Tasty Burger to replace Rosebud?

[ron_newman]

Brandon Wilson from the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission told me that Tasty Burger is negotiating to buy both the Rosebud Diner and the Bar and Grille behind it. They plan to combine the two into a single restaurant.

The Historic Preservation folks are involved because Somerville has designated the diner as a single-building historic district. This means the city has to approve alterations to the façade -- such as painting out the name Rosebud on the diner, or removing the neon Rosebud sign on top.

If the deal goes through, the city will have to somehow balance its interest in historic preservation against the new business's right to put its own name on the building.

ETA links:

• Earlier davis_square LJ post about Tasty Burger
  
• Boston Magazine Chowder blog: Tasty Burger to Bring Second Location (and Booze!) to Davis Square
  
• Boston Restaurant Talk: Tasty Burger Is Coming to Davis Square in Somerville

(neither of these articles say it will be at the Rosebud, though)

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I would love to know why anyone thinks Davis needs another burger joint. Or any other restaurant, period.

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

At this rate, burgers are going to be the new burritos.

[drella1966.livejournal.com]

Why another restaurant? Diners are part of American History. I'm sure the owners of the Rosebud wanna take the opportunity to make some big $$, especially since that stupid new building has them squashed, but there has to be a Diner lover who could buy Rosebud and bring it back to glory. But I'm sure the "tasty burger" cash is much much more $$. I went to college in Worcester and loved all the diners. *sad*

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Besides the lack of breakfast food, and not having "diner" in its name, how is Tasty Burger different from a diner?

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

I am not hugely embroiled in diner culture, but that lack of breakfast food is _crucial_. If I go to a diner, I want to be able to order pancakes. It's just how they work!

[ron_newman]

Lack of breakfast food is a huge deal. My understanding is that the Rosebud Diner's kitchen will go away entirely, and all food will be prepared in the back room's kitchen.

It's not at all clear to me what will happen to the interior of the diner (which is not protected, as Somerville historic preservation can only control exteriors)

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

I know the owners of the Rosebud. This is news to me.

[ron_newman]

Ask them about this. I'd be interested in hearing the response.

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

Next time I'm over there I will.

[teko.livejournal.com]

I don't know why the Tasty Burger folks think that putting a burger-and-hotdog place two doors down from an established, popular, and much cheaper burger-and-hotdog place (Spike's) is in any way a good idea. And while I haven't had lunch or dinner at the Rosebud for some time, they've got a solid reputation for their breakfasts; if Tasty Burger isn't going to serve diner breakfast, they're cutting out half of their potential business. Bad idea.

[smacaski.livejournal.com]

I actually have the opposite fear: that by having a more diverse menu and serving beer and wine, Tasty Burger would severely cut into Spike's business.

And who calls hot dogs "shafts?" Ugh.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Agreed -- it's just a poor situation for both businesses.

And having "shafts" on your menu sounds like a 5th grade penis joke.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I've enjoyed the Tasty Burger behind Fenway on Boylston, but yeah, I am surprised they've targeted Davis.

[808.livejournal.com]

I ate lunch at Spike's today just because of this thread. I must go there more often...darn good veggie dogs w/honey mustard.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I knew they'd been looking to move over here and that they were getting (have gotten?) a liquor license. didn't know where they were going, tho.

[trowa-barton.livejournal.com]

I have no love for Rosebud, so I'm indifferent to the acquisition.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Ditto. I've had terrible meals there, and I've had OK meals there, but I've never been impressed. It WOULD be nice to see it replaced by a diner where the food is actually good enough to justify the huge local following.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

is the rosebud hurting for business so badly it needs to sell? or did tasty burger just offer the owners a truck full of cash? i hope they stay - i love their pancakes.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

I was wondering the same thing.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I have gotten the impression that the owners wouldn't be averse to retiring if they could find an attractive deal, but that's third-hand info.

[theorangebird.livejournal.com]

When I first read that Tasty Burger was coming to Davis, I kept thinking that the old Pemberton convenience store on the corner of Mass Ave. and Day St. would be the perfect location. It's Cambridge rather than Somerville, of course, but it'd be a great addition to the North Cambridge/Davis area.

That said, I know nothing about liquor licenses/the feasibility for getting one for this spot. And no doubt, the neighborhood association in North Cambridge would totally blow a gasket over the issue.

[ron_newman]

I doubt the neighbors would object (especially since it comes with its own parking lot), but it's not very large compared to the Rosebud back room.

[hikermtnbiker.livejournal.com]

While I have no love for the food at the Rosebud this would be terrible. The Rosebud, along with the Somerville Theater, is one of the few remaining historical businesses in the square. To think that this could become a prop for a chain restaurant is depressing.

I don't know the owner of the RB but he always struck me as someone who doesn't particularly enjoy the restaurant business so this would not surprise me.

Davis is becoming a food desert. And mediocre, if successful, models simply spawn imitators. The Harvard Squareification of Davis continues.

[ron_newman]

This will be only the second Tasty Burger, so I wouldn't call it "a chain restaurant" just yet.

In terms of being a 'food desert', I'm less concerned about replacing one restaurant with another (as is proposed here), and more about the impending closure of Farmer's Bounty.

[hikermtnbiker.livejournal.com]

I agree. Fresh food is of more importance. This again brings up the idea of Davis of a livable area vs a destination and how to manage the conflicts.

[hikermtnbiker.livejournal.com]

Oh, well perhaps "chain" was the wrong word. Maybe "concept" restaurant is more what I was looking for. Today everything has to have a theme and be marketed to a demographic. Back in the day there were no such fine distinctions, it was just diner, sandwich shop, Italian, Greek, Chinese, etc. And of course, coffee was just coffee.

The attraction to a diner is that it is just so simple.

[bostonartist.livejournal.com]

The sale does not surprise me. The current rosebud (diner-car) is too small to generate a serious income. The back building has gone through numerous incarnations... all failed. So, the owners would like to cash out.

[ron_newman]

The much smaller Buddy's Diner on Washington Street (east of McGrath) seems to be doing OK, despite being in a terrible location. And Kelly's in Ball Square is doing fine with a space about the same size as Rosebud.

[pch1.livejournal.com]

Buddys Diner has been for sale for at least the last 6 months. I, too, hate the loss of a landmark in Davis like the Rosebud. Questionable food quality aside, its sign is an iconic symbol of this neighborhood bridging the past with the present. Unfortunate as well, the loss of one of the few remaining places in Davis to get a proper breakfast during the week. Davis rents seemed to have priced proprietors out of 2 eggs, bacon, and toast as an option.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

It's been on the market for a few days short of a year, though they haven't changed their asking price in that time, either, so who knows.

[somervillesnow.livejournal.com]

Actually I see in MLS that Buddy's is for sale. I'm not able to offer anything other than inference on why that would be.