The world’s largest Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and sports bar opened to the public at 260 S. Brea Blvd. in Brea, on Monday, May 23. Backed by local investors including several Southern California baseball and football players, the new $5 million restaurant is the latest redevelopment effort for downtown Brea by local business owner and former sports agent, Dwight Manley, who grew up in the town, according to Restaurant News.
Did you know that a Buffalo Wild Wings was going to open up in Santa Ana, over by Orchard Hardware on 17th and Tustin, back in 2008? That didn’t work out though as a handful of NIMBY residents in the northeastern part of Santa Ana protested the establishment’s Conditional Use Permit (CUP.) Eventually the owners of the proposed restaurant cleared out of town, abandoning all hope of ever being able to open for business here in Santa Ana.
Here is what the NIMBYs’ leader, Mike Tardif, posted about their protest on the Orange Juice blog article about the ill-fated Santa Ana Buffalo Wild Wings:
Dear Mayor Pulido and Members of the Santa Ana City Council:
We hereby request that the City Council call a public hearing concerning the alcohol (ABC) Conditional Use Permit granted to Buffalo Wild Wings, by the Planning Commission, for on-site sale of alcoholic beverages.
The residents of Parkwood, Meredith and Portola neighborhoods are very concerned that the negative effects of this “sports bar” on their neighborhoods have not been properly taken into consideration.
Respectfully submitted by,
Tom Childress
Kathy Ingersoll
Lee Ingersoll
Brad Day, Board Member Meredith/Parkwood HOA
Andy Martinez
Emmy Martinez
George R. Staff
Chrissy Staff
Rick Legowski
Peggy Legowski
Mike Tardif
Mercedes Tardif
Bridget Tardif
Tony Diaz
Jose Diaz
Carolyn Diaz
Muriel McCormick
Celesta Severtsen
Michael Severtsen
Jimmy Kabaian
Thomas Accongio
Nadine Accongio
Maria Cabrera
Milo Van Beck
These people are probably proud of themselves. But what did they accomplish? They cost our city jobs and tax revenue. The newspapers are praising the new Buffalo Wild Wings in Brea today – but it should have been ours, here in Santa Ana, were it not for the selfish actions of a handful of NIMBYs. What a shame.
So do you want to know what you missed out on fellow Santa Ana resident? Here’s a few comments about the new Buffalo Wild Wings in Brea, from their Yelp page:
Yep. We could have had a Buffalo Wild Wings in Santa Ana. But the NIMBYs killed it…and now it is in Brea instead. Go figure.
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Is this the best you can do? - pretty weak.
Mike,
I am not sure what you ate referring to.
Shouldn't you be apologizing to the people of Santa Ana right about now?
Since this BWW baloney was dredged up by SA Planning Commissioner Sean Mill - perhaps your readers would like to see my rant to the City Council concerning Mill's violations of the Santa Ana Code of Ethics and Conduct at the June 6th council meeting.
1 hr. & 46 min. in - you can click right over to that point.
http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/coc/archive.asp
Great job reTardif! This family restaurant would have been a great addition to Santa Ana you moron.
Following is a letter written by a SA resident to the Planning Dept. - this will explain some of the issues involved for those residents who would have been negatively impacted by the BWW sports bar.
To: Matt Foukes, Planning Division
Date: June 2, 2008
Re: A new establishment, Buffalo Wild Wings on 17th St.
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the new restaurant on 17th St. next to Orchard.
We have a peaceful quiet neighborhood where all my neighbors are respectful of one another. To allow an establishment of this nature so near homes where children live is unacceptable.
My concern is the noise late into the night disturbing the children’s sleep as well as the crime it could bring into the neighborhood.
It will be a risk to our quality of life, safety and home values. I do hope you consider what it will mean to have an establishment of this nature so close to a residential area (just on the backside of the brick wall) almost in our backyard.
Thank you for your consideration.
What exactly is meant by "an establishment of this nature"?
It is a casual dining restaurant and sports bar with over 688 locations across the United States. It is a corporation that has been around for nearly 30 years and is publicly traded on NASDAQ.
These are the type of businesses that we need to attract to our city. This is a name brand a well established brand. If they succeed in Santa Ana then other name brands will surely follow. We should do all we can to foster an environment that welcomes businesses like this.
Opponents of the BWW on 17th tried to portray it as being some sort of sleazy strip bar or worse. Nothing could be further from the truth. I encourage anyone to visit a BWW location and tell me that it is a sleazy place that you can't take your family to.
I for one want businesses of the nature that BWW are in our city. We missed out big time by not having them come to Santa Ana.
"I for one want businesses of the nature that BWW are in our city."
Regardless of the consequences for the adjacent neighborhood ??
Oh yeah .... I almost forgot ..... more - and more - and more tax money is the primer mover - the quality of life for Santa Ana residents be damned.
I sympathize with the residents. Having a bar/restaurant that's open until at least midnight, and some nights until 2am, backed up in close proximity to homes is cause for concern. We all know what can happen in bar parking lots at 2am.
Mike,
There was a commercial retail center there when the overwhelming majority, if not all, of these folks purchased their homes. They had to know that businesses would sometime come to this center including the possibility of restaurants. This reminds of the folks that bought homes in the flight path of John Wayne and are now upset that planes are flying over them.
I would say that we need to take into consideration the quality of life of all of our citizens and not just a very small select group. When decisions are made they should be made with the entire city's best interests in mind.
If we shut down every project because a select group of folks oppose it nothing would ever get built.
Yes increasing the tax base is very important and by doing that the quality of life of all our residents is improved.
anon,
Do you feel the same way in regards to the Dennis Lluy's proposal for the Yost Theatre and the other bars downtown?
Many residents and business owners in that area are not supportive. Do you sympathize with them as well?