By Juan Montoya
The plans are on the drawing board, the surveying of the property is a done deal, and once the developers traverse the permit minefield that is the City of Brownsville Building Inspector Department, there will be a new option for local diners, a Logan Roadhouse Restaurant.
For all you dining aficionados who wondered why a Logan's wasn't available locally, the move has been in the works for the last six or seven months as negotiations between the Shoney's restaurant, the city, the Brownsville Visitors and Conventions Bureau, and the building inspectors to bring one here continued.
There are Logan's restaurants in 22 states in the country with some 250 locations, some 41 of them in Texas, including one in Harlingen and McAllen.
The last we heard is that Shoney's had accepted the Logan's offer for an un
disclosed amount and that the BVCB board had heard a presentation by the new restaurant developers where they bought a piece of land to the north of the White Pyramid that is now an asphalt drive and a drainage ditch to accommodate the required parking of the new restaurant.
disclosed amount and that the BVCB board had heard a presentation by the new restaurant developers where they bought a piece of land to the north of the White Pyramid that is now an asphalt drive and a drainage ditch to accommodate the required parking of the new restaurant."The developers made a presentation before the BVCB board said Mariano Ayala, director of the BVCB. "The piece of land we're talking about lies between Shoney's existing parking lot and our parking lot. The land isn't really being used. There's a ditch in the middle."
Originally, it was thought that Logan's was interested in purchasing the entire frontage from Shoney's to the curb of the 802-Ruben Torres right-of-way, but apparently the property was not necessary fro the new restaurant to comply with the parking requirements. It is not known when the demolition of the existing building will start and construction on Logan's will begin.
Ayala said the land now occupied by Shoney's and the BVCB is prime real estate that lies on the corner of U.S. 77-83 and 802. If the price had been right, he said the director would have considered selling the property to the new restaurant.
"We could have moved our operations elsewhere," he said. "But they didn't need all of it so we're staying where we're at. Now we'll have a new place to eat."
German Saiz, with the city's building inspector department, said the restaurant handed in plans that will have to be scrutinized by planners and inspectors before it's presented to the city.
"We've had this on the table now for the last six or seven months and now it seems to be moving forward."
14 comments:
the hell with logan's. When are we getting an olive garden? I find it hard to believe that Weslaco got the italian eatery first.
GREAT OBSERVATION, EXCEPT THERE IS AN OLIVE GARDEN IN HARLINGEN. BOTTOM LINE, WE DO NEED ONE IN BROWNSVILLE!!!
7:06 blogger - will you take me to Harlingen everytime I want to go? Gracias!
Does that mean that Shoney's will be gone? Will Logans have the good menudo that Shoney's has? What about the Breakfast Combo Special? Leave Shoney's alone!!!!
Logans and Texas Roadhouse are one and the same!
Fine dining in the Rio Grande Valley, lmao.
Either way, the valley will be underwater soon, no matter what they build. With Shoneys, Olive Garden, Logans or Tacos de la Esquina.
Fine dining starts by asking what is in the food. Not just paying big bucks for laboratory food a la carte courtesy of Food Industry Corp.
Olive Garden is terrible.
No menudo at Logan's. But how many menudo options does one city need? Brownsville could really use some variety - e.g., Indian, Greek, or decent Chinese food. We have seen some great additions recently, but we're not going to continue to grow by adding yet another Mexican food option.
(the hell with logan's. When are we getting an olive garden? I find it hard to believe that Weslaco got the italian eatery first.)
GAWD, my words and thoughts exactly. Olive Garden would RULE!!! Just a suggestion, but Logan's would be more at home around the Fronton st. area. Home of a Brownsville ghetto, a long time ago.
(Either way, the valley will be underwater soon)
Underwater? You mean thanks to the 2012 Aztec/Mayan curse? I wonder where we would be these days, if not for the open access of tabloid magazines?
Logan's is awesome! Great food, great value! Huge portions of food for not a lot of money. Just saying.
I'm f*cking glad Shoneys is gone. That place has the worst ownership and is by far one of the worst buildings in Brownsville.
Somebody should call the health department one day, and you'll see what I mean...
Bringing an Olive Garden to Brownsville wouldn't make for a wise business move...way too much of the Harlingen's Olive Garden business comes from the south.
Logan's and Texas roadhouse are not the same. They both have steaks and peanuts, yes, but the cooking style, seasonings, etc. are different. Same concept, different food and different company. Trust me. I've worked at both places.
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