Downtown Grand Forks

[ksixpack]

On 9/11/2021 at 9:20 PM, SIOUXFAN97 said:

Neither are open yet.  Honestly, WTF is going on?

Especially with Hugo's.  The shelves have been stocked since the end of July...hope they are dusting those shelves.  It is getting to be very comical!

[The Sicatoka]

If I had to guess, in a word: Staffing. 

[northernraider]

7 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

If I had to guess, in a word: Staffing. 

The Sept 1 unemployment rate for Grand Forks MSA was 3.1%, certainly not a lot of meat on the bone for workers especially in service roles. 

[ksixpack]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

If I had to guess, in a word: Staffing. 

I don’t think it’s totally staffing…They have 10 other stores; move some people around if it was …too much investment and lost opportunity there for it to just be staffing.  If it’s staffing then it’s poor management as they had 3 yrs to prepare for this store.

[SIOUXFAN97]

8 minutes ago, ksixpack said:

I don’t think it’s totally staffing…They have 10 other stores; move some people around if it was …too much investment and lost opportunity there for it to just be staffing.  If it’s staffing then it’s poor management as they had 3 yrs to prepare for this store.

exactly....just open the damn thing with self checkout....put some milk in the coolers and open up.

[Cratter]

Inside of Harrys.

Just to steal some of siouxfan97's thunder. 

[dmksioux]

I noticed a new sign for the Olive Ann hotel was put up in the parking lot next to the Edgewood building.  Haven’t heard much about the project lately, but it appears they are planning to go forward with it still.

[SIOUXFAN97]

15 minutes ago, Cratter said:

Inside of Harrys.

Just to steal some of siouxfan97's thunder. 

haha just walked by twenty minutes ago.....

[gfhockey]

44 minutes ago, Cratter said:

Inside of Harrys.

Just to steal some of siouxfan97's thunder. 

I just missed the lic

[Cratter]

26 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

I just missed the lic

They pobably tried keeping the staff out of the pic on purpose.

[forksandspoons]

2 hours ago, dmksioux said:

I noticed a new sign for the Olive Ann hotel was put up in the parking lot next to the Edgewood building.  Haven’t heard much about the project lately, but it appears they are planning to go forward with it still.

A new hotel downtown is much needed with all the other new developments. Good to hear 

[tnt]

On 9/30/2021 at 5:07 PM, SIOUXFAN97 said:

exactly....just open the damn thing with self checkout....put some milk in the coolers and open up.

You only have one chance to make a first impression, and I would guess the first impression they want to give isn't "where is this", "why don't they have this".    The same people that complain about something not opening are the ones that call it a complete gong show if it opens and they are minimalist in staffing and merchandise. 

[northernraider]

9 hours ago, forksandspoons said:

A new hotel downtown is much needed with all the other new developments. Good to hear 

Wasn't the apartments on Demers and 2nd supposed to be converted into a HoDo type of hotel?

[dmksioux]

6 hours ago, northernraider said:

Wasn't the apartments on Demers and 2nd supposed to be converted into a HoDo type of hotel?

At one time there was talk about the St. John’s building being converted to a boutique hotel.  Not sure what happened but those plans were scrapped.  

[ksixpack]

6 hours ago, dmksioux said:

At one time there was talk about the St. John’s building being converted to a boutique hotel.  Not sure what happened but those plans were scrapped.  

It appears it is still a go in some capacity…the Block V building is the St John’s building

[SIOUXFAN97]

now i know why the kennedy bridge's lights stay white only (could that be seen as white supremacy too)....

https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/7251124-Lights-on-Greater-Grand-Forks-Sorlie-Bridge-a-source-of-occasional-political-friction

[GeauxSioux]

On 9/30/2021 at 4:58 PM, ksixpack said:

I don’t think it’s totally staffing…They have 10 other stores; move some people around if it was …too much investment and lost opportunity there for it to just be staffing.  If it’s staffing then it’s poor management as they had 3 yrs to prepare for this store.

I was passing through MSP earlier this month on the way back from GF.  We stopped at the Whole Food in Edina to grab some lunch for the road, as we were tired of fast food on the trip.  We walked in and saw all of the chafing dishes, salads, sides... were empty.  All they had was soup.  I asked a couple of employees who were walking by what was going on.  They said that they can't anyone to come to work.  Their kitchen typically has 40 people working.  They had 5.  Add your assumptions as to why, here....

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

19 hours ago, GeauxSioux said:

I was passing through MSP earlier this month on the way back from GF.  We stopped at the Whole Food in Edina to grab some lunch for the road, as we were tired of fast food on the trip.  We walked in and saw all of the chafing dishes, salads, sides... were empty.  All they had was soup.  I asked a couple of employees who were walking by what was going on.  They said that they can't anyone to come to work.  Their kitchen typically has 40 people working.  They had 5.  Add your assumptions as to why, here....

As we drove from GF to Minn/StPaul airport Tuesday evening/Wed morning, traffic was very light on I29 & I94.
Shortly after midnight when we turned of I94 onto 494 bypass and headed to airport, we never say a car in our lane - as far back as we see or even as far ahead. We did meet like 5 cars in opposite lane. One we turned off 494, we saw about 5 cars going to the airport. We parked and went into the airport and were there alone. People started showing up in a hour and half. The security area didn't open up till 3:30am.
Using our cel phone, we could not find a place open to eat along 494.

[Kab]

Soft opening of Hugo’s today per article in herald 

[Cratter]

Hugo's is nice. Didn't expect them to have a 21+ pub there. 

Also gonna be a nice lunch spot with the second floor indoor/outdoor mezzanine.

[forksandspoons]

42 minutes ago, Cratter said:

Hugo's is nice. Didn't expect them to have a 21+ pub there. 

Also gonna be a nice lunch spot with the second floor indoor/outdoor mezzanine.

Adds a lot to downtown that’s for sure 

[Cratter]

7 minutes ago, forksandspoons said:

Adds a lot to downtown that’s for sure 

Im sure they are excited to have all those new apartments being built almost "next door."

[Sioux>Bison]

On 10/27/2021 at 2:25 PM, GeauxSioux said:

I was passing through MSP earlier this month on the way back from GF.  We stopped at the Whole Food in Edina to grab some lunch for the road, as we were tired of fast food on the trip.  We walked in and saw all of the chafing dishes, salads, sides... were empty.  All they had was soup.  I asked a couple of employees who were walking by what was going on.  They said that they can't anyone to come to work.  Their kitchen typically has 40 people working.  They had 5.  Add your assumptions as to why, here....

Why work when you get $300 per kid per month……… adds up to a lot of $$$$$$

[gfNDfan]

Stopped in to the new downtown Hugo's today - nice store!   It's clearly focused on the "fast lunch/to go" crowd and it's not a huge store but it had everything I would look for in a grocery store (again, with QUICK-choice additions) - nice deli, fresh meat department - bakery - all the other groceries.  Trick is NOT parking in front and trying to get in but wheel your way around the back and enter the parking lot from 6th street to get best access to the back door (where the check-outs are)

This is a GREAT addition to downtown - WAAYYY MORE selection than the old "grocery store"/amazing grains had and good walking access for the downtown apartments and other apartment complexes near downtown.  A bar upstairs - specialty treats downstairs.  A bank I could give 2 shits about next door.  Thank you Hugos for adding to GF once again.

[SIOUXFAN97]