Restaurant group to open new Bennigan's

[bdubdab]

Too bad too late for St. Patty's day.

www.amarillo.com/stories/032709/bus_biz3.shtml

[west-texan]

It's been years...but I've been in there with some friends on St. Pats Day.

I've noticed their sign lit at night lately...

And it's probably gotten some traffic off I-40...only for people to see it's not open.

I disagree with the bright atmosphere...and think the darker Bennigan's atmosphere was better.

I also prefer restaurants with lots of dividers...so it doesn't fell like you're sitting in a big room.

If you go in a restaurant for a date...or with a group...dividers give you more privacy.

They've ruined restaurants in Amarillo before...by taking out dividers and putting in bright lights.

Home > Business

Web-posted Friday, March 27, 2009

Restaurant group to open new Bennigan's

A new Bennigan's - with emphasis on the "new."

Southwest Restaurant Group, based in Denver, has leased the former Bennigan's building and is remodeling it in anticipation of opening on May 1, said Michael Dupree, vice president of operations.

"It's going to be a whole different atmosphere than people are used to," Dupree said. "We're bringing it out of the '90s. The inside will be different, clean, bright. We're going to have 15 flat-screens (televisions) in there for all the sporting events."

The previous Amarillo Bennigan's was swept up in a wave of Bennigan's closures after the parent company that owned the bulk of the chains locations filed bankruptcy last year. The parent company stores and a number of franchised stores were shuttered.

Southwest Restaurant Group is opening new franchises, concentrating on 11 in Texas and New Mexico, Dupree said.

- Staff writer Karen Smith Welch

[west-texan]

Some more comments on this...

1. Irish pubs are not brightly lit...and that is what the Bennigan's was supposed to be.

2. Learned in college business school...that businesses that lose their roots...sometimes don't make it very long after that.

3. Don't try to fix what is not broken.

4. Amarillo already has a lot of brightly lit restaurants with no dividers.

5. Amarillo needs unique restaurants that don't have the same atmosphere as every other place.

6. Amarillo restaurant owners sometimes seem to have trouble understanding the above concepts.

[wordsyouwant]

You know Bennigan's was really good for awhile and then it really went downhill in terms of food and service quality. We loved the Baked Potato Soup, but we also like it to be hot and to get your drinks refilled in a timely manner. New atmosphere or not, in this town it's really about quality of food and service. We have too many other restaurants that excel in these areas and those who don't, don't stay around long. Just look at the Pepito's that moved into the old El Chico's. When I go to Canyon to eat there I know they are small and not to expect excellent service, but if you're moving into Amarillo, you've got to step it up a notch in the service department - even if you do have a Mariachi band!