More Prince Rupert rumours…apparently the planned A&W for Prince Rupert has been scrapped because the city or other gov’t officials would not approve the drive-thru that was planned for its location in the upper parking lot of the Rupert Square Mall.
I wonder if A&W is going to release some information soon about this or not?
Would the real ajaye please stand up, please stand up, please stand up?
So lame
[quote=“bthedog”]More Prince Rupert rumours…apparently the planned A&W for Prince Rupert has been scrapped because the city or other gov’t officials would not approve the drive-thru that was planned for its location in the upper parking lot of the Rupert Square Mall.
I wonder if A&W is going to release some information soon about this or not?[/quote]
I’m sure this isn’t a rumour. This city is well known for not allowing Franchised companies to open up here.
Ya, no A&W. Wow! And now for something new…Nothing!
Did anybody really think it would fly? When I first heard about the possibility
of A&W coming to Rupert, I was excited, yet reserved. Location Location. Hmmmmm
Then the rumors about the upper mall parking lot. Could have worked,
with some changes, but then I heard rumors about rings and hoops that the
city was requiring before consideration would even be granted. Rumors mind you,
but this sure fits into the pattern that the city hierarchy has shown in the past (and present).
We can’t all be saddened by the fact that we might end up with only 1 drive in. Certainly this
business cannot be considered a drive through, because some driving skill is required to
get out of the parking and back into the traffic flow. Guess another drive in (or through)
would require a little better set design. I think that the La Gondola is on a 50’x100’ lot!
Thats a restaurant and a drive in combined! Wow, wheres all the parking? There isn’t any!
Theres seems to be some available land in this town for new businesses.
Maybe the city needs to open their arms a little bit and attempt to encourage businesses
come to Rupert, instead of sitting back and admiring what they’ve already accomplished.
Which in my eyes isn’t very much!
Oh come on… in what world would an A&W with a drive through be approved to be built in that parking lot? The whole damn mall has been sinking for years and the lot is on the base of a cliff.
I can’t agree more… esp now with walmart, that parking lot is already crowded… I know that novelty to walmart will end but none the less that parking lot is not very big and as you say it is sinking…
I could never figure out how A&W could of worked up there unless it was fit into the Pizza Hut building, but that place had not closed yet when A&W was talked about… I think out the highway some place is more viable… but also city hall does not encourage fast food franchises, i recall in the 80s mcdonalds had a hard time getting in
Why blame the city for not waiving zoning and bylaws? This isn’t Soviet Russia. You pay a fee and get a business license they don’t decide if they give it to you. Other than you can’t build THAT right THERE it isn’t zoned for that.
If it is true that A&W isn’t coming to town it could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe the bigwigs at corporate headquarters don’t believe all the hype that Rupert is about to boom, and they don’t want to waste their money. The big hangup that I heard had nothing to do with the city but with the Highways Department insistence on a signal lights being installed on Second Ave, which is part of the highway, to keep up with the extra traffic that would be generated from the drive-thru. Why would the city not want businesses come to town and generate more property taxes? They wouldn’t! If A&W were serious there is a big piece of property on Third Ave. at McBride St., another one on Second Ave. and McBride St., and yet another on Park Ave. next to the closed down gas station.
The City does not discourage franchise or development at all, but is bound by zoning bylaws, including parking conciderations. As I understand it , City staff did a fair amount of work with the mall, and A&W towards the possible development of A&W at the mall location, and it was Highways who imposed some roadblocks…no pun. I think the mall parking lot location would cause some traffic problems which would cause a complaint thread here bigger than this one. It seems as though there are properties on the West end that mat be more suitable, to me.
i was actually shocked to read you don’t already have A&Rubberchew. Every little place has one, Burns, Houston, even Cache Creek. Thought Fort St. James was the only place too lame for an A&W
Considering the road to the mall parking lot is not the highway i have trouble with that suggestion. The city is notoriously anti business especoally when it interferes with the personal interests of those who make the decisions. Its always been that way. Regardless rupert should be happy if they arent getting this shit shack. When your food smells the same coming out as it did going in theres a problem
Well, The mall itself is addressed od 2nd Avenue, so is on the highway, including the parking lot. So, Highways becomes quite involved in additional development on the site.
[quote=“jesus”]
The city is notoriously anti business especoally when it interferes with the personal interests of those who make the decisions. Its always been that way.[/quote]
Those days are long over. Who on council has personal interests that this development could interfere with? The past is over and what your grandfather told you about city hall doesn’t exist anymore.
Remember that letter the City sent to potential Canadian businesses? Asking them to please come to Prince Rupert? Then the followup, clarifying that they shouldn’t come if they’re going to compete with existing businesses? Sounds about right for a city that itself actively competes with private enterprise.
I don’t know if things have changed recently, but I experienced the ‘parking fees’ shakedown that the City pulls on all new businesses. Maybe the franchise owner in this case didn’t feel like paying the City that kind of protection money.
I don’t know. Could you explain why the mayor felt it necessary to add that the City wasn’t really trying to encourage competition with the letter? Maybe some toes were stepped on?
There’s lots of vacant undeveloped space out there. No need to sandwich things even tighter down town. A&W can afford to develop some land.
[quote=“MiG”]Remember that letter the City sent to potential Canadian businesses? Asking them to please come to Prince Rupert? Then the followup, clarifying that they shouldn’t come if they’re going to compete with existing businesses? Sounds about right for a city that itself actively competes with private enterprise.
I don’t know if things have changed recently, but I experienced the ‘parking fees’ shakedown that the City pulls on all new businesses. Maybe the franchise owner in this case didn’t feel like paying the City that kind of protection money.
I don’t know. Could you explain why the mayor felt it necessary to add that the City wasn’t really trying to encourage competition with the letter? Maybe some toes were stepped on?
I haven’t read that article … I’ll get back to you
That article is fair. The city wants to attract additional retailers and small to medium sized retailers to downtown. Not necessarily attract big box style that would decimate the downtown core further. I don’t believe that A&W would fit into the category of a big box or create any hardship to down town. We’ve lost the restaurants at the Rupert Hotel, Highliner, Green Apple, La Cucina, etc. We need more restaurants.
^ The Highliner still has a restaurant…and La Cucina location was replaced with another restaurant in Pho 88, so that is kind of a wash. Green Apple was shut down because their building was deemed unsafe and it would have cost hundred of thousands to fix or replace…the only one that could be considered shut down due to lack of demand was Charlies and even that is questionable considering the restructuring/renovations on going at the Prince Rupert Hotel. And I would hardly say the downtown core has been losing restaurant business considering the following all have opened in the last 6 months to 3 years.
-Dave’s Oyster Bar
-Theanns Greek Palace
-Soup Daddy’s
-The French Onion Cafe
-Seahorse Trading Cafe
The only other shutdown I can think of was Pizza Hut and that had more to due with countless franchise violations (as the rumours go).
A&W certainly would not be a detriment to downtown restaurants…the one that would see a noticeable hit would be McDonald’s…and something tells me they would still be raking it in considering how packed that place is 24/7.
Rupert needs another burger fast food place…the city could support it easily without question.