Coming Soon to My Neighborhood

Thanks to email and all the other ways we stay in touch now, I don't have to be in town to get updates on the neighborhood.  Last week I was out of the country but got an email with the news that Burger Tap, the restaurant that eventually opened in Caramba Cafe's former space on North Highland, was closed and was going to be replaced by Waffold, a gourmet waffle sandwich place.  That Burger Tap closed was not unexpected.  I never went there (illustrating perhaps the most fundamental problem with the business concept) but the on line reviews mentioned small, high-priced burgers and a bright-light, fast food ambiance with non-fast food prices.  This does not seem like a winner of an idea, especially in a neighborhood with so many excellent burger places nearby.  We go to George's or Yeah Burger in Virginia Highland; Tom says that Highland Tap may make the best burgers in town (I haven't been there, either).  The Family Dog (another place I haven't been), across from the former Burger Tap location, has burgers and beer and lots of people, which may have also contributed to the lack of success of the Burger Tap concept.

So...waffle sandwiches.  I am trying to figure out what research could possibly have been done in the neighborhood to make someone decide to put a waffle sandwich restaurant here.  Walking up to people out walking their dogs or on their way to Alon's or the Family Dog or Doc Chey's or the farmer's market and asking them, what kind of restaurant would you come to in the neighborhood?  If someone had asked me, I would say, a neighborhood place, a place you could go to with the kids or with a group of people from the office or later with friends.  Not too expensive -- pizza, maybe.  Since Everybody's closed in Virginia Highland, there's no pizza in the neighborhood.  They could do a good take out business from people who don't feel like cooking but don't want Alon's or a casserole. That's what I would have said.  I don't think I would have said, you know, I've thought for a long time what our neighborhood really needs is a gourmet waffle sandwich place.  We have to go all the way to (where would one have to go?  I have no idea) to get our waffle sandwich fix.

But no one asked me.  Last night, Caroline and Iain and I walked to Yeah Burger and on the way we ran into our neighbor Marion and her friend, who were on their way to George's.  She told us that Burger Tap was closed and a waffle sandwich place was going in there instead.  I know, I told her, we were just talking about that.  Did they ask around the neighborhood and see what people thought about this idea?  She said, I know, this isn't Perimeter Mall.  I said a neighborhood place would do well there.  Families/after work/grown ups late night.  Yes, she said, like Caramba.  She said she'd been to Caramba recently, in their new location.  I said we have too.

So ..... waffle sandwiches it is.  Can't wait.