just my opinion..
but where else will i be able enjoy 1,372 calories via Ruby’s Classic Burger and a side of fries contain while enjoying flair?
How long has the Ruby Tuesday location been in Decatur?
I’ve not been in a Ruby Tuesday in over 5 years (and never Decatur). I no longer eat meat, so in fairness, it’s not somewhere I’d pick anyway. I do enjoy fish (and a bunch of other things), so there are just a lot of far better choices locally (chain, or no chain).
Given a choice between RT and another empty space though, I’d vote for the RT…. Now, if it did close, and we had our blue sky wish list, then I’d love to see R Thomas open a second location (I’m thinking that won’t happen, but hey, it’s my blue sky list).
I’ve now heard from the company’s Director of Operations: our RT is here to stay.
Chain restaurants that I would be happy to see in Decatur (while still spending most of my dining-out cash at Sweet Melissa’s and Raging):
Chipotle
Panera Bread
Biscuitville
In-n-out Burger
Five Guys
Discuss.
There’s only one “chain” that I think really bucks the bad associations of the concept and that would be Houston’s. Out of the 15 or so times I’ve been, I never had a bad experience. I don’t know if Houston’s would “feel” right in Decatur, but I’d sure take it over Ruby Tuesdays. In-n-out burger? YES! With a side of Lipitor please.
Maybe “In-n-out” refers to the way it acts in your digestive tract.
I have to chime in on this one – I have been eating at Houston’s since the 80′s and it has been without a doubt been the most consistent meal in Atlanta. Good prime rib in Decatur would be a dream come true =)
My wife and I recently ate the the Ruby Tuesday in Decatur. It was a Thursday night and there were other diners, maybe about 25% full. The salad bar was fine, nothing outstanding but fresh and well-stocked. Our meals were served in good time, the waitress and hostess were quick, friendly, and efficient. Not the cheapest or best place, but a good meal is possible and it was convenient.
How about a Sonic?
I went to this location once with my parents because it was the only sit-down restaurant in Decatur they recognized. The service was ok and the food was fine but we were the ONLY people in the restaurant and it was 12:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday. It was a very strange feeling; like something must be wrong with the place. Meanwhile, Crescent Moon next door was completely full. So yeah, its a bad, outdated chain that should not be occupying that location.
I think my main beef comes from the fact that it’s in such a good area and takes up so much room on the street. It just makes that section of sidewalk feel so dead since no one frequents it. You could fit 2 or 3 great boutique shops or even something like a Five Guys (which is similar to RT but is a much better value and actually generates foot traffic). I think Decatur needs more good, inexpensive restaurants like Chickfila, such as Panda Express, Zaxbys, Chipotle, or even another concert venue or bookstore. Having a good mix of price points is what helps a downtown area thrive.
Decatur could definitely use another music venue. I, and many other Decatur friends, weekly drive to East Atlanta, Midtown, and L5P to see shows. I think a spot similar to The Earl would do very well in downtown Decatur.
I was thinking the other day that Decatur could use some kind of street food. It would be great to have a joint selling gyros and schnitzel or even a dirty water hot dog cart near the square. I’d love it if Johnny’s had a window for slices. It seems it’s only a matter of time before the frozen yogurt craze moves into downtown.
Houston’s would NEVER move into Decatur. Think about their locations. High rent, high traffic areas.
Would be great, but it ain’t gonna happen.
FM, Greene’s has frozen yogurt.
Yeah, but nobody walks by Greene’s.
I’m curious – is the frozen yogurt at Greene’s the tangy kind usually served with fresh fruit (like Yoforia in VA Highlands & Perimeter Mall), or is it the faux soft-serve ice cream type (like TCBY)?
I love Yoforia and have been hoping to find something similar in Decatur!
The yogurt at Greene’s is Columbo.
Ruby Tuesday’s is a terrible chain. Period. Nobody goes there because you can have a much better experience elsewhere. There is an element of snobbery involved, but so what? That is the nature of a competitive dining scene.
The fact that it is a chain is not the problem. Let a Flying Biscuit open there and people will line up around the corner. What I would love to see there is a good Vietnamese restaurant, maybe a third location for Com. Probably zero chance of that.
Interesting comments on Ruby Tuesday’s
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/26542/americas-unhealthiest-restaurants