Yesterday we brought you news that IHOP is converting an old bank branch near the airport into a new restaurant.
Now VCU’s student paper, the Commonwealth Times. is reporting that the International House of Pancakes will be coming downtown as well.
The downtown IHOP will be in the retail space that is part of the Laurel and Grace parking deck that is under construction.
It won’t be a full-service IHOP, but rather an express counter-service version, and it won’t be open 24 hours. It is also opening alongside two other food vendors.
From the Commonwealth Times:
“It’s going to be slightly like a food court, but a little more glorified,” Tamara Highsmith of VCU Dining Services said. “I would call it a robust menu that should appeal to a lot of people.”
HOP will be an express location: a counter-service restaurant with no sit-down dining and a non-traditional menu. VCU’s Student Government Association expressed concern about the lack of a dine-in area but, according to Highsmith, the speed of service necessitates counter service.
Continue reading here.
Yesterday we brought you news that IHOP is converting an old bank branch near the airport into a new restaurant.
Now VCU’s student paper, the Commonwealth Times. is reporting that the International House of Pancakes will be coming downtown as well.
The downtown IHOP will be in the retail space that is part of the Laurel and Grace parking deck that is under construction.
It won’t be a full-service IHOP, but rather an express counter-service version, and it won’t be open 24 hours. It is also opening alongside two other food vendors.
From the Commonwealth Times:
“It’s going to be slightly like a food court, but a little more glorified,” Tamara Highsmith of VCU Dining Services said. “I would call it a robust menu that should appeal to a lot of people.”
HOP will be an express location: a counter-service restaurant with no sit-down dining and a non-traditional menu. VCU’s Student Government Association expressed concern about the lack of a dine-in area but, according to Highsmith, the speed of service necessitates counter service.
Continue reading here.
I wonder how much VCU reaches out to local restaurant folks. Seems like there are a lot of chains in the food courts and other buildings. I couldn’t believe it when they put a Chili’s in. I guess the national folks are more equipped to handle the stuff. Just seems like a lost opportunity to spur local growth. Of course there are always the sidewalk carts. If I had to list places I like to go for breakfast IHOP would come in at about #60, but that’s just me. Of course millions eat pancakes from MacD’s so go figure. Maybe… Read more »
Why not be glad more business is coming downtown instead of whining constantly about everything?? VCU does so much for Richmond.
The way college dining works is that the school (VCU) has a contract with a food management company like Aramark who then installs either its own generic branded restaurant in a given spot or a national brand such as IHOP or Chili’s. They have neither the time nor the personnel to manage contracts with 30 different local tenants in their dining spaces. Doing so would require much more overhead and more expense for the students. The food carts are a better deal for the local folks anyway, because even if they did get a spot in a VCU dining hall… Read more »