What's happening at Banjo's restaurant?

[ron_newman]

Does anyone know what is going on with Banjo's Roast Beef restaurant, in the former KFC at Mass. Ave. and Walden Street?

It never seems to be open when I walk or ride by it. A sign on the front says that is is temporarily closed for renovations, which I find odd since it opened just seven months ago.

Comments

[cnoocy]

Did it ever actually open? I think it went directly from "coming soon" to "closed for renovations".

[ron_newman]

I ate there a few days after it opened in February, and I've seen Yelp reviews of it.

Edit: added link to DSLJ post about its opening

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

I ate there back in, hmm, March, but haven't really tried since! (It was pretty good, nothing too remarkable, but I'd have given them an A- for effort.)

[fefie.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it had mold/flooding damage from earlier this summer?

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

No, it closed "for renovations" before that.

I think they just couldn't make a go of it.

[ron_newman]

I didn't realize that. I figured I was just always going by it at the wrong time of night.

Based on his past history (see my earlier post linked above), looks like this is three-and-out in his attempt to create a new local chain.

[teko.livejournal.com]

I ate there several times after it opened and got to talk to the owner briefly. I asked him why so many things on the menu kept changing and he said "I change the menu every day, I take stuff off if I don't like it!" while the guy at the cash register rolled his eyes. The owner also said that he'd bought the place with plans to use the former KFC's fryers, but was still waiting for permits, so he'd opened anyway while waiting.

My guess is that he never got his fryer permits and couldn't sustain a restaurant on roast beef and pulled pork sandwiches a few blocks away from Redbones.

[kalibex.livejournal.com]

Yeah, "Closed for Renovations" seems to be the gentile way of saying "Failed restaurant business" these days...

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

yeah, i walk by there a lot. i think it was only "open" for 1-3 months. It's definitely been "closed for renovations" much longer than it had ever been open.

[siderea]

I ate there, hmmm, three times. Maybe they just couldn't pull it off with their signature combination of large prices, modest quality, and really unbelievably slow service.

(Dammit, if I don't get to pick at least one of fast-cheap-good, I give up eventually.)

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I would love for something halfway decent to go in there. I ate there 2 or 3 times, and all were downright awful. If it were the same idea, but tasty and efficient, I'd be psyched.

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

There are/have been several locations and they seem to have similar fates-- http://www.wickedlocal.com/brockton/news/business/x1126213162

I've heard rumors it's all a tax dodge or something.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I don't think so--the guy seemed genuinely enthusiastic and with Big! Dreams!

I think he's just not very good at running a restaurant.

[duffless2323.livejournal.com]

yea, I went in during the winter not too long after it opened and the owner was so excited but he really talked my ear off, to the point that I was hesitant to go back. I always found it odd that they never put up a sign on the top of the building, I honestly don't think people going by even knew it was open.

[teko.livejournal.com]

He was almost frighteningly enthusiastic when I went there, giving me free samples of food, extra helpings, and a long lecture about what it's like to run a restaurant and why his is the best ever. My favorite quote: "Opening day? Opening days are crap! No restaurant is ready to open, ever. If you announce your opening day, you'll get a mob, and half of 'em won't get served or get slow service, or you run out of food, and make a bad impression. Every day is my opening day! I never stop opening my restaurant, and change it every day to make it the best it can be!!"