More Restaurant Closings???

HOLD THE PHONE!!! Did the first post indicate that Criolla's is closing??? Can anyone confirm?

Next...is Seerings really closing? These are two of our favorite Sowal eateries? Say it isn't so!

As someone who just visits the area, it seems to me that there has been tremendous growth in the Destin area since we first started to visit 5 years ago. From the distance it seems that the developers and restaurateurs have put the cart before the horse. Although it seems as if the Emerald Coast is going to continue to grow in population, and i plan on being one of them, it takes time fo all the people to get there. There has just been to much development for not enough people. We have been through the same thing in Omaha. We had a ton of restaurants open at the same time in concentrated areas, and now many have or are closing. I would think the old standards on 30A will continue to succeed unless they forget how to have good food and good service, all the things that bring my family there in the first place.

I heard someone bought it and Gator will continue to run it.

You might be on to something there. A lot of locals were surprised at the high number of new restaurants which opened in the last 5 years or so. As if new businesses opening was tied to the real estate boom. Many were bound to fail as the pie got spread thin.
But I won't be surprised if we have the same number of restaurants open as close in the near future , many of which are in the works now.

I like how in many populated places such as New Orleans, bad restaurants generally are not tolerated and don't survive. The locals won't put up with bad food or service. However, tourist areas often have bad restaurants which are able to survive because of the understandable ignorance of new visitors every week. Maybe our forum here can serve that purpose a bit, and help make everyone have to be better, while the weak perish.

BTW - Bud & Alley's recently secured a new long-term lease.

Kurt,

Just so you know, when we were down in February, all the restaurants we went to were highly recommended on sowal.com. D & K's - F'ing awsome, cafe 30A - again, Fish out of Water, Flip Flops and Boraggo's all outstanding. They all came from this site! We also love B & A's, Hurricane, and Gravel Road, which must have just opened when we first went there. We have many friends in the business here in Omaha, and I can tell you that the restaurants of 30A do it better than anyone. We never know where to go first. Keep it Up!

David Seering owns the suite where Seerings Piano Cafe is located and as of now, my understanding is that he plans to re-open, likely in the Spring. I sure hope so, because I love the place.

I wish the best to everyone in the business. My daughter just graduated in May with a Hospitality degree and it is a hard time for the industry in many locations.

I had no idea until she got into the business how fickle it can actually be and how much small things can affect the success of a restaurant.

It was a certainly an eye opener for me, who had only been a customer and never seen the other side until now of what workers and owners face.

Good luck to all of you.

I had heard he was moving back to Louisiana with or without the restaurant selling.