Feb

Yancy’s, Longbranch File Chapter 11

TBJ is reporting that both Yancy’s and The Longbranch filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this week. This is the same situation that Amedeo’s on Western Blvd. is in where their credit is locked down, but they can stay in business.

Word on the street is that Yancy’s is moving their live music operation out to the former Hideaway BBQ site. Located on the first level of The Hudson, Yancy’s aimed to be a great southern cooking site by day, great jazz site by night. They installed expensive computerized lighting equipment and spend a small fortune trying to soundproof their operation from condos above. This was a miserable failure as complaints from condos soon ensued. Apparently we’ve found one of mixed use’s limitations.

http://www.dtraleigh.com/ Leo

Can you really take a complaint like that seriously? How could anyone move into a second floor condo above ground floor retail and expect peace and quiet? Great move on Yancy’s to soundproof there space but to anyone complaining about the noise, I mean come on, what did you expect?

The complaints are a small issue anyway. Looks like the downtown economy is getting competitive.
Dana

Well, I think these condo owners were kind of “guaranteed” that noise wouldn’t be a problem.

I don’t know if I agree with “competitive” in the good sense. To me it looks like downtown demand is seriously lagging behind the booming supply. Condo sales are sluggish and restaurants are struggling. Downtown can’t say that it isn’t trying, that’s for sure. Think of all of the good restaurants that have opened in Raleigh in the last 2 years. Where were they located? I can’t remember the last time I heard someone rave about a new restaurant in north Raleigh.
Ashton

I’d love to get the two of you, RaleighRob, Ernest, 150, and a few others around a table. I’d of course want that table in the office of the planning commission people, but that’s another story.

As far as I know there was only one person who had a complaint enough that they moved out of Hudson, to clear that up.
Subway Scoundrel

I have said this before on another website but I once had a business associate in town from outside the US and we worked late one night on a project and then we were going to dinner. I thought of DT and thought Yancey’s would be a good place. I got there at 9:04 and they asked me to pay a $8 cover a piece. (Rule I guess: after 9:00, cover charge started.) I told the guy I only wanted to eat dinner and I wanted to have a business dinner. The guy said NO.

Now I know there are rules and I can accept that, but it was the way the bouncer looked like he was going to throw me on my head if I said another word or even looked toward the door. It was not that busy either. He acted like I was crashing his party. It was the typical intimidation method of some huge bouncer given power vs average sized business guy.

Again, rules are rules but I went over to the The Big Easy and ate dinner that night and have never even attempted to go back to Yancey’s.

Intimidation is great tool to use but you must also accept the consequences. Who has the real leverage ?
RaleighRob

Well, I guess it all depends on what the buyers of the condo were actually told when they were buying. Was it “You’ll have a restaurant under you” or “You’ll have a nightclub with amplified music under you”? There’s a big difference.
For instance, I kinda doubt anyone in the Dawson has complained much about The Borough. Or anyone in the Atrium complaining about Fayetteville Street Tavern.
As far as prospects for mixed-use, 510 Glenwood did it best by putting a layer (or two?) of offices between the Bogarts/Red Room level and the condos. Those offices are likely empty by the time Bogarts and Red Room really turn up the music. (I’m guessing.)

Which kinda goes back to SubwayScoundrel’s point—if Yancey’s paid less attention to the “let’s try to be a hip, exclusive nightclub” factor and focused more on being a good restaurant with excellent service, they’d probably do better.
Dana

Yeah, that’s a good point Rob.

There must be a lot of insulation above Red Room because when I’ve gone it was so loud that people in the Hudson probably could hear it
dbearhug

I’ve had the same complaint about Yancy’s and their cover charge as well. We had just finished a performance on stage at Meymandi and wanted so sit down for a late night supper. Went to Yancy’s and they flat out insisted on charging the cover. Maybe it wasn’t quite so bad with the bouncer since we were three guys in tuxedos. Hard to say, but when we did go there, the cigarette smoke was so bad on the bar side I could hardly breathe when I went from my table to order a drink. Haven’t been back since.
Ashton

There are 2 layers of offices between Bogarts and Red Room, then on the 4th floor begin the condos. My understanding is that the people on the Hi 5 side of the development get more of the noise at it echos up from the street. Still, the condos don’t see a lot of turn over in that building, so it must be something that isn’t easily heard.

gogoraleigh.com

Yancy’s, Longbranch File Chapter 11

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