Bickford's to close mid-January

[Rosie the Riveter]

Time to look for a new meeting location?


Bank to replace Bickford's
By BENJAMIN KEPPLE
Union Leader Staff
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006


Manchester ? Bickford's Grille at 1000 S. Willow St. will close early next year, to be replaced by a bank branch.

The building's landlord ended Bickford's lease, the restaurant said, and although no specific closing date has been set, it most likely will close in mid-January, according to the Massachusetts-based chain.

Bank of America will occupy the space on the busy Queen City retail strip.

Bickford's plans to keep running the restaurant until landlord O'Connell Manchester LLC needs to retake the space, a restaurant spokesman said.

The closing will mean the chain's departure from the Queen City. In April, a second Bickford's location, at 1050 Second St., closed.

Company officials, however, said Bickford's return someday isn't out of the question.

"Manchester has been a town that's been very good to Bickford's, and it's certainly not beyond the scope of possibility we would look for a Manchester location at some time," said Bickford's spokesman Linda Milley.

The eatery employs 20 people, most of whom work part time. However, the restaurant's closing shouldn't result in any layoffs. Milley said employees will have the opportunity to transfer to the chain's other New Hampshire locations in Salem, Portsmouth and Nashua. In all, the chain has 33 restaurants throughout New England, according to Milley.

According to city tax records, in 2004 Bickford's sold the roughly 5,000-square-foot restaurant, and the three acres of land on which it sits, to O'Connell Manchester for $1.9 million.

The restaurant, built in 1974 and owned by Bickford's or related firms for the next three decades, is located just northwest of South Willow Street's intersection with Weston Road.

Over the next several months, plans call for the building to be transformed into a new Bank of America branch.

A bank spokesman cautioned that plans still require approval from city officials, but confirmed the bank plans to open a branch there.

"We're really pleased with that location, given that it's in the heart of the retail district," Bank of America spokesman Ernesto Anguilla said.

According to Anguilla, plans call for the full-service branch to have three drive-through lanes, walk-up and drive-through automated teller machines, and six teller stations. It will also have 50 parking spaces on site.

Bank of America now has five branches, and three additional free-standing ATM locations, in Manchester. The 1000 S. Willow St. branch will likely open sometime in the second half of 2007.

[Rocketman]

Sorry for the Merrimack Valley Porcs, but boy am I glad this pathetic excuse for a restaurant is gone from my life.  I guess it's up to Shuvom to find someplace that doesn't serve shitty, overpriced food.   

[Kat Kanning]

It seemed like a pretty good meeting place.

[Insurgent]

Super--another local business swallowed up by a bank!

[Russell Kanning]

Hey Shavom .... if you are listening ....

The Airport Diner (attached to the Holiday Inn off 101) has a nice back room and good food. It is not very big though. Maybe we would have to have 2 meeting each month in Manchestah.

[d_goddard]

I liked Milly's.

[JonM]

I liked the beer at Millys, but not the lack of service every time I went there. 

[Rochelle]

Yea the food at Bickford's kinda sucks I've only eaten there twice but I'm already sick of the menu.

Let's get a place with some good food this time around! A Taste of Europe in downtown Manchester has a funtion room.

[CNHT]

I contacted Shuvom and he said they are OK until March on Bickford's.

Milly's sucks because I can't carry my piece.

[Russell Kanning]

any other places to use?

[KBCraig]

Milly's sucks because I can't carry my piece.

Did they tell you that you can't enter with a handgun? What they told anyone else only applies to that person. NH doesn't have any definition of what kind of signage is "sufficient notice". In the end, they have to learn you're carrying, they have to ask you to leave, and you have to fail to leave, in order for there to be a trespassing charge.

Mind you, I don't care to patronize businesses that don't want me there, and if they don't want my gun there, then they don't want me there. But it wouldn't be against the law to go there unless they told me that I couldn't enter.

Kevin

[CNHT]

Did they tell you that you can't enter with a handgun? What they told anyone else only applies to that person. NH doesn't have any definition of what kind of signage is "sufficient notice". In the end, they have to learn you're carrying, they have to ask you to leave, and you have to fail to leave, in order for there to be a trespassing charge.

Mind you, I don't care to patronize businesses that don't want me there, and if they don't want my gun there, then they don't want me there. But it wouldn't be against the law to go there unless they told me that I couldn't enter.

Kevin

Not only did the organizers go 'round and 'round with them on this, but we could not even stay in their yard at an outdoor celebration because some of us were openly carrying. So they do have a rule which I guess they are allowed to make. They don't even want you on their property once they see that...which they did.

[mraaron]

    That stretch of South Willow is quickly becoming overcrowded. 

[Russell Kanning]

I won't mind not driving there anymore ... it was packed yesterday. I guess not everyone spent all their money at Christmas.

[Rosie the Riveter]

I won't mind not driving there anymore ... it was packed yesterday. I guess not everyone spent all their money at Christmas.

Something downtown would be so much nicer on a sat, but I can't seem to think of anywhere that could work. Perhaps the downstairs meeting room/bar at the Black Brimmer. I'll check out who is open on Sat. Does everyone usually buy food or not? If 50 people  buy food that is an easy sell, but if not I wonder what the budget is for room rental.