Two downtown dining establishments are operating under new names this month, and the new operators are seeking to establish some stability that’s been lacking in recent years.
A year after opening RyMac’s Rub n’ Pub at 107 Park Central Square, the operating group changed its name Aug. 16 to Trolley’s Park Central Pub. Managers Rob Evans and Stacy Durst took over operations June 1 and are in the process of buying out owner Ryan MacDonald, Durst said.
After opening as Trolley’s on the heels of Springfield banker Aaron Buerge’s appearance on ABC’s “The Bachelor” in 2002, the restaurant space transitioned to The Flying Tomato in September 2011. MacDonald, who managed Trolley’s during its eight-year run, gained ownership of the bar and grill in February 2011, when Buerge filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.
In the transition from MacDonald, Durst said few changes are planned with the new name, though she noted menu additions such as smoked ribs and homemade brisket and minor decor improvements are in place.
“It’s a new twist on an old favorite – the way the old Trolley’s used to be,” said Durst, who worked at Springfield Brewing Co. since 1999 before shifting to RyMac’s.
On the west side of the square, Jason Bebout moved his Mr. Bigg’s pizza shop to space that’s had three other tenants in the last three years.
Three-year restaurateur Bebout opened Mr. Bigg’s Pizza & Italian Food on Aug. 1 at 320 Park Central West, where Migulito’s Wrap and Roll Cafe closed earlier this year – only a few months after its November opening. In 2012, Boca Mocha Coffee & Cafe ceased operations some 15 months into its startup. Previously the longtime studio of photographer Randy Bacon, Rendezvous Coffee Lounge had a three-year run in the space prior to Boca Mocha opening.
While aware of the high turnover in recent history, Bebout said he was undeterred with his business plan.
“The turnover rate a lot of times doesn’t have anything to do with the location. I’m not afraid of the location,” said Bebout, who opened the first Mr. Bigg’s location in mid-2010 in Republic. “More times than not, it’s due to poor management or lack of management altogether.”
According to a
crowdfunding campaign on CrowdIt.com, Migulito’s owner Michael Taylor said investor funding did not come through for the downtown location and the original 3650 S. Campbell Ave. was at risk of closing, too. The campaign this morning was $271 toward its $15,000 goal, with four days left.
Bebout, who signed a three-year lease with landlord Scott Murray for undisclosed terms, relocated Mr. Bigg’s from East Division Street. He expanded to Springfield from Republic in February, but after six months of operating determined the 30-seat space was too small.
On Park Central West, kitty-corner to the Regal College Station theater, he said Mr. Bigg’s has more than twice the seating it had at 834 E. Division St.
“We had a good customer base over there, but it was a very small store,” Bebout said. “I felt like we were turning people away.”
To outfit the new space, Bebout said he spent about $30,000 for new ovens and refrigeration, a liquor license, supplies and other expenses.[[In-content Ad]]
