Bristol forced out of Prospect shop as lease expires

[Robin Garr]

Good work by Business First here ...

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/n ... j=73305122

Normally I like Kroger. They try to locally source stuff. I've seen murals painted in many locations by local artists. THIS, I do NOT like. Shoving out a local institution. So VERY wrong. I am actually in tight with a butcher at the Brownsboro location right by the Snyder. I will continue to shop there but I will make my displeasure known about the loss of this Bristol location.

They "pushed" the Great Wall out of the Dirty Kroger strip as well, but that's ok because now they are just down the hill from my house and they have a much nicer/bigger spot. It's lemons and lemonade.

I am not sure where Kroger has ever tried to locally source stuff. Maybe on occasion, but Kroger is a sub par chain. Just a stepup from Wal-Mart. Honestly Kroger is on a mission to buy out every competitor. Right now they are trying to buy The Fresh Market. They are the worlds biggest grocer (not counting ones that are mega stores like wal-mart, fred meyer, or meijers). It's common sense they want to expand the size of their store at that location. They have been increasing the size of all Louisville area locations. I never go outside the Watterson unless leaving town, but I will say I love the Bristol. Based on the article they don't seemed to bothered by it. It is what it is. Louisville is going more of the way of corporate chains the past year anyways.

I know Kroger doesn't have a very good reputation as lessor of that particular strip, but perhaps we shouldn't bash them without seeing what the final result is.

From the article:

Kroger said in a statement that it has other offers.

"The current tenant’s lease is expiring this month and their offers for a new lease were simply too far below market rate," the statement said. "Another local restaurateur quickly expressed interest in this desirable location. Kroger’s leasing agents reached what they believe is the best long-term decision for this space. We look forward to welcoming the new tenant soon. They will be an exciting addition to the center."

A spokesman for Kroger said the new restaurant could not be announced yet, but there could be more information soon.

I've been very underwhelmed by Bristol in recent years. I wonder what "local restaurateur" will be taking that spot.

It's common sense they want to expand the size of their store at that location..

Nope. It's a huge "L" shaped center, with Kroger in the middle of the long side and the Bristol at the tip of the short side. Unless Kroger is testing a new restaurant concept, that wouldn't make sense there. Also, Prospect is one of the 2-3 largest stores in the region already.

I think it more likely that the management company that runs the center for them got an offer from an outside group that is higher than they felt the Bristol could afford to pay, and Kroger isn't going to overrule their realestate management company.

From what I've heard from folks at the Bristol, Kroger's made the decision to bring in a new restaurant, and they would not even listen to offers from the Bristol. They were completely unwilling to entertain any negotiations at all.

That Bristol really was a staple for Prospect. I hope they are able to find a new location in the area, as the choices out there are pretty slim, and the Bristol was always consistent.

[Robin Garr]

From what I've heard from folks at the Bristol, Kroger's made the decision to bring in a new restaurant, and they would not even listen to offers from the Bristol. They were completely unwilling to entertain any negotiations at all.

That was the "chatter" that prompted me to frame the issue the way I did. Thanks, Jessica.

Really? A business that's out to make a profit turns down an offer that's better than the one from the new business, simply because they have it in for the Bristol? I'm not buying that one at all. I think Andrew's theory is much more plausible.

No slam on the Bristol, but I do have to snicker a bit at some of my Facebook friends who regularly post about how the government is interfering with property rights, but are completely willing to attack a business because of what they're doing with their property.

[Robin Garr]

I guess my point of view is that property rights have value, but in a just world business is ideally done in fairness and grace. It's legal to be hard-nosed and even vicious in business dealings, but this might label you as a person it's best to avoid doing business with.

Kroger has a long history of controlling leases and not renewing tenants in the plazas they occupy. They probably own most of the buildings they are in nowadays. Look at all the super Krogers, multiple tenants were removed from each of those locations.

I heard that Kroger may be working on a deal with a local Mexican chain. I'm not sure whether that's final though.

I heard that Kroger may be working on a deal with a local Mexican chain. I'm not sure whether that's final though.

That doesn't seem like something that would fly in Prospect. It certainly seems like the Bristol that would be a better fit there. I also find it hard to believe that any of the local Mexican chains would be willing to pay a higher rent than the Bristol does. Unless of course the owners of the Bristol are cheapskates.

Maybe, Fernando is going to open a new Mexican place?

Mark, my first thought when Kroger said they had a new tenant in mind was Fernando too... perhaps wishful thinking on my part. The person I talked to was under the impression it may be a local restaurant chain along the lines of Gustavo's or something similar.

Seems that Kroger and Bristol have differing accounts of how negotiations went down. Either Bristol was trying to downplay the desirability of the location to keep the lease low, or Kroger is just flat out lying. Here's a new article with a short update I just read:

https://insiderlouisville.com/business/tcb20160527/

Gustavo's