OT: Restaurants in Old Town Brandon.

[GloryDawg]

There is now Burgers and Blues, Gena Benna's (Georgia Blues), GB Bakery (Georgia Blues), Mud Bugs great crawfish and shrimp, now opening soon Pizza Shack. It is becoming a happening place and when the amphitheater reopens it really will be going. I have heard rumors of new hotels, restaurants and possibly a movie theater coming.

 

[Faustdog]

Some might even call it “The Jewel” of the metro area.

 

[SteelCurtain74]

There is now Burgers and Blues, Gena Benna's (Georgia Blues), GB Bakery (Georgia Blues), Mud Bugs great crawfish and shrimp, now opening soon Pizza Shack. It is becoming a happening place and when the amphitheater reopens it really will be going. I have heard rumors of new hotels, restaurants and possibly a movie theater coming.

The restaurant choices have gotten better. I just hope the Grants Ferry Parkway will alleviate the traffic issue downtown once it's completed. My son had a baseball tournament at Shiloh Park this past weekend and I avoided downtown like the plague strictly due to traffic.

 

[047Dog]

There is now Burgers and Blues, Gena Benna's (Georgia Blues), GB Bakery (Georgia Blues), Mud Bugs great crawfish and shrimp, now opening soon Pizza Shack. It is becoming a happening place and when the amphitheater reopens it really will be going. I have heard rumors of new hotels, restaurants and possibly a movie theater coming.

There’s not enough parking in the area. The lot behind Mudbugs was a giant sinkhole

 

[GloryDawg]

There’s not enough parking in the area. The lot behind Mudbugs was a giant sinkhole

Parking is a issue. Looks like they are doing some road work back that way. I suspect the growth caught them off guard with the virus and all.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Genna Benna’s is outstanding.

It’s the first restaurant I ate it during the pandemic— back in June. I wouldn’t typically eat there but a good friend was passing through and we needed a place to eat near the interstate that also had a bar.

I’ll definitely go back.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

movie theater = death knell

source: Horshack's Theory on Urban Decay

 

[johnson86-1]

movie theater = death knell

source: Horshack's Theory on Urban Decay

Movie theater is fine. The problem is usually the massive parking lot that usually goes with it, at least if you're talking about trying to have a real downtown feel. It's a real challenge for creating nice communities in the south because it's hard to put in enough parking to allow people to drive in (which is virtually always necessary) without destroying walkability. Or at least hard to do economically. Can always do parking garages but that's expensive.

 

[J-Dawg]

Stankin' Rankin.

 

[The Peeper]

I can't imagine any of the movie theater companies even thinking of building anything any time soon.

Will movie theaters even be a thing in the future? I have noticed few if any cars in the one in Starkville even since they reopened last summer. Consider though that this opinion is from a guy that hasn't been in a movie theater since 2007 but I remember a thread on here not long ago talking about the prices, sticky floors, gross hair products on the backs of the chairs from the last 2,000 people that sat in that chair, roving bands of teens w/ nothing to do, etc. Just doesn't sound much like entertainment when there are countless options streaming

 

[Russ Wheeler]

There’s not enough parking in the area. The lot behind Mudbugs was a giant sinkhole

That new courthouse deal to the north has a big parking lot, I wonder if folks could just park back there and walk downtown.

 

[johnson86-1]

I can't imagine any of the movie theater companies even thinking of building anything any time soon.

Will movie theaters even be a thing in the future? I have noticed few if any cars in the one in Starkville even since they reopened last summer. Consider though that this opinion is from a guy that hasn't been in a movie theater since 2007 but I remember a thread on here not long ago talking about the prices, sticky floors, gross hair products on the backs of the chairs from the last 2,000 people that sat in that chair, roving bands of teens w/ nothing to do, etc. Just doesn't sound much like entertainment when there are countless options streaming

They're not going to be a thing in their current form outside of decent sized cities.

There is still something to be said for the theatre experience so I think there is money to be made. Just not sure you can do it with the big boxes they have been building. Just too much space to pay for and maintain. At worst I think a lot of existing theatres will go through bankruptcy and reopen with much lower overhead because I'm not sure what you can economically repurpose a movie theatre into. Unless the land it's on is valuable enough to tear it down, what else is going to go into it?

 

[Mobile Bay]

They're not going to be a thing in their current form outside of decent sized cities.

There is still something to be said for the theatre experience so I think there is money to be made. Just not sure you can do it with the big boxes they have been building. Just too much space to pay for and maintain. At worst I think a lot of existing theatres will go through bankruptcy and reopen with much lower overhead because I'm not sure what you can economically repurpose a movie theatre into. Unless the land it's on is valuable enough to tear it down, what else is going to go into it?

Here in Montgomery we have one that is now a church and another that is a bowling alley.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

They're not going to be a thing in their current form outside of decent sized cities.

There is still something to be said for the theatre experience so I think there is money to be made. Just not sure you can do it with the big boxes they have been building. Just too much space to pay for and maintain. At worst I think a lot of existing theatres will go through bankruptcy and reopen with much lower overhead because I'm not sure what you can economically repurpose a movie theatre into. Unless the land it's on is valuable enough to tear it down, what else is going to go into it?

Indoor sports facilities.

Just for grins I just measured that big theater in Pearl. You could put two infields back to back, which could double as two tee ball fields and play real games there. The ends could be whatever you wanted, cages, etc. Somebody could make a killing with something like that if they did it right.

 

[Shmuley]

Splits off of existing churches. #taxexempt.

 

[GloryDawg]

That new courthouse deal to the north has a big parking lot, I wonder if folks could just park back there and walk downtown.

They park everywhere. Do not go up town on Friday or Saturday night. It's even busy on week nights. I live in Cannon Ridge. When we need to get to the other side of down town, we get on the I20 on East side and get off I20 on the West side of downtown. Traffic is horrible. I don't mind because it only helps Brandon.

 

[johnson86-1]

Indoor sports facilities.

Just for grins I just measured that big theater in Pearl. You could put two infields back to back, which could double as two tee ball fields and play real games there. The ends could be whatever you wanted, cages, etc. Somebody could make a killing with something like that if they did it right.

How many of the interior walls are load supporting though? I was assuming just about all of them are, so you'd have lots of big individual rooms, but not quite big enough to do what you're suggesting, although you could have a **** ton of batting cages and some decent sized practice areas, just not an infield. If none of the dividers between theatres are load supporting, then you do have a lot of options, including doing fields.

Churches would make sense I guess. You have a big theatre for church and also you could divide some of the other theatres into sunday school rooms and you already have a kitchen, bathrooms, etc. Bowling alleys too I guess although my impression is those are struggling pretty good also.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

How many of the interior walls are load supporting though? I was assuming just about all of them are, so you'd have lots of big individual rooms, but not quite big enough to do what you're suggesting, although you could have a **** ton of batting cages and some decent sized practice areas, just not an infield.

Churches would make sense I guess. You have a big theatre for church and also you could divide some of the other theatres into sunday school rooms and you already have a kitchen, bathrooms, etc. Bowling alleys too I guess although my impression is those are struggling pretty good also.

Yeah I'm just spit-balling. I have this theory that recreation, indoor and outdoor, is going to see a major boom going forward, with more and more technology allowing people to sit around at home, etc. At some point everybody gets restless, especially with the awareness on physical health out there now.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

Stankin' Rankin.

skankin bruh

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Churches would make sense I guess. You have a big theatre for church and also you could divide some of the other theatres into sunday school rooms and you already have a kitchen, bathrooms, etc. Bowling alleys too I guess although my impression is those are struggling pretty good also.

The former theater in Clinton is now Pinelake Church.

 

[Mobile Bay]

Indoor sports facilities.

Just for grins I just measured that big theater in Pearl. You could put two infields back to back, which could double as two tee ball fields and play real games there. The ends could be whatever you wanted, cages, etc. Somebody could make a killing with something like that if they did it right.

There is an old Sam's in Montgomery that has been repurposed to a Pep Boys, a tile an counter store, and an indoor baseball training facility.

 

[ronpolk]

There is now Burgers and Blues, Gena Benna's (Georgia Blues), GB Bakery (Georgia Blues), Mud Bugs great crawfish and shrimp, now opening soon Pizza Shack. It is becoming a happening place and when the amphitheater reopens it really will be going. I have heard rumors of new hotels, restaurants and possibly a movie theater coming.

Wake me up when a Target is built there**

 

[G-Dawg]

There is now Burgers and Blues, Gena Benna's (Georgia Blues), GB Bakery (Georgia Blues), Mud Bugs great crawfish and shrimp, now opening soon Pizza Shack. It is becoming a happening place and when the amphitheater reopens it really will be going. I have heard rumors of new hotels, restaurants and possibly a movie theater coming.

The chicken fried chicken Parmesan at Genna Bennas is SO DAMN GOOD. I try to order something new every time we go, but just can't. They have a very cool outdoor area too. Moved to Brandon back in July and really like it. Just need some concerts to get going again.

 

[047Dog]

The chicken fried chicken Parmesan at Genna Bennas is SO DAMN GOOD. I try to order something new every time we go, but just can't. They have a very cool outdoor area too. Moved to Brandon back in July and really like it. Just need some concerts to get going again.

Don’t worry. They will have it booked with every touring country musician in no time.

 

[Palos verdes]

Don’t worry. They will have it booked with every touring country musician in no time.

Meh, wake me when they schedule Cannibal Corpse.

 

[InTheIttaBenaHotSun]

There is an old Sam's in Montgomery that has been repurposed to a Pep Boys, a tile an counter store, and an indoor baseball training facility.

Is this the Sam's that was at I-85 and Eastern Blvd?

 

[GloryDawg]

Don’t worry. They will have it booked with every touring country musician in no time.

Schedule if it holds.

https://www.brandonamphitheater.com/

 

[Mobile Bay]

Is this the Sam's that was at I-85 and Eastern Blvd?

Yes. The "new" Sam's is near there as well.

 

[J-Dawg]

Brandon Amp needs to let Ardenland book some of the shows. The excitement of a nice venue wears off QUICK when it's nothing but old, washed up country acts and bro-country. Makes sense for Rankin County, though.

 

[047Dog]

Brandon Amp needs to let Ardenland book some of the shows. The excitement of a nice venue wears off QUICK when it's nothing but old, washed up country acts and bro-country. Makes sense for Rankin County, though.

They use the same promoter as the Tuscaloosa and Wharf Amphitheaters. But it seems like Brandon gets skipped over for some of the non-country stuff. Last season before the Covid, they had booked like 13 concerts for 2020 and 9 or 10 of them were country or bro-country.

 

[patdog]

Agree. There have been few acts they've had that I even remotely wanted to go see, and none that I've actually bought a ticket and gone to see there. They're also booking very few shows period. Can't see how they're making money on that thing. Doesn't help that it's way the 17 over in East Brandon. It's a good 35 minutes from my house with no traffic and for a lot of people it's further than that.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Eh. It depends.

There is a strong country music focus. I've seen Chris Stapleton, Marty Stuart, Brent Cobb as well as Cody Jinks and the Steel Woods who were on the same bill as Lynyrd Skynyrd.

But I've also seen Widespread Panic and the Avett Brothers, planned to see Tedeschi Trucks but sold my ticket at the last minute when I was under the weather, and thought about the Odezsa show but didn't.

Of the current shows scheduled, I'm probably most interested in Jon Pardi.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

Wake me up when a Target is built there**

Nah, keep all that retail in Flowood.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

Agree. There have been few acts they've had that I even remotely wanted to go see, and none that I've actually bought a ticket and gone to see there. They're also booking very few shows period. Can't see how they're making money on that thing. Doesn't help that it's way the 17 over in East Brandon. It's a good 35 minutes from my house with no traffic and for a lot of people it's further than that.

Amphitheatre is as west Brandon as west can be. Sounds like you haven't been out that way in a while.

 

[patdog]

You're right that I haven't been out that way in a while. That's part of their problem, they're a long way out of the way for a lot of people in the metro area.

 

[047Dog]

The metro is much bigger than Madison County. It's not as far west as Gluckstadt is north. Madison Co. had their chances for a waterpark/amphitheater years ago and blew it.

 

[patdog]

Trust me, I sure don't want it in Madison County. It should have been more centrally located than either Brandon or Gluckstadt, in the Trustmark Park complex would have probably been best. But the real problem is the acts they're booking. You book good enough acts and it wouldn't matter much where they put it.