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Cedar Rapids Pub Stays On Schedule Despite Floods
Donna and Al Meyer are pressing forward with construction on their Tilted Kilt Sports Pub on Blair's Ferry Road in North Cedar Rapids, Iowa. According to Donna Meyer the flood waters didn't come near the Blair's Ferry location.
"We got water with in a couple of houses of our home," Donna said. "A couple of our neighbors had some water in their basements, but it was minimal especially compared to what happened downtown." The pub location is about seven miles north of downtown Cedar Rapids, where the worst flooding occurred.
Meyer doesn't anticipate a delay in their plans to open this winter, although there could still be a labor shortage depending on the stress on the market from the flood rebuild. Meyer said that some of the people in the downtown community are working hard already to rehab their flood-ravaged businesses.
"One friend of ours was in his place the day after the water went down and was ripping out walls getting ready to rebuild," she said.
Meyer said that the Cedar Rapids business community has really been pulling together since the floods and she is very impressed with the can-do attitude of folks in the midwestern community.
Atlanta Kilt Owner Has Big Plans
Kyo Won Kang, who goes by Peter, "because most folks can't say my Korean name," and his wife Kim are dyed-in-the-wool entrepreneurs and can't wait to get their first TK open in Atlanta. Kang says, "Kim and I have been entrepreneurs and have owned numerous retail businesses for the past 21 years. We intend to make the Tilted Kilt the truly ultimate sports pub in Atlanta."
They live in Wilmington, Delaware, and have interests in several cities.
Like a lot of folks who have become TK owners, the Kangs first found out about the Tilted Kilt because of the original location. After son Bo and his friend Zach Locker visited the original Kilt in Las Vegas and came home excited about the concept, .the family went to the web site and decided that they ought to find out more about the concept. Which they did. They signed their franchise agreement in early June.
"Our current plans are to open three Tilted Kilts and Bo and Zach plan to open their own TK's in the near future as well," Kang said.
Mesa VIP Party A Smash!
Newest Kilt Opened To Public May 26.
About 500 invited guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly at the newest Kilt in the system, when the Mesa, Arizona, pub held its VIP party Saturday night May 24. It was their last rehearsal before the soft public opening on Monday, May 26 .
Jeff Strand and his staff were on top of their game as they hustled through the evening with few hitches. TK Operations Chief Rich Berns, Corporate Chef Curly Casteneda, and HR Director Scott Oliver pitched in to lend a hand to the cast and crew who had just completed their week-long training in the pub.
Larry Frank, one of the investing partners in the third Arizona pub, was all smiles as VIPs came by to offer their praise for the new pub at the corner of Baseline and Gilbert Roads in Mesa.
Bakersfield On The Move
Meanwhile, Jeremy Helper is pouring concrete and driving nails at his 2900 Calloway Drive location in Bakersfield, California. Helper said that the build-out actually started on May 16 and is now expected to move quickly. He is planning an early August opening in the central California city. Click here to see a story that ran recently in the Bakersfield Californian newspaper.
The Bakersfield location is just north of the high traffic artery, Rosedale Highway. Calloway Drive alone has more than 33000 cars per day pass the Kilt location.
Chicago Building Out
Chris Giatokis is hard at work renovating a building in downtown Chicago, where his first Chicagoland TK will open later this year. The building is located at 17 N. Wabash (just north of Madison). Chris will soon have his huge Opening Soon signs up in the 14 windows (56 feet) that cover the front of his second floor space (click for a look at his banner). Those windows face Wabash and a busy "L" station
Meanwhile, over in Woodridge, west of Central Chicago, John Bobeck is getting ready to start his build-out on a new building shell at 6420 Main Street (see image right). Bobeck says his permit process should be completed shortly, allowing him to begin construction.
The Woodridge Kilt is two blocks from the Seven Bridges Golf Course
is surrounded by plenty of business and residential population.
Tilted Kilt Popular At NRA Show
"I didn't have a voice left after two straight days of non-stop talking," said TK VP Rich Berns after spending most of the National Restaurant Association Show run talking to people about the Tilted Kilt. "There is a lot of interest in our concept."
Berns, TK Franchise Development chief Mark Hanby, and Kilt board member John Reynaud manned the big Tilted Kilt booth at the annual Chicago show May 17-19.
The TK team also consisted of cast members Anna and Bernadette, as well as Area Developers Michael McCracken, Steve Wood, Bill and Cory Bass and Robert Baroud.
The
contingent and Pyramid Brewery rep Bryan
Thompson poured samples of the
Tilted Kilt Premium Lager and Premium Hefe Weizen while two Tilted Kilt
cast members served and chatted with visitors and posed for pictures--a
very popular show item.
That's Anna on the left and Bernadette on the right. In the photo below, TK board member Reynaud talks with a visitor while another takes a picture of Anna.
