The End Of An Era - Captain Kidd's Buffet Closed Permanently

[TP2000]

And sadly, you can't even cleanse your palate on the Spirit of Washington wine train anymore.

Funny Story: Several decades ago I had an elderly aunt that got hit by the Spirit of Washington wine train as it rolled through an armless grade crossing on a two-lane back road in Bellevue. Luckily, the train was going slowly and she was driving a giant Mercedes-Benz sedan that was built like a bank vault and she walked away with only minor scrapes. But the wine train was ruined for that evening, and they had to bus the passengers back to the station after dessert was served.

In her defense, she'd lived in Bellevue her entire life and that rail line had been mostly abandoned for decades until the wine train starting using it in the early 1990's. Her accident was only a year or two after the service started on that abandoned line.

She actually joked about it for several years afterwards until she passed away.

She'd proclaim... "Hit by a dinner train full of drunks! What a way to go!"

 

[Sailor310]

Never, ever eat an entire Dunkin' Donuts apple fritter in one sitting.
Ever.

They are yummy, but so sugary and oily that one must cut it in half and enjoy at different times.

-

NOW you tell me!!!

 

[truecoat]

If you ever find yourself in Milwaukee, this place is a lot of fun

I went once about 7 years ago and loved it. That organ and all the sound effect devices built into the walls and ceiling are very Disneyesque.

Since they take requests, my son requested to play Snoop Dogg but he said it didn't translate well, lol.

 

[RollerCoaster]

I can't believe anyone in Southern California would make a pitch for a Dunkin Donuts franchise. You all live in the land of amazing donut shops run by immigrants and Dunkin Donuts isn't one of them.

 

[truecoat]

I can't believe anyone in Southern California would make a pitch for a Dunkin Donuts franchise. You all live in the land of amazing donut shops run by immigrants and Dunkin Donuts isn't one of them.

They aren't a donut shop as much as they are a coffee shop that sells some donuts. My wife loves Dunkin Donuts coffee.

 

[Mike730]

How about Tim Horton's eh?

 

[PiratesMansion]

I can't believe anyone in Southern California would make a pitch for a Dunkin Donuts franchise. You all live in the land of amazing donut shops run by immigrants and Dunkin Donuts isn't one of them.

I don't think anyone is pitching for them, just recognizing that they are a likely tenant for the location.

 

[TP2000]

How about Tim Horton's eh?

Unfortunately I don't get up there any longer because the Canadian side of the family has all passed on to the great hockey rink in the sky and my Whistler days are over, but I sometimes think about going back for a visit just for a cup of Tim Horton's to see what all the fuss is about.

 

[TP2000]

I don't think anyone is pitching for them, just recognizing that they are a likely tenant for the location.

Yup. I started the Dunkin' Donuts idea, but only because I know that piece of property is going to require rather deep pockets and a very sellable business plan to get financing for it.

I'm just hoping it's not another Starbucks, although the people staying in the few thousand hotel rooms within walking distance of that crosswalk to the park would probably love it to be a Starbucks.

 

[truecoat]

If I had throw away money, I'd reopen Captain Kidd's bigger and better than before as Captain Kidd's Plus or Captain Kidd's Max.

Now that I think about it, Captain Kidd's Max. Hire Moon Unit Zappa as the spokesperson saying "It's grody to the max!"

 

[PiratesMansion]

If I had throw away money, I'd reopen Captain Kidd's bigger and better than before as Captain Kidd's Plus or Captain Kidd's Max.

Captain Kidd's MyMaxFastExperiencePlus

 

[TP2000]

If I had throw away money, I'd reopen Captain Kidd's bigger and better than before as Captain Kidd's Plus or Captain Kidd's Max.

Now that I think about it, Captain Kidd's Max. Hire Moon Unit Zappa as the spokesperson saying "It's grody to the max!"

I was trying to go for a very broad audience, and you are going after a niche audience. But I like your audience much better than mine!




The Captain's building is a nice sized one. It's footprint is 5,000 square feet, plus 500 square feet of sidewalk-fronting patio. It's about a 35 foot wide storefront. And that crosswalk leading to Disneyland that lands at its front door makes it one of the most enviable pieces of property in America.

It's going to be something. Let's just hope it's not a crummy chain. If it's a quality dining option it could peel off quite a few AP's in the afternoons and evenings, in addition to the built-in breakfast and dinner traffic from the thousands of adjacent hotel rooms within 3 blocks of it.

 

[truecoat]

I was trying to go for a very broad audience, and you are going after a niche audience. But I like your audience much better than mine!




The Captain's building is a nice sized one. It's footprint is 5,000 square feet, plus 500 square feet of sidewalk-fronting patio. It's about a 35 foot wide storefront. And that crosswalk leading to Disneyland that lands at its front door makes it one of the most enviable pieces of property in America.

View attachment 604391

It's going to be something. Let's just hope it's not a crummy chain. If it's a quality dining option it could peel off quite a few AP's in the afternoons and evenings, in addition to the built-in breakfast and dinner traffic from the thousands of adjacent hotel rooms within 3 blocks of it.

A Hive of Miserable Bastards: The Restaurant.

 

[Mike730]

Unfortunately I don't get up there any longer because the Canadian side of the family has all passed on to the great hockey rink in the sky and my Whistler days are over, but I sometimes think about going back for a visit just for a cup of Tim Horton's to see what all the fuss is about.

Sorry to hear about your Canadian family. I haven't had the pleasure of a Whistler visit yet, but it is on the list. Most of my Tim Hortons experience is northeast US based!

Slight caution on the fuss, as with most fusses. It is good(maybe very good) and consistent but it isn't exceptional in any particular way. It would be a treat to have as a local place, though, and I would put it above Dunkin.

 

[truecoat]

Sorry to hear about your Canadian family. I haven't had the pleasure of a Whistler visit yet, but it is on the list. Most of my Tim Hortons experience is northeast US based!

Slight caution on the fuss, as with most fusses. It is good(maybe very good) and consistent but it isn't exceptional in any particular way. It would be a treat to have as a local place, though, and I would put it above Dunkin.

Tim Hortons was purchased in 2014 and cut costs which didn't go over so well. Canadians have lost some respect for the chain and in one poll, it came in fourth under McDonalds, Second Cup and Starbucks.

 

[TP2000]

Sorry to hear about your Canadian family. I haven't had the pleasure of a Whistler visit yet, but it is on the list. Most of my Tim Hortons experience is northeast US based!

Not to worry, the Canadian wing of the family were just like everyone else in my gene pool; they lived into their 90's and had active, happy lives right up until the peaceful end. There's clearly something to be said about not smoking, eating right, and staying slim and active. But we all die.

But I shouldn't talk about being active, because the Whistler trips were part of my far more active past. Skiing is murder on the knees and joints after about age 50, but it's beautiful there.

I had no idea Tim Horton's had outlets in the USA! That tells me that they could, theoretically, stake a claim in SoCal. But they wouldn't do it logistically if the Harbor Blvd. outlet is the only one.

Tim Hortons was purchased in 2014 and cut costs which didn't go over so well. Canadians have lost some respect for the chain and in one poll, it came in fourth under McDonalds, Second Cup and Starbucks.

Oh, well that's too bad. Seems too many good businesses get bought out by conglomerates who then cheapen and weaken the brand and experience. Although Disneyland seems able to do that lately without a corporate takeover.

I just think this Captain Kidd's property is such an interesting bit of real estate, and that it was home to perhaps the worst restaurant in Orange County was hysterically funny. It's going to be kind of a shame if some legitimate, quality offering takes over there.