38 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

I think it's time we started a thread on Burger King restaurants in Victoria now that a second location is in the works.

As mentioned in the Food services comings and goings thread by Kapten Kapsell, work has begun on the new Burger King location at Johnson and Douglas streets in the old Blenz Coffee space.

[sirswithin]

I hope the new staff isn't as disinterested in customer service as the ones out in View Royal. Honestly, it seems like sometimes they think you're rude for interrupting their non-work environment with your request for food.

[dirtydeeds]

mmmm Whopper!

[VicHockeyFan]

Hmmm, from Tim Houlihan on FACEBOOK

I actually think it'll do quite well here. US tourists want to see something familiar down there. This could be up there with McDonald's at Fisherman's Wharf. Watch the Facebook page and watch the rage fly!

[aastra]

Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Burger King... so why did McDonald's never set up shop on Government Street?

[Nparker]

So is the hamburger royalty taking over all of the Ric's space? As I recall that is a pretty large area.

[aastra]

It's sad that more and more small independent businesses can't afford to occupy space on Government St.

So is the era of small independent businesses on Government Street really coming to an end?

Small businesses can't afford the rent in the DT core anymore. See all the empty spaces, ever wonder why? The rents down here are crazy high. Then the parking nazi's chased away all the local shoppers. Greed is killing our town.

If nobody shops there anymore then methinks that doesn't bode well for the success of a Burger King outlet.

[concorde]

So is the hamburger royalty taking over all of the Ric's space? As I recall that is a pretty large area.

No, its only about 2500sf of the space

[VicHockeyFan]

51 Facebook comments in 3 hours.

6 positive
6 neutral
39 negative

[SamCB]

51 Facebook comments in 3 hours.

6 positive
6 neutral
39 negative

And that's Victoria for you.

[G-Man]

Yeah Burger King is going to make that strip really tacky.

[sdwright.vic]

No more tacky then empty store fronts....

[vandervalk]

Tacky? I could understand if the Government Strip had tons of unique local gift stores but most of them are Chinese made crap with Victoria logos and Canadian flags tossed on them

Burger King should fit nicely in there with the rest of the garbage.

[Mike K.]

So is the hamburger royalty taking over all of the Ric's space? As I recall that is a pretty large area.

It looks to be the space below Ric's Grill. The last tenants were a gelato and pizza place, or something like that. They didn't last long.

Government Street has become such a tacky strip with touristy gimmicks and those ridiculous year long blowout sales that it might as well start catering to more locals.

[aastra]

I honestly can't recall any point in my own life when Government Street wasn't going to hell in a hurry. It's as if the street exists merely to undergo a perpetual transformation from something wonderful into something awful. I'm sure it will still be happening long after I'm gone.

[Mike K.]

I recall that the decline began in the early 2000's just as cruise ship traffic ballooned. Tacky stores with blow-out sales for every season started to adorn the lower blocks and the momentum hasn't eased since then. In the 1990's there were tacky tourist stores but there wasn't any of this this in-your-face-discount nonsense with "cruise ship specials" and the like.

I'm all for Burger King moving into this location. This street needs more stable, long term tenants that cater to locals.

[VicHockeyFan]

I recall that the decline began in the early 2000's just as cruise ship traffic ballooned. Tacky stores with blow-out sales for every season started to adorn the lower blocks and the momentum hasn't eased since then. In the 1990's there were tacky tourist stores but there wasn't any of this this in-your-face-discount nonsense with "cruise ship specials" and the like.

I'm with aastra, it's being "going downhill" for 25 years. Must be a very big hill.

[G-Man]

Yeah Burger King is going to make that strip really tacky.

Umm I was joking people. Government Street has been loaded with tacky crap since I was a kid. It honestly sucks all the way up to Fort Street. Burger King is not a bad thing to happen here.

What would make Govt Street better would be some more big name retailers in that first few blocks from the water.

[sebberry]

Last I heard was that many of those gift shops are owned by one person. Is that still true?

[Mike K.]

Hmm. Maybe as a kid and teenager I didn't take notice of the tackiness in the 1990's. Aren't the blowout deals and manager's specials a more recent trend?