The Observation Deck

Does anyone know what happened with Sullivan's?

Sadly, it changed ownership earlier in the year and went downhill fast.

Any new info on this closing? I noticed people trying to pull in the lot but it is closed (blocked by a cone)

The Patch makes it pretty clear below:

http://lakewood-oh.patch.com/articles/doors-close-at-sullivan-s-irish-pub-on-madison-avenue

http://lakewood-oh.patch.com/articles/future-of-sullivan-s-irish-pub-remains-uncertain

I hope Patrick can find a way to have it reopen. It's a beautiful place.
Someone just needs the passion to make it work.

David Westlake wrote:The Patch makes it pretty clear below:

David

About as clear as the speculation here!

Let's see, hmm it is closed will it reopen? Clear?

From one of the investors, who is also a member here and I would thought he might have
posted.

Trouble started the day it changed hands. The new "owner" still debatable if the contracts
were ever carried out, let go the staff, stopping any continuity in the place. Then as many
restaurants start to do, they started cutting back on portions and quantity, and continued
to hemorrhage money and losses.

Finally, let's say, a domestic matter, in the owner's family, caused the entire thing to
collapse. As of yesterday Pat Sullivan was not sure what he was going to do. With many
investors in what might be one of the nicest/most expensive bar in town, he did not think he
could make a go of it again.

This came from Bill Call, a minority investor, and huge fan of Pat Sullivan and Sullivan's.

There are more restaurant closings coming, I know of three on the edge.

.

I know of three on the edge.

now im on the edge....of my seat. thanks obryan.

hope not one of my faves.

kate e parker wrote:

I know of three on the edge.

now im on the edge....of my seat. thanks obryan.

hope not one of my faves.

Kate

Anytime Parker

No one wants anyone to know. It is funny.

One has been barely hanging on for a year. Making no money, but not losing any either.

I think, Quaker Steak and Lube, could have a big impact on the restaurant scene.

One of your favs, all I can say is drink and eat there often!

FWIW


.

Jim,

Any chance on letting us know which are in trouble? I think we all have our favorites and would hate to find out, like at Sullivan's, that one day it just closes.

It's not like this is secret, state information and those of us who love certain places can do something BEFORE it shuts down as opposed to after (see: Detroit Theater).

Thanks in advance!

Matt

Matthew Lee wrote:Jim,

Any chance on letting us know which are in trouble? I think we all have our favorites and would hate to find out, like at Sullivan's, that one day it just closes.

It's not like this is secret, state information and those of us who love certain places can do something BEFORE it shuts down as opposed to after (see: Detroit Theater).

Thanks in advance!

Matt

Matt

No one wants anyone to know they are having trouble.

That is universal in all the years I have been doing this.

John at 2 Dads was desperate to get people in, but never wanted me to say they were
having a tough time. A mixture of pride and fear I suppose.

2 Dads, much like the Detroit had obvious signs they were in trouble. Lights not replaced,
smaller crowds, no crowds, and then the obvious cuts in hours, staff, quality, etc.

Running a restaurant is not hard. We all know what makes a restaurant successful, and
we all know why they fail. What they are those is an amazing amount of hard work for
a modicum of financial benefits. It is funny, having been in the business, even when I talk
with some of the most successful restauranteurs in Lakewood, they are hard at work
staying in the black, in a tough area.

For every person packing Barroco's new backroom, is one less at Coffee Pot, Screamin
Rooster, 5 Guys (that has yet to hit their projections), Robeks, Pier W, etc. When I
drive by and see Jammy Buggers packed, which is great, Jim has really put together a
nice package, I wonder who is at 56 West, Coszumel, Merry Arts. I suppose the good side
is you can walk into Melt and sit down. With three more places coming, there will be
fall out. And that is how free enterprise works.

Support local restaurants, if you see something failing, take with the owner, they will
appreciate that you care.

.

Thanks, Jim,

Yeah, I have to wonder if Lakewood is about to hit it's saturation point (if it hasn't already). With Eddie's and QSL coming in, who loses?

The way I see it, to really succeed in Lakewood with a non fast-food establishment (true fast food is it's own category) you need to be two of three things:

(a) Unique
(b) Embrace Localness
(c) Good Food for Good Value (or, for argument's sake, acceptable food at a good price)

If you are all three, so much the better. I could be off base but Cozumel will survive because, IMHO, it is (a) and (C). Merry Arts will be fine because it is (b) and (c). Melt could be characterized as (a) and (b). Jammy Buggars could also be characterized as (b) and (c). They have done a great job with their Pay it Forward Nights and really being part of the community.

Five Guys fails, I think, because they are (c) and that is it. Chipotle at least does lots of things for the community. I haven't seen Five Guys really do much locally, but could be wrong.

I think that QSL is going to come in and be (b) and (c). They really embrace the "local" parts of where they are. Eddie's will probably come in and be (a) and (b). Seems quite different from what we have.

Yes, this is extremely simplistic, but just some quick observations. That said, I think that Sullivans was (a), (b) and (c) and they closed. Go figure.

Matthew Lee wrote:Yes, this is extremely simplistic, but just some quick observations. That said, I think that Sullivans was (a), (b) and (c) and they closed. Go figure.

Matt

Good post but you have left out a couple things.

When you serve good food 6-10, you are still at the whim of weather events, and new
restaurant openings. Also QSL, Chiptole, Jammy Buggars, and 5 Guys among others have
given heavily to the "community." But it does not always come back.

Then you have overhead, which can be affected in hundreds of ways. A well know local
restauranteur just went from basically a cash business to a credit card business, the 90
day wait for payment can be brutal, if you are borderline.

The case with Sullivan's was tied into overhead and being extended. The place cost a
fortune, and it had to turn tables. I was always surprised that it did not catch on more
than it did. OK food, good pours, friendly service, but that overhead!

We shall see what pops up.

One, I think I can speak of, is Zapitelli's, which just months ago won Lakewood's favorite
pizza. Talking with some of the players there, there is a nightmare over parking and a
growing feud with neighbors over it. When the building department and their councilman
was called they came up to investigate, and ended up having to remove their chairs
as they could no longer have indoor dining.

I am willing to bet that dollar for dollar very few have done more for charities out of the
box than Adam and family.

Stay tuned to see how this plays out.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Matthew Lee wrote:Yes, this is extremely simplistic, but just some quick observations. That said, I think that Sullivans was (a), (b) and (c) and they closed. Go figure.

Matt

Good post but you have left out a couple things.

When you serve good food 6-10, you are still at the whim of weather events, and new
restaurant openings. Also QSL, Chiptole, Jammy Buggars, and 5 Guys among others have
given heavily to the "community." But it does not always come back.

Then you have overhead, which can be affected in hundreds of ways. A well know local
restauranteur just went from basically a cash business to a credit card business, the 90
day wait for payment can be brutal, if you are borderline.

The case with Sullivan's was tied into overhead and being extended. The place cost a
fortune, and it had to turn tables. I was always surprised that it did not catch on more
than it did. OK food, good pours, friendly service, but that overhead!

We shall see what pops up.

.

I would also guess the lack of other complimenting stores (compared to Downtown and the western end) and minimal car and foot traffic on the eastern side of town do not help locations which do not have something delicious and/or affordable (i.e, Barocco, Angelo's)

Hopefully additions such as the "new" Mahall's will help more traffic flow through that part of town.

It doesn't help either when events that occurred on the eastern side are moved either, for example the Kar Kulture Show.

J Hrlec wrote:I would also guess the lack of other complimenting stores (compared to Downtown and the western end) and minimal car and foot traffic on the eastern side of town do not help locations which do not have something delicious and/or affordable (i.e, Barocco, Angelo's)

Hopefully additions such as the "new" Mahall's will help more traffic flow through that part of town.

It doesn't help either when events that occurred on the eastern side are moved either, for example the Kar Kulture Show.

There is no doubt that the end of Chris Andrew's dream of Madison Village, hurt the area. Before Chris' move to Charleston, he owned several building and went out and shopped for trendy businesses like B-Ware Video (Eddie just passed away), Manja, Chain Link Addiction, etc. But after years of arguing with the city, he finally said enough.

Bela Dubby came in at the end of the cool factor and was more a part of the end of the
scene. A hip cool place run by artists was not enough to hold it down. Pat Sullivan along
with Danny Bennan had dreams of Lakewood's "Irish Village" with other Irish pubs coming
in but that too never materialized.

Kelly and Colin certainly have a chance to get things going again at Mahall's, but it will be
an uphill battle with parking, noise and the same lack of foot traffic. They are doing a great
job of promoting it, but so did Jimmy Mileti at the Winchester, and he is having a tough go
of it. We shall see, an active nightlife would be so nice to see again.

What really set Chris Andrews apart was that he owned 4 of the buildings. He would find
hip shops and sign them to easy deals to get started, with a bigger pay on the back end.

Who knows? One can only hope.

I have been told (didn't see it personally) that there now hangs a 'For Sale' sign in the window. If I only had the money for that idea I've had in the back of my head for the last year or so...that's always my trouble, funding.

The outside of the building has been panted a reddish/brown about a wek ago and you can see in some of the windows that renovations are being performed. Not sure what the actual new name of the place will be? Has anyone heard more info on the new place that will exist in this location?