I've always thought there should be a pub right there.

1/31/2010 9:03:12 PM

PIP PIP CHEERIO

1/31/2010 9:12:40 PM

A Wolfpack sports bar in that space would be very nice.

1/31/2010 9:32:31 PM

a couple hundred people watching games there would make it easy to storm Hillsborough after a big win

1/31/2010 9:58:59 PM

A little off topic, but anyone know what that sign out in front of PR talking about how Red Hot & Blue cheated them out of money was about?

1/31/2010 10:47:58 PM

Quote :

"Apparently Red, Hot, & Blue is past broke and quit paying bills a while back and they're getting sued to get evicted and Player's Retreat is like picketing them or small claims suing or something because they shared dumpsters except RH&B never paid their share."

1/31/2010 10:49:12 PM

i never realized they were a franchise

1/31/2010 11:01:27 PM

Quote :

"a couple hundred people watching games there would make it easy to storm Hillsborough after a big win"

2/1/2010 1:09:18 AM

I know the situation might be different now, but for many years it was near-impossible to get permits for a bar on Hillsborough due to pressure from the residents of the neighborhoods north of campus, and more specifically their city council representative(s). I do realize RHB sells beer, but I don't recall them having a full bar...wonder if that is still an issue?

2/1/2010 11:22:02 AM

I was pretty sure I had a liquor shot there during the last hike I went on, but I could be wrong


I also heard that if the establishment that was there before your business had a liquor license, it was easier for your business to acquire one

once again, this is just stuff I heard from a former manager at Farmhouse, so I could be wrong

2/1/2010 1:29:36 PM

Pure Gold to RHB's spot (plenty of potential employees in the immediate surrounding area)

or make it an arcade

or a completely pro-Wolfpack themed bar. I just have this fear that if they try to make it a huge sports bar that they'll hang unc and duke banners as well, and then no one will go, and it'll close a couple months later.

[Edited on February 1, 2010 at 2:44 PM. Reason : one more option]

2/1/2010 2:42:52 PM

Quote :

"or make it an arcade"

LOL. that would fail faster than Bowlz

2/1/2010 6:17:45 PM

Quote :

"I just have this fear that if they try to make it a huge sports bar that they'll hang unc and duke banners as well, and then no one will go, and it'll close a couple months later."

Seriously? you really think that someone would put duke/unc decorations up on Hillsborough st across from NCSU?


oh, and Starcade was the shit.

2/1/2010 6:23:44 PM

ah yes go back to the good old days of having strip clubs on Hillsborough.

2/1/2010 6:29:27 PM

^^ If they were stupid enough to do it they would deserve to close down swiftly.

2/1/2010 11:00:27 PM

^^^ Not exactly the same thing, but they did it at that restaurant by the RBC/Carter Finley a few years back.

2/2/2010 10:24:01 AM

you're right. it's not even remotely close to the same thing

2/2/2010 10:44:20 AM

why would you make RHB's space a sports bar when The PR is right next door?

2/2/2010 10:48:41 AM

hahahah

2/2/2010 10:53:44 AM

you laugh, but I love watching games at The PR...and other talks of a "wolfpack bar"? The PR is the wolfpack bar.

and after seeing it, if I wanted to stretch out to watch a game or multiple games...I'm going to Crabtree Tavern.

2/2/2010 10:57:24 AM

^the food at Crabtree Tavern is pretty delicious. Now I want to go back.

An arcade is a good idea for the RHB spot, but you would HAVE to serve booze. Otherwise, it'd be another bust. Honestly, any bar is going to have trouble there with PR next door. A local (i.e. not chain) restaurant could do well there also. I'm thinking like a Village Draft House type place. Lots of beer, pretty relaxed, but not grungy like PR's tends to be.

[Edited on February 2, 2010 at 11:15 AM. Reason : .]

2/2/2010 11:12:26 AM

I only had their sweet potato fries when I was there (and a TOWER of beer), but their burger did look pretty damn delicious.

2/2/2010 11:19:27 AM

^I had a tower of PBR (aka Tower of Power) and a bangin' burger. I also ate some fried chicken livers that were delicious as well. I hope they can stick around. If they can make it to next football season, I think they're golden.

2/2/2010 11:21:20 AM

haha, we had a Tower of PBR as well

They should do well during the World Cup too (or otherwise) as they are part of the US Soccer Bar Program

2/2/2010 11:25:54 AM

i have been to red hot and blue only once and found the food to be really good. the only reason i've never gone back is that location isn't really appealing. i don't mean that area of hillsborough either, but that specific location. i hit up loco pops at least once a week during the summer and pr's enough.

i really think that spot is just too big for one bar and a nice restaurant would be okay, but there isn't the type of traffic needed to really sustain a place. not only is the parking not apparent, but when cruising for food you're not eyeballing the lower end of hillsborough.

2/2/2010 11:41:40 AM

hopefully it'll be better once the construction is over and some joint moves in there that is more in line with current downtown trends

[Edited on February 2, 2010 at 3:21 PM. Reason : +]

2/2/2010 3:19:31 PM

perfect location for a cereal restaurant or surf shop!

2/2/2010 3:28:28 PM

^El-Oh-El

2/2/2010 3:36:25 PM

there have been a lot of shops on hillsborough that have open and failed while managing to gain a small following.

my plan is once red hot and blue goes out of business i'm going to incorporate all of those businesses into one at that location. a simple business model of mass appeal.

nothing could go wrong.

2/2/2010 3:52:25 PM

Hookah Bar

2/2/2010 4:02:57 PM

Bell Tower Draft House

2/2/2010 4:05:14 PM

^I like it.

^^I don't like it.

2/2/2010 4:07:16 PM

^^ A++ WOULD COMMENT AGAIN.

2/2/2010 4:14:45 PM

now all we need is a ton of capital and a few connections

2/2/2010 4:16:45 PM

Quote :

"February 1, 2010 CONSTRUCTION ON THE CENTER ISLAND FOR HILLSBOROUGH STREET ROUNDABOUT CONTINUES CONSTRUCTION UPDATE During the week of February 1 through 5, construction crews will be conducting the following activities: • Continued work on the Oberlin/Pullen roundabout center island; • Continued work on the Hillsborough/Pullen roundabout center island; • Installation of sewer and water lines on the south side of Hillsborough Street starting at Pogue Street heading west to the 2700 block of Gardner Street, with some crossings across Hillsborough Street; • Installation of curb and gutter on Enterprise Street approach to Hillsborough Street; • Various utility work along Oberlin Road and the south side of Hillsborough Street; • Potential utility work and conduit system installation on the north side of Hillsborough Street near 2600 block; • Continued median work from Oberlin Road to Enterprise Road; • Installation of curb and gutter, brick sidewalk pavers, and paving on the south side of Hillsborough Street from Chamberlain Street heading west towards the 2300 and 2400 blocks of Horne Street; and • Grading and preparation of various sites for future construction activities. TRAFFIC UPDATE Vehicles: Traffic delays on Hillsborough Street are expected between Logan Court and Gardner Street, with one-lane operations at times. Temporary traffic delays at the intersection of Hillsborough Street and Pullen Road at times due to the movement of equipment for the island construction. Oberlin Road is now open to one-way traffic northbound. The Oberlin Road parking lot for Red Hot & Blue, Player’s Retreat, and Sam & Bill’s remains open for customers. Oberlin Road access to BB&T remains open as well. Horne and Lampe Streets approaching Hillsborough Street are closed due to utility construction work, but Horne Street is expected to open this week. Pedestrians: Crosswalks and campus entrances remain open near Horne Street and the Alley (formerly Western Lanes) in the busiest construction area. Numerous crosswalks are in place elsewhere along the street. Sidewalks on the north side of Hillsborough Street from Logan Court to Enterprise Street are closed due to construction activity. Pedestrian traffic will be shifted to the sidewalks on the south side of Hillsborough Street, now completed. Hillsborough Street businesses remain open for business. Please patronize your local businesses as we work to build the community’s new vision for Hillsborough Street."

2/3/2010 10:39:27 AM

There was a bar I loved going to in NYC called Fat Cat (in case some of you have been there) and I think that the concept they used there could work well for a bar in the place currently held by RH&B.

This bar had good beer on tap, at an average price. But that wasn't the draw. They also had a lot of ping pong tables, pool tables, shuffleboard tables (full size) and a few board games. And (at night) they always had live music. It was a real chill place and had a line to get in every weekend.

I think that concept could work on Hillsborough Street.

2/3/2010 1:15:10 PM

^ i like the sound of that, and I could see myself becoming a regular at a place like that

BTW, what is Sam & Bill's

and when are they going to pave?

2/3/2010 2:07:32 PM

Red Hot & Blue is pretty low on the list of places I wish H. Street would get rid of. There are plenty of other stores that could be replaced with better ones. RH&B's food is delicious

2/3/2010 2:50:08 PM

but there needs to be a mainstream type of bar on that end

Sadlack's and PR will always get plenty of business from their target market...the counterculture. Kinda like Landmark. They are always packed, even though there are a lot of mainstream bars within a few blocks walk.

the Bell Tower end of the road needs an Ale House type of place for those who aren't hip enough to fit in at the low key places

2/3/2010 2:59:13 PM

Quote :

"BTW, what is Sam & Bill's"

Hair Salon

2/3/2010 3:08:43 PM

a saloon? that's what we fucking need!

2/3/2010 5:22:12 PM

Quote :

"This bar had good beer on tap, at an average price. But that wasn't the draw. They also had a lot of ping pong tables, pool tables, shuffleboard tables (full size) and a few board games. And (at night) they always had live music. It was a real chill place and had a line to get in every weekend."

If you build it, they will come.

2/3/2010 6:22:10 PM

when does paving start?

somebody's gotta know

2/5/2010 1:05:31 AM

Quote :

"Red Hot & Blue is pretty low on the list of places I wish H. Street would get rid of. There are plenty of other stores that could be replaced with better ones. RH&B's food is delicious"

i agree completely. that barber shop needs some serious work. the paint is peeled off and makes that suffering end of the street feel even trashier.

i hate to say it, but i wish would would institute some similar store front standards as those imposed on franklin street

2/5/2010 9:34:19 AM

no doubt about it. a few semesters ago when they put that fresh coat of paint on the Mitch's end of the road, it made a world of difference

on the Bell Tower side, they're about to have shiny, brand new curbs/sidewalks/parking lots, so the peeling paint and shitty storefronts will stand out even more. it really wouldn't take anything away from the charm of Hillsborough if they required a new facade for the barber shop strip....even Sadlack's did it and they look great now

2/5/2010 10:02:17 AM

saw my first roundabout accident yesterday

about 95% sure that someone entering the circle assumed incorrectly what a car already in the circle was going to do

resulting in

2/5/2010 10:33:54 AM

I drove by yesterday and RH&B was closed around 5pm. Are they shut down?

2/5/2010 10:34:31 AM

probably

2/5/2010 10:43:32 AM

Quote :

"If you build it, they will come."

Sigh, I know wolfpackgrrr. But I've got too much debt as it is, and not enough job security (who's secure in this economy besides gov't workers?) to stick my neck out on something like that. Though running a bar is a dream in some respects

2/5/2010 3:20:25 PM

Quote :

"Sadlack's and PR will always get plenty of business from their target market...the counterculture"

sadlack's i'll give you. but PR is counterculture now?

2/5/2010 6:38:38 PM