And here...we...go...
https://www.amestrib.com/news/20190905/hickory-park-sold
https://www.amestrib.com/news/20190905/hickory-park-sold
HICKORY PARK
- Thread starter JP4CY
- Start date
Hmmm, worked there in college as a cook and am kind of surprised the old man didn’t sell it to his son. He was a manager there at the time and always thought he was positioning himself to take it over some day.
I was going to call you out for yelling but in this case I’ll allow it.
With this sale, I'm assuming the buyer is going to try and franchise this out or start expanding themselves.
Have to, it's always so loud there.
So new owners that say they arent going to change a thing. It's even a local investment group run by an ISU alum. Sounds like a big nothing burger to me.
Didn’t they try a couple of sites in Des Moines that didn’t last? I’m not sure what they have translates them other areas.
None the less, goodbye reasonable prices.
Yeah could be nothing more than the prior owner cashing out his business.
If they do intend on expanding not sure it'll go all that well. HP does well because it's a local institution that can serve a lot of people quick and fast, but it's good isn't anything special. Dont think that'll translate into success elsewhere.
They will make changes. But they will do it slowly or people will have a shitfit.
Apparently his son already ran another restuarant to the ground in Ames many years ago so not sure this was ever the plan. Wont say too much and maybe this person will eventually post more here if they choose to but I know there is a poster here that worked there for a few years and got to know some of the key people running the place and apparently the owners son wasnt exactly the most liked person there.
There was something to do with "inappropriate sexual behavior" from what I heard. Don't know all the details but charges could have been brought against him or his dad had enough and he was out.
I can tell you for a fact that the son does not work there but the ex daughter in law is management.
The product and service was good because the old man was there in person watching to make sure it was. If these guys are just investors, it won't be the same after six months.
This sounds a lot like the stories I've heard. I know of one where the son chewed out an employee in front of customers with no cause, said employee spoke with the owner about the situation when son tried to reprimand him and the owner did not take his sons side in the matter after talking with the rest of the staff that was working at the time.
I hope the new owners dont try to rock the boat with changes and let the current staff and management continue to run it as well as they do.
Yeah he was kind of a prick when I worked there and that makes sense with him running it into the ground. I actually thought his dad owned a few different restaurants and supposedly he’s absolutely loaded. Kind of surprised this didn’t happen sooner because I bet the dad has to be at least in his eighties now if not nineties.