Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 13, 1994 TAG: 9409130026
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By SETH WILLIAMSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
When the new Hardee's restaurant opened last month, some made dire predictions about how this community's first fast-food franchise would drive the local competition out of business.
The new Hardee's has done land-office business, said manager Lisa Smith of Floyd. "Oh, Lord, it's been real good. We've done a lot better than we ever dreamed we would.... The people here love us because we're the first fast-food restaurant here and we've waited so many years to get one."
But lunch time also finds the tables filled and folks standing in the doorway at the Blue Ridge Cafe, a local eatery across from this small town's Courthouse Square.
A local drive-in and a curbside market saw their business slump right after the Hardee's opened July 27, but even these businesses say they are wooing back their customers and will be able to handle the competition.
"They've affected our business, no doubt of that. It's down by as much as 50 percent. But we've seen some of our clientele come back already," said Daniel Bower, owner of D.J.'s Drive-In, formerly known as Bower's Drive-In.
"The first couple of weeks we didn't have much local business - it was all out-of-towners who'd already seen places like Hardee's and the thrill was off and they wanted something unique."
Bower said he was apprehensive at the prospect of having to compete with a huge corporation, but he's counting on his restaurant's curb service, established reputation and new menu items to hold his old customers.
Hardee's has done a bustling business since it opened, but most other local restaurant managers say they've seen little or no effect on their business.
"There's not really been much change. Our business caters to people who want to sit down and have a home-cooked meal, and it's been fine," said Marlene Brewer, who manages the Blue Ridge Restaurant.
Violet Hubbard, who has managed Tex's Drive-In since 1960, says there "hasn't been much change" in the past few weeks.
Roger Hollandsworth, manager of the Floyd Xpress Mart, said his store has taken a hit but that he expects business to turn around. "We have definitely seen some effects on our business, but they've turned back around since the newness [of Hardee's] has worn off," said Hollandsworth.
As significant as the impact from the new Hardee's restaurant, said Hollandsworth, was the re-opening of a favorite stop for pizza and hamburgers, Ray's Restaurant on U.S. 221 north of town. It had been closed for the past year after it was gutted by fire. "Ray's opened back up on a Tuesday and Hardee's the following day, and it was kind of a double whammy," said Hollandsworth.
Dr. Meredith McGrath, a Floyd veterinarian and leader of a community group concerned about how Hardee's would fit into small-town architecture, is pleased by the restaurant's looks.
"Neighbor for Neighbor is real pleased with the outcome. We delivered a bouquet of flowers and a card on their opening day. The brick facade, the monument-based sign that's lower than what they first proposed, and we think they did a nice job on the layout of the building and the landscaping," said McGrath.
"We think it was worth the effort. The sign just looks so much closer to what else is in the community," said the veterinarian.
by CNB