It's interesting that he complains about Groupon, and a Groupon for Blanc just showed up in my inbox this morning.
I enjoyed this article and it explains a lot about this business. I've always enjoyed Blanc, but I've had really bad experiences there lately. We've tried to visit the Leawood location, and even with reservations we faced unimaginable wait times, poor customer relations, and an overall "we don't care" attitude that had us leave before we were even seated.
Blanc Burger sucks beef stick. I hate that place. I have had better burgers at Beer Kitchen, hell even Winsteads has a better burger than Blanc. It is disgusting, and after they upset your stomach with the food, they buttfuck ya with the bill.
So fucking what - he did a Groupon? Is next week's article about Michael Smith?
I just put an egg on a burger. I'm a chef! Josh is a chef like I'm the QB of the Chiefs because I watched the game on Sunday. Why is he still a line cook at American if he's such a talent? Congrats for sticking to your guns, Ernesto. It's hard to run a restaurant these days and you brought something great to KC. It sounds like when the chips were down these losers bailed on you.
Obviously people who disagree with this article have not endured the back stabbing, manipulative ways of how the place ran after the core left. To Jim C , I can tell in the first two lines wether the article is worth it. Obviously you're bored.
. To the other shitty comments ,that place died when Josh Eans left. Mike Walker the "bar manager" needs to stop blaming blancs failures on others word of mouth. BLANC KILLED ITSELF! I stand by every last word I said and I will not tolerate the lies and bias coming from the unknowing. Jonathan Bender thank you. I loved the article.
I just wasted 10 minutes of my life reading and trying to figure out what this story was about. The best I can figure is that a bunch of people tried to open and run a bunch of burger restaurants and it didn't work out for some reason... I should care about this why?
I knew this was coming because Brian Wilson posted on Facebook that he had talked to Jonathan and was encouraging others to talk to him about blanc! I hope the Rusty Horse owners read this.
I think this is a really shitty bit of "writing" and Jonathan Bender is trying way too hard to make a story out of nothing. Get back to writing about your Legos, Johnny. Let me guess, Blanc doesn't advertise in the Pitch?
That's like asking whether cars or trains are a development engine or a luxury vehicle.
If you start by presuming a divide, you won't be able to see that the correct answer is, in fact, "both."
Yes. It is nonsense. A waste of money that will serve little purpose. Good article.
Reminds me of the overconfidence that Nasa had when they launched the Challenger in such cold weather when they really knew the O rings could freeze and cause a fuel leakage. The signs are all there but the politicians are jaded by this dopey project. It will be a money loser. We have to be prepared to subsidize this project every year just so we can have a little slice of transport technology to boast about.
This article inspired me to write a response. I've lived in five different cities in the last three years, so I've been through this process a lot. Finding friends based around a common interest is definitely important. Check out the whole post if you're interested.
http://www.brentlockee.com/2012/12/05/how-…
Article brings up good point and tells it like it is !
Reminds me of the late 1980's and early 1990's KCMO Idea on "18th & Vine District", Jazz District, they Pumped so many Multi-Millions of Dollars into, attempting to Bill it as a World Class Jazz Entertainment District, that KCMO City Council and its Backers / Supporters Claimed would Attract Tourists/ People from all over the WORLD to come see the 18th & Vine District, from as far away as Paris France & Japan, Australia, the UK, and from all over the United States.
They had a Fantasy, or Grand Illusion that there would be almost Nightly Jazz Bands playing loudly at the clubs and theaters, there'd be Famous Jazz Musians from all over the World coming here to play.
It would attract so many Tourists from around the World, that they'd have to build NEW Luxury Hotels in the area to Accomadate all these WORLD Tourists that are supposedly going to come to Kansas City just to listen to Jazz Music and it would be a Super Boom to the area in ways of economic Development and put Kansas City on the World Map, making it a Top Tourist destination from all over the World, they said back then in Interviews and TV reports !
What Happened ?
Nothing !
They pumped Multi-Millions into that 18th & Vine area, and held about 2 or 3 major Venues right after wards, and then went ker-punk !
Go down there today, especially after dark on a summers evening - wear a "Bullitt proof Vest" and a "Kevlar Helmet", you'll either get robbed, mugged - Shot !
The Shop fronts are boarded up, what few venues that are down there close early or are NOT open at all on week-ends and / or week-end nights !
So where is ALL that Worldly Jazz Music ?
Where are ALL those Worldly Tourists from Japan, Australia and the UK ?
Where are ALL those Luxury HI-Rise Hotels to house those Worldly Tourists that supposedly came to hear "Jazz" but instead hear "Gun-Shots" !!
Where are ALL those Jazz Musians playing their Jazz that we were supposed to hear ?
Where are ALL the Advertisements Promoting Kansas City as the Jazz Epi-center of the Jazz World that we were supposed to see in Tourist brochures and news papers promoting this Venue that they Over-Hyped and Sold the Public on, that Would attract all that Multi-Millions of dollars to Supposedly Pump tons of Tax money into the city coffers !
Then go back and look at how many times they PUMPED money into the RIVER QUAY area back in the late 1980's and 1990's era trying to convince the public it would be a Grand Art Center mixed with a Farmers Market, and attract Artists from all over.
KCMO Pumped multi-millions into that Project TWICE, and look what its turned into now - Over Priced Supposedly Luxury Lofts, that over look Blight, with High Crime and NOT much else happens down there NOT much of anything except crime and muggings !
Then look at the POWER Light District how they tried to Bill it and pass it off as a Great Enterainment venue for the city, so far HOW MANY Restraunts have closed down there or went Bankrupt and been cited by the city's own Health Code Department the last few years, and Parking, hope you enjoy getting your car towed away and paying impound fees and wrecker bills, as so many found out not to long ago !
The Trouble with those down there within City Hall, they live this Grand Illusion and Fantasy, that Kansas City is right up there with San Francisco, New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston & Chicago and think they can offer everything they have to offer and more, and if they somehow - supposedly build it, they will come from all over to see whatever it is they supposedly built !
The Last time I checked - Nobody is doing to bring their Family here for 2 solid weeks of Vacation to visit 18th & Vine district everyday - to see what ??
Nor the River Quay to see & do what ??
Who would want to bring their family or Spend their Vacation time in this town, when you could actually be in Chicago, New York, Miami , Los Angeles , San Franscisco, Seattle and actually See REAL Venue Attractions that are Truly Intersting and Enjoyable and Fun for the entire family and Safe .
Who'd come to Kansas City for a week or two, and do what ? Dodge Bullits and Gun Fire from Gang Fights, only to find out that those Over-Hyped Entertainment Venues aren't open or closed down and boarded up that were once billed as a supposed Major Kansas City Attraction !
I Highly Doubt, that anybody who lives in Florida, California, New York, etc, is going to bring their family here for 1 week or 2 solid weeks to Drive around and see NOTHING, because its all boarded up and gone, and never really was much of anything to begin with from the start !
They sure aren't going to be able to Enjoy those Dinner River Boats cruising the Missouri River in the Spring & Summer like other cities have !
They sure most Definetly aren't going to enjoy WALKING from Casino to Casino, since their spread so far apart - hince they were ALL supposed to be built along the River next to each other within walking distance creating a "Boardwalk type Atmosphere" as it was Billed back then in the early 1990's era, as it was PITCHED to the Public back then !!
Kansas Cities Leaders at City Hall, or POOR Visionaries of the Future - past & Present !
They remind me of "Crack Addicts with Grand Illusions" and "Outrageous Fantasies" of what they could do IF only they had some money ($$$$) - that being Somebody elses Money to blow on their "Grand Over-Hyped Illusions" that usually most of the time amount to NOTHING, and end up a "Failed Pipe Dream" !!
When these Grand Illusions Fail and don't live up to the Expectations that they Sold upon the Public, these so-called City Visionaries are nowhere to be found or seen, you'd almost have to call out the FBI to hunt them down !!
Lotta those so-called Visionaries, are nothing more than somebody seeking attention hopefully getting their name in the media & press to impress their friends and neighbors, they want to be somebody , anybody, just hungary for Fame & Attention and wanting some Grand Statue in the city with their name on it !
in my 55 years in this city - Kansas City in General I have yet to see hardly anybody from around the world come here for 2 weeks on vacation to sightsee and enjoy what, compared to what other cities truly have to offer !
Were 30 to 40 years Way behind everybody else, because of poor leadership in the past, outrageous & Stupid ideas in the 1st place.
Kansas City Missouri in general, let itself Fall Down Hill, many, many years ago, with the Wrong types of people holding public office with poor insight into the future, and very poor insight on how to properly Maintain a City to make it attractive and give anybody an incintive to come here for any length of time !
KCMO, Government has become nothing more than a place to get a Cush Job, and get Family members a job too there too, essentially milking the government Cash Cow while doing very little, and that is the start of the Mega Problem - right there !
Leasers with poor insight, poor unrealistic future visions for this city, just "Pumping & Dumping" any & all kinds of money at any Venue just because it Sounds good, without any real thought behind it !
What will happen with this supposed Trolley Car their about to soak everybody for - well it'll go great the 1st 3 to 6 months, the news media , as usual will Hamm it up, just like they did 18th Vine when it 1st opened - then ridership well begin to fall of, lack of revenue, they'll want more Taxes to fund this thing covered with Gang Graffitti and bullitt holes in its side, and it'll go bust eventually, just like everything else KCMO Government has laid their hands Decade over Decade, but somebody will get their name in Lights over it,,, and get all kinds of Media Attention, and thats all that matters - publicity and their name in lights for their 15 minutes of FAME !
Now, about those Old Aging Water & Sewer lines and vintage Traffic lights and Street signs in KCMO - when the hell are they going to Fix those, and learn to keep brakes on their Fire Engines and have actual working police cars that actually run !!
What I really wanna know, is when KCMO is actually going to get a REAL Public works Crew / Street Crew who actually does something !!
Probably about like the crew from Dangerous Buildings Division, who can't seem to get all these Dangerous buildings in KCMO torn down and are a public eye sore and nuisance to the public !
But they Got - " $100 Million" to spend on a Street Car that runs the length of my driveway !!!
Let me tell ya, for 100- Million Dollars - they could probably Build a Beautiful MONORAIL System around the entire city , that actually would benefit everybody, but NOT 1 word about that - probably don't even know what a MONORAIL is anyway - Duhhhhhh ~ !
it's a sinkhole / boondoggle. check out the Wall Street Journals article that reveiws the various streetcar programs around the US and what a true waste of money and lack of return they have had for the Cities foolish enough to waste their money on these.
And the author thinks Clay Chastain was crazy? At least he got his bill passed legally.
Great article. let's wait on this project until downtown does not smell like a backed-up toilet.
This entire article is a joke. These two quotes are the most offensive to me. An apology should be given to the family and friends of Anastasia for this.
I would be ok if Davy Rothbart never returned to this city. It is not your heart that is an idiot, it is you. And trust me, you have been made a fool.
"It's strange for me when we're doing a Found thing in Kansas City," Rothbart says. "You walk around Westport and can't help but think of it as Byron's old stomping grounds. His absence from Kansas City is really noticeable to me."
"He goes on: "And I think that is what the family and friends of the victim think — they believe that justice was served. But I feel like they don't really know Byron."
Great article. Having no job and being lonely and having to use public transportaion in KC -- that is depressing.
Re: “Is the Plaza's flagship burger business done well or, well, done?”
Do you think that maybe Brian wanted to let others get the truth out? Maybe some of you have no idea what really happened? No one except Brian, Josh, and David knows what really happened behind closed doors! I applaude Brian for letting others have their freedom of speach! Peralta is still lying, he has not paid vendors in Omaha (and some employees I have heard)!
BTW Josh is the Sous Chef at the American. Without his food there would be no blanc!