Prepare thyself for a rambling, pointless blog post…
I live near Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia, a very large shopping establishment that was originally billed as an outlet location when it opened in 1989. The mall has space for 200 stores inside with big anchors like Dave and Busters, JC Penney, Burlington Coat Factory, and a brand spanking new Super Walmart is coming soon. (That is way too many adjectives to describe a Walmart!)
There are several stand alone eateries on the property – all the fast food places are represented, and if you strategically position yourself you can see three Chinese buffets. One constant since the beginning was Pizzeria Uno.
I could never figure out how Uno survived all of these years. One could walk in at any time and never have to wait for a table, and the place was virtually deserted by 9:00pm on weekends. It must have been something about the location, tucked all the way in the corner of the property, way off the beaten track. But Uno’s was a solid choice for food and drink, and it was always good to get in and out so quickly. Plus they have a great bar!
So I was sad today when I got an email telling me that the Franklin Mills Uno had closed. Yes… I’m on the mailing list… pathetic! I usually don’t get sentimental about things like this, but for some reason I am. Lots of kids in the neighborhood got their first jobs at Uno’s. It was always a good spot for lunch or drinks. I took my kids there many times, and had quite a few after work cocktails and laughs.
The email just said they closed. I guess they had a 25 year lease, and I can’t imagine they made any money here. The email suggested that I go to the Neshaminy Mall location… screw that!!
Anyway… to the good times.
I’m done rambling now. Have a great weekend, my friends,
Did you ask or call another Uno’s to find out why it closed ? all your assumptions may be correct but the point is did you get the facts as to why ? My point us did you really care about uno’s enough to get to the root of the why? Aren’t you curious or is it just ok to accept what the direct mail piece stated it’s closed and not pursue the why .
To answer your question… No, I didn’t care that much. Just a random, fluff piece. I didn’t view the closing of one chain restaurant location as an opportunity to leap into action and fight for a cause. Lots of more important “whys” in the world…
Isn’t the “why”always about money? Why bother?
I just went to dinner there two weeks ago, I live across the street. Then it closed. There is already construction going on between the now closed Uno’s and Bugaboo creek ( also closed ) I drove by tonight just to try and figure out what is coming next, but can’t tell yet.
It’s good to see some activity there. The area will support a good eatery… look at the crowds every night at Dave and Buster’s.
We opened that store in November 1994, I was one of the line cooks hired, and part of the first crew to work there, and I remember the store was still under construction when we were in training. The place was brand new and a gem, packed on the weekends, always had to wait, especially after the movie theater let out, which is now a church. I left in 1996 and just drove by today and had to peek into the windows when I saw the place was closed. Half of the ceiling is caved in and a portion of the floor is buckled. Sad to see its state 20 years later, I had fun working there and met some great friends.
Thanks for the comment, Joe. Good food, great staff… now an afterthought.