The once and future BBQ joint

glad to see that there are plenty of entrepeneurs who are willing to take the risk to make our community better. we wish them all well in their endeavors and will do our part to support them. The more services that we have within walkable distances from our homes the better: better for the environment, better on our wallets, and better for the community of church hill.

The problem that I see a lot of these places having is that they lack a true identity OR that they don’t differentiate themselves ENOUGH from their competitors.

“This Must Be Heaven” sounds exactly like Captain Buzzy’s. Great…so now we’re going to have *two* places that serve coffee, bagels, muffins, ice cream and light fare? How many more of these do we need? The Christian angle is a bit creepy as well. Am I going to walk in there with my very obviously gay friends and feel welcome or will the almighty dollar come before their faith?

Acapella’s was great, but it’s appeal to me was more the fact that they were open late night than anything else. As a non-smoker (who respect’s other people’s right to smoke) it was REALLY bad in that little basement. Something closer in size to Jumpin J’s might work for them, particularly if they’re not interested in recreating the sit-down restaurant part. Perhaps just keep the “pub” food???

I would have liked to have seen a true, honest to goodness, Mom and Pop pizzeria where “Heaven” is going……maybe something like Mary Angelas or Piccola’s but smaller, keeping it simple…with a half dozen booths or so and the ability to get a SLICE of New York style pizza or a hot sub until at least 10 or 11pm during the week and even later on weekends. Bottom’s Up is NOTHING like the aforementioned businesses and The Pizza Place has weird hours, terrible service and doesn’t do anything other than serve pizza late night to drunken partygoers.

Pizza!

“Church Hill Market…it really is an eye sore and nothing has been happening there for many many months….we really need a deli or something to go back into that space.”

Huh? many, many months… more like many, many YEARS! Some folks need their sanity checked prior to embarking on their “dreams”. Can anyone get that crazy curmudgeon to cut his losses and sell?

It Must be Heaven has an obvious Christian theme to it (the owners identify their love for their religion in an earlier article)….which makes me somewhat leery. I’m not saying they don’t have a right to do it, but it seems to me that mixing God and business isn’t exactly the wisest startup plan.

What’s the deal with quiches, ice cream and pastries? Isn’t there something else that the holy rollers can be hawking on the Hill? Captain Buzzy’s is filling this niche just fine thanks, and those people aren’t pushing their radical Christian agenda on me when I go in to get my Java fix….

I for one don’t enjoy Captain Buzzy’s because I don’t like coffee and they microwave their breakfasts into existence. Neither is something I’m willing to pay for so I don’t go (though the smoothies are really good).

However, I am looking forward to It Must be Heaven regardless of their obvious Christian theme because I believe in giving people a chance to prove otherwise. When they finally do open, I’ll patronize their establishment and only then if they greet me in the manner in which you describe, Chancemissie, then I’ll agree with you.

‘Til then, we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover doncha think? Not all Christians are the extreme conservative kind, thank god.

Sure do.

Anti-faith bigotry at it’s finest.

Hey Chancenmissie,
There are a lot more Christians around than you might expect. I don’t know what happened to you in your lifetime to create such a paranoia of it, but we’re here to stay. I can not tell you the last time I went to Church, but I believe in God and that makes me a Christian. You’re implying that anyone that has Christian beliefs is a radical zealot. Wake the hell up.

I did not know the ice cream place was to be Christian-themed. Eww.

Chance:

Replace Christian in your rant with black, jew, gay, etc and re-read it. Does it even remotely make any sense?

So slip into your finest Che Guevera t-shirt and find some nice little coffee shop that doesn’t oppress you with thier horrible radical religious views.

you guys keep referring to a news story published about the ice cream parlor…does anyone have a weblink to the article? if so, can you please post it on chpn?

“…ANYTHING other than another coffee, cookies and ice cream joint.”

Barbeque is other than all of those!

Elaine:

From Style Weekly 3/8/08:

“To illustrate: the coming of It Must Be Heaven to 25th and Broad streets. Online speculation about the business got feverish for a few weeks last month as neighbors wondered aloud whether Captain Buzzy’s Beanery would be hurt, or whether the neighborhood could support another food business, if that’s even what it was. Rumors flew ahead of business permits.

Now they know. Three retired women are opening an old-fashioned ice cream parlor in a historic lodge-hall storefront within eyeshot of Buzzy’s, but with a different style and intent. They’ll serve old-style Southern delicacies like rice pudding and corn pudding, as well as Chicago hot dogs, soups and other desserts. Uniform-wearing servers will dish up Gelati Celesti flavors.

We’ll have the full story next month when the business opens. For now, “it’s a God-ordained event in our lives,” partner Stan Jones says, “and it’s an opportunity to change the lives of other people.””

I think it sounds fantastic. I don’t see how a declaration of belief, whatever it is, is a problem. I shop at Ukrop’s, duh.

Now, if a bunch of Scientologists were going to open a hot dog and ice cream place, *there’s* something I draw the line at…

Sounds old timey and wonderful –hot dogs, rice pudding, and ice cream for my whole family to enjoy.

Re chancemissie’s comment that the Churchhill establishments “lack a true identity”: The neighborhood patrons give these places their identity. That is what I love about them.

What about a cool independent video store? The Movie Gallery (neither cool nor indpendent) is going away and it sure would be nice to rent a flick without having to drive across town to Stawberry Street.

You could always subscribe to Netflix or Blockbuster to have the movies mailed right to your door. There is a better selection, including lots of independent movies, and no driving is necessary (nor are there any late fees which is my favorite part). I think movie stores will obsolete before too long.

Movie Galleries are closing up all over. I saw one in Williamsburg with a “Store Closing” sign.