Business Spotlight: Gary's Bistro

My Snellville Blog always likes to support new businesses in the area. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a new advertiser on My Snellville Blog - Gary's Bistro.

Gwinnett Gladiators to serve as bartenders for charity

What: Members of the Gwinnett Gladiators Hockey Team will serve as celebrity bartenders.

Why: A portion of all proceeds from Gary's Bistro event, Pucks for a Purpose will go to the charity Keep Georgia Safe and help fund radKIDS personal empowerment safety education programs.

When: Monday, October 25th - 6 to 9 p.m.

Where: Gary's Bistro,

Snellville's economy, individual liberty at risk - please VOTE

“The record shows that alcohol sales does not prevent profit or keep restaurants out of Snellville,” Jenkins said. “We have ... businesses belly-aching because they’re not able to make 300-percent profit on Sunday.”

From:
Snellville's Sunday alcohol debate faces closing time
Atlanta Journal Constitution

Wow, wouldn't it be terrible, just terrible if Snellville restaurants were able to pull in a profit, stay in business, purchase from suppliers, hire more employees, etc. What a burden it would be on all of us if quality businesses were drawn to Snellville, able to stay in Snellville and stimulate our economy? Wouldn't that be a terrible nightmare for all of us? (I'm hoping you have sensed the sarcasm by now)

If you'd like to read more about Robert Jenkins and what he's done to 'help' the City of Snellville's reputation, click here. It's enlightening. Why such an anti-business, anti-profit stance? I think that there are some people who really don't want business growth. The AJC didn't give you the back-story that you need to put the Jenkins quote they used into perspective.

I think that Snellville's alcohol ban does cause restaurants to go outside the city limits of Snellville. Whatever his "record" is. I don't need a "record."  I say good people, look around you!  I'm sure you're aware of the development called The Avenue at Webb Gin on Scenic Highway. Nice, upscale shops - like a Barnes and Noble Bookstore, Ann Taylor, and so on.The nice shops anchor upscale restaurants like Chili's, Bonefish Grill, Ted's Montana Grill, Longhorn, and Gary's Bistro (opening soon).

What you may not realize is that those stores and restaurants are technically in Unincorporated Gwinnett. They are under the city of Lawrenceville's laws - laws that allow for Sunday sale of alcohol in restaurants. Notice that the development is as close as you can get to Snellville without actually being physically IN Snellville. They have a lot of Snellville customers, and part of the development even has a Snellville mailing address, but even those don't give back to Snellville in the form of business taxes. But you like shopping there and eating there, don't you? I know I do! The Avenues would love to have Snellville Police protection, but won't be annexed into Snellville unless the liquor laws are updated. We'd like to see developments like The Avenue within Snellville city limits. Lifting the Sunday alcohol ban will help create an atmosphere that promotes business growth in Snellville.

So that's the economic aspect of this issue...here's the religion part of the issue...and oh believe me, it is there.

I still say, as long as the religion that's in power and has the huge congregation in town matches YOUR religion, you are in the clear. However, watch out if another religion becomes stronger than yours someday. Maybe it could be a non-Christian religion that you wouldn't agree with. That's why we have (or should have) separation of church and state. It's to protect everyone, including Christians!

Anybody of any religion who wants to keep your Sabbath day (whatever day that might be) holy, I back you all the way. Feel free to practice any of your religious or moral beliefs. But to want to force others to follow your religious view is not cool. Show them by example, but don't expect everyone else to do exactly as you do.

Before it was approved by voters, many churches were strongly opposed to the Georgia Lottery and preached against it. The argument was that to win the lottery, you'd have to take money away from someone else, so that is breaking one of the Ten Commandments, because you would be coveting your neighbor's money by wanting to win the Georgia Lottery. Have terrible things happened because of the GA Lottery? I have found some littered lottery tickets, and that's kind of annoying, but we also have a fantastic Georgia Pre-Kindergarten program. It has kids so ready for Kindergarten that Kindergarten is now what First Grade used to be. The lottery may be a game for people who can't do math, but I haven't noticed that society crumbled because of it.

Read this article and let me know what you think. I'm thankful the Sunday alcohol issue is coming to a vote. I know you will be too - you're probably tired of hearing me rant about it.  Early voting ends July 16th, so please get out and vote at Snellville City Hall...and of course, I'm recommending a YES vote, but of course you will do what you like, and that's your right! This voting thing is sweet. :)

Snellville's Sunday alcohol debate faces closing time

Atlanta Journal Constitution

By Shane Blatt Jamie Dempsey's dream of opening an Irish pub in Snellville comes down to a vote. If residents decide that restaurants can serve alcohol on ...

Related Links:
Committee for a Better Snellville brings issue to the streets

Photos of accident at Snellville restaurant

UPDATE: Details about Snellville restaurant crash emerge

These photos were sent in by David R. Thanks David! It helps us all understand what happened a little better now. He took these from his iPhone.

Related: 8 injured after vehicle hits Snellville restaurant 
(Latest reports are that 9 people in all were injured)

In this photo, you can see the Krystal restaurant sign off in the distance and the island with shrubbery that had to help decrease the vehicle's speed.




Loaded onto the flatbed truck is the vehicle that crashed into the restaurant.


The car at right is believed to be the vehicle hit by the out of control car. David R said, "All of us bystanders believe this car deflected the runaway between the 2 columns. The TB people are interviewing the man who owns the car that was hit."

 
Here you can see the tire marks that lead straight toward the restaurant.


Fire and police personnel, probably amazed at the tight squeeze. Thank God for our great emergency and police personnel, especially at times like this! They always come through for us in Snellville.
 

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Snellville Restaurant Reviews

I've been "gettin' my eat on" and thought you might want to read (and see, lots of photos) what I think of these restaurants. If you want to check out Snellville restaurants and reviews on a regular basis, you can subscribe to that blog when you visit, or you can just continue to visit MySnellvilleBlog.com and just click on the "Dining" link above.

Snellville Eats: IHOP Scenic Hwy 124 near Snellville
At: SnellvilleEats.Blogspot.com
The IHOP we went to was the one located at 1143 Scenic Highway, Lawrenceville GA 30045. It's important for you to have the address, because as Dreah pointed out, it wasn't in her GPS, and she has a new one. ...

Say Opa! To Apollon Mediterranean Resturant, Snellville
At: SnellvilleEats.Blogspot.com
I was pleasantly surprised by the really large and comfortable booths at Apollon. Nobody bumped elbows. It was a welcome change and made for a pleasant evening.

Mi Mexico Bar & Grill, Loganville GA
At: SnellvilleEats.Blogspot.com
I decided to check out Mi Mexico. It is located in a strip mall near the @mosphere club on Hwy 78 in Loganville, and it's across from the Oasis Bowl bowling center.

Those who promote restaurant protest on Sunday sales missing the point

"I wish every restaurant in Snellville would close in protest over the idiotic judge's ruling. Those of you who appreciate a glass of wine with dinner should just bring your business to the wonderful restaurants and taverns in downtown Lawrenceville."

This was posted in the AJC's Vent column...as of the time I saw it, it had already received 13 'thumbs-up' votes.

Although I acknowledge the passion, the person who posted it and the people who voted it up have missed some important points.

Restaurants closing in protest wouldn't send a useful message. Doing so would only hurt the restaurant and the city. Closing the restaurants wouldn't send a message to the city or the judge.(Would you really want a judge who would bend just because somebody didn't like his ruling?)

The City of Snellville wants restaurants to serve alcohol on Sundays. The City would like the revenue. It's really just a matter of time before the sale of alcohol on Sundays is allowed in Snellville. Snellville will get a new referendum and then it will pass.

New Snellville Restaurant Site

This is our 2 year old son, posing next to the highchair he used at Atlanta Bread Company. It looks like our toddler posing next to our invisible baby, doesn't it?

Hubs and I enjoyed (most) of the kids being back in school today by going to Home Depot in a doomed search for giant S-hooks (don't ask - ok, you can ask if you really care), followed by lunch at the Atlanta Bread Company on Scenic Highway.

I blogged our restaurant visit on SnellvilleEats. Check it out, the pictures alone might cause you to go there to eat tomorrow! Click here for the Atlanta Bread Company Snellville location Snellville Eats review.

I will try to get better on these reviews. Maybe they aren't really great reviews, because I think restaurant reviewers are more snotty. I will have to work on my negativity. But let me know what you think of it.

Fusion Le Bistrot is no more; Firehouse Subs is yummy

UPDATE: in late 2007, I started a new site that's only about Snellville restaurants.
It's called www.SnellvilleEats.com - check it out when you have a minute...! ...and now, back to the original blog post...

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The other day, I actually ventured forth into the wide, wide world and breathed some outside air. That was nice. But, when I did that, I found that Fusion Le Bistrot has closed.

That was the place that had traditional Thai and French cuisine under one roof. Not being a fan of either type of cuisine, I don't know how the food was (I'm more of a Le Big Mac person) - but I can imagine that there would be a limited client base for that.

Hubs and I discussed it on several occasions. I liked to think positively, that it would be a perfect place for when the man in a couple was a big fan of Thai food, but the lady found it too spicy, so she could have the ooh la la French food and both would be happy campers. I'm sorry that that scenario didn't work out for them. I know restaurants have a hard time to make a go of it. I think a statistic on it is that 2 out of 3 restaurants close within their first year (don't quote me on it, but I think that's correct - got that info from Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - in between all the bleeeeeeps...I heard that)

A food fusion idea that I think would work well in Snellville would be a chicken and waffles joint. Sounds really weird but I think people would like it. Cardiac physicians would not. Gladys Knight has started a chain of these, called Gladys and Ron's. (there are 3 locations in the Atlanta area.)

The Hubs and I ate next door at Firehouse Subs. Firehouse, by the way, recently earned a 100 on their restaurant inspection, and the inspector had written "VERY CLEAN" across the inspection report. The food is excellent there, and if you have kids, the kids meal includes a red plastic firefighter's hat. Everybody happy!!! Check them out next time you are near the intersection of Pharr Rd and Scenic Highway (the one across the street from Publix)

70% off sale at Restaurant.com. Purchase $25 Gift Certificates for only $3.00 with coupon code GIFTS!

Snellville Restaurant Inspections

UPDATE: in late 2007, I started a new site that's only about Snellville restaurants.
It's called www.SnellvilleEats.com - check it out when you have a minute...! ...and now, back to the original blog post...

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I have been looking online today for Snellville Restaurant inspection reports. I couldn't find a page just on Snellville restaurants, but I found a page for the most recent Gwinnett County inspections, and I also added the link to the sidebar of this blog (under Snellville Restaurant Inspections)

If anyone knows where I can access more records, please let me know. I think it helps everyone.

Do you pay attention to the score a restaurant has received? Do you look before you eat there? I often do look, but after today's experience, I am going to make a habit of making sure I look for it, and if I don't see it, I'm going to ask to see it.

I have already had the stomach flu, so I think this was food poisoning. I ate lunch at...er, well I don't want to call them out, so let's just say it's a place with a guy with a mushroom hat whose motto is " keep on shroomin' " .... I think some of the cold cuts in my sandwich were bad - but the sandwich also had raw mushrooms in it, so that could have been the culprit. I was sick within 15 minutes of leaving the restaurant and I've been feeling bad for about 3 hours now.
It has felt different from stomach flu - I have felt lightheaded and a little bit fuzzy brained and weird (ok no smart comments about how I'm weird anyway! LOL)

After today, I will think of "keep on shroomin' " as "keep on sitting on the toilet at Snellville's AutoZone while retching into their trash can." Kudos go out to that AutoZone (store #3194) by the way, both for their very clean trash can/bathroom facilities, as well as their fast and efficient skill in changing out my battery for me. Very nice guys.

• Do you pay attention to the restaurant inspection scores?
• What score would make you leave?
• How high does a score need to be for you to eat there?
• Do you check out scores online before you go out to eat?
  

Congratulations to Zaxby's Restaurant at 3220 Centerville Highway, Snellville, for getting a score of 99 on their recent Gwinnett County Restaurant inspection.