Restaurant Industry In Bowling Green Is A Tough Gig

In the event of the recent shutdown of three of Hitcents Park Plaza's concept restaurants located in the bottom of the BG downtown parking structure and the layoffof 30 employees according a newspaper article in today's Bowling Green Daily News posted below, I only have this to say-

"The restaurant industry in Bowling Green is a tough gig all around because of the sheer high volume of competition. Anytime you open an eating establishment in this town these days, you are taking a risk because of the stiff competition and the tough economy. I always thought Hitcents was taking a rather bold step with five concept restaurants in one location (parking structure). Not only were they competing with other restaurants in BG, they were competing with each other."-Galen A. Smith Sr.

Three out of the five restaurants in Hitcents Park Plaza have closed to undergo renovations and move in new restaurant concepts. (Miranda Pederson/Daily News)


Former staff dissatisfied with layoffs


Posted: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 11:05 am

By MONICA SPEES The Daily Newsmspees@bgdailynews.com 783-3246| 2 comments


In the wake of three restaurants shuttering Saturday, employees say they didn’t see their layoffs coming.

Candace Barbee began working at Mariah’s 3 1/2 years ago and stayed with the restaurant when it moved to Hitcents Park Plaza. Barbee was eventually promoted to assistant manager of Brick & Basil Pizzeria, Tres Molinos and Pagoda Asian Cafe, all three of which closed Saturday.

“I knew there was a meeting scheduled for Saturday, but nobody was told why,” Barbee said. “Everybody was just really nervous. We weren’t told anything. We were kept completely in the dark.”

Rick Kelley, consultant for Hitcents and former owner of Mariah’s, delivered the news to the approximately 30 employees at Saturday’s meeting that the restaurants were closing, Barbee said.

Barbee, a Western Kentucky University student, said Kelley thanked the employees for their hard work and said that though the fast-casual concept is a popular trend in the nation, regrettably, it hadn’t succeeded at the plaza. If the employees gave about three hours of their time to help clean up the restaurants, they would receive a severance package.

“It could’ve been handled a different way,” Barbee said. “I cared about (my employees) ... and that’s why it was so hard that everything happened. ... It just seemed like a community injustice.”

Barbee said she feels that she and the other employees worked to promote the restaurants and drum up business. However, Barbee said she thinks the restaurants’ overall marketing campaign was poorly executed. Barbee said she often had to explain to people where she worked because they had never heard of the restaurants.

Natasha Patterson, a WKU student, was formerly a cashier at the restaurants. She was among the first employees working at the restaurants when they opened earlier this year. Patterson wasn’t scheduled to work a couple days before the Saturday meeting, but she felt that something was wrong after seeing signs posted in the restaurants about a mandatory meeting.

When Patterson arrived at the meeting Saturday morning, she said she could tell by the way Kelley was talking that the employees were about to lose their jobs. Patterson knew business was slow – an issue she partially attributes to sparse marketing.

“I loved working there. ... I just wish we could’ve been let go a little more tactfully,” Patterson said.

Clinton Mills, co-founder of Hitcents, said after the closure Saturday that they plan to open full-service restaurants in the fast-casual restaurants’ place in the coming months. Mills reiterated this morning that Hitcents would invite former employees back when the new restaurants open.

Mills said Saturday that Hitcents had underestimated parking challenges, because most customers, after taking the time to drive downtown and park in the parking garage, were going to Mariah’s or 6-4-3 Sports Bar.

Mills said this morning that 30 employees were let go and 15 employees were kept on at the plaza because they were cross-trained. All the restaurants at the plaza employed about 200 people.

“To only lose 30 people, it shows that we tried to retain and repurpose as many people as we could,” Mills said.

While Mills said he can understand the former employees’ frustrations, he thinks most of them probably “knew it was coming.”

“It’s nothing against them,” Mills said. “It’s just unfortunate that the restaurants weren’t profitable.”

Mills added that Kentucky employers can let employees go at any time for any reason.

“If they think they were let go unfairly, that’s the opinion of a couple people because (Kentucky is) an at-will state,” Mills said. “We thought we were very nice and very fair to everyone and went above and beyond what most employers would” by providing severance pay.

— Follow business beat reporter Monica Spees on Twitter at twitter.com/BGDNbusiness

The New "Mariah's" Restaurant in Downtown Bowling Green, Ky., Is A Smash Hit!

     Downtown Bowling Green is changing and it's now the place to be these days.

It's not the same place it used to be for years and years since I moved here in the late 80's. However, anybody who decides to go downtown nowadays can get a sense and feel of the "new vibe" as soon as you approached the new gigantic parking structure next to the Bowling Green "Hot Rods" minor league baseball ballpark.  I have been seeing the progress of this particular parking structure these last couple of years and I thought, "Well, it's just another parking structure".  But I supposed it never peaked my interest until the Hitcents Park Plaza or Mariah's Restaurant's new location http://www.mariahs.com/ came into fruition in the last year or so with five new restaurants currently bunched in together at the bottom of the parking structure on the plaza level next to the ballpark.  The new restaurants include the new Mariah's, Brick & Basil Pizzeria, Asia Cafe, The Holinos Mexican Restaurant and the 643 Sports Bar.  When I found this out, of course, then I became intrigued.

Supposedly, all of the restaurants are sharing one large kitchen and somehow all of the food is distributed to all of the different restaurants after it is prepared.  I wouldn't mind to take a look behind the scenes in this kitchen to see how all of this is being executed especially since I work in the service and sales industry.

    But then of course, the devil's advocate side of me has had this curious thought lingering in the back of my mind. I'm sure as taxpayers of Bowling Green and Warren County, we will all help pay for the TIF (Tax Increment Financing) which includes the building of two new parking structures (Downtown and Western Kentucky University) and several buildings and projects in one form or fashion that I have seen being built in the downtown area lately. Too many for me to recall right now. According to my mortgage company, I know that my city taxes are going up a little next year . I'm not complaining, I'm just saying.  But the county taxes, may not have not have anything to do with the TIF and the downtown redevelopment.  I don't know for sure or how all of this is working out is all I am saying.  But on the other hand, I do know that there are people here who are investing tons of their own money also into these private ventures which is a good thing for Downtown Bowling Green and our local economy.

    Anyway, back to the Hitcents Park Plaza.  The old, Mariah's in the old historic home closed down not long ago.  Former owner, Rick Kelley, sold out to the Mills family (Hitcents), because of  some financial troubles that he had been involved in these last couple of years.  But Kelley has stayed on as an adviser and consultant to the restaurant which is a good thing I think.  Also, Jodi Fleming, the manager of Mariah's is still there as well as some of the servers and staff.  Especially, Bryan Graves, head bartender and server is still there. He's a great guy and knows how to take care of his customers really well.  I understand that he is in charge or helping out with arranging entertainment that is taking place in the 643 Sports Bar and also for bands that we be performing on the Plaza area this Summer.

   All and all, the new Mariah's is a smash hit in my opinion.  This new restaurant is beautiful inside especially the bar area, our usual hangout since Patty and I have been regulars there these last couple of years.  The menu is basically the same as the old Mariah's.  There appears to be a little variation of menu item choices and maybe some price changes a little.  With our drinks, Patty and I ordered the "Say Cheeseburger" and side two salads.  The new "Say Cheeseburger" has been greatly upgraded and much improved.  They were very delicious!  The bar area has even added several new selections of wines and beers to it's stock too. However, the biggest difference of the new Mariah's in my opinion, is how grand and beautiful the new restaurant is with lots of glass, dark stained wood and very high ceilings.  There's tons of room and space for everyone.  Being brand new, the new Mariah's is super clean, charming and elegant too.  But I would say, even years down the road, the new Mariah's will serve its customers well in its new location. And with its new location and new owners, I would say that they will most likely maintain the legacy and reputation of Mariah's, keeping it alive and well for Bowling Green and anyone who walks through their doors.  It's worth a trip to Downtown Bowling Green, even if you decide not to park in the parking structure.  But please do because it's free in you are dining at one of the Hitcents Park Plaza restaurants!