urbanSTL

Please save the local pity-party.

Hardee's moving to Nashville isn't just about St. Louis. The whole parent company is moving to Nashville from California.

CKE Restaurants Inc., parent to the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s chains, is moving the brands’ headquarters from California and Missouri and consolidating them in Nashville, Tenn., early next year, the company confirmed Friday.

The move comes after CKE successfully refranchised about 92 percent of its 3,664 restaurants in a shift toward a more asset-light business model. Among the refranchised units are restaurants in Hardee’s headquarters city of St. Louis and in Santa Barbara County, Calif., where Carl’s Jr.’s home office in Carpinteria, Calif., is located."

Source

^ Didn't the CEO buy a horse farm outside of Nashville in the last year or two? Pretty obvious where he was going to take things once that happened.

The tidbit I found interesting is that CKE has been divesting of ownership and now like 90% franchisee owned. To me this is also their final big push/move to downsize corporate. I wonder how this all work for them. I haven't been to any of their fast food chains in years and not sure if I even desire so in the future.

Arch, have to agree. The options on burgers is endless and now their is a ton small local chains or mom & pop burgers joints.. I would pay more for a good burger with a real shake once and while instead of a fast food diet. However, will still get in a Wendy's spicey chicken sandwich once and will

dweebe wrote:

arch city wrote:CKE Restaurants is moving to this new development in suburban Franklin, TN.

Man, that sure is pretty. Absolutely beautiful.

I think we all need to start using the /s tag more liberally.. Im really having a hard time telling when people are joking anymore lol

Arch city wrote:

Please save the local pity-party.

Hardee's moving to Nashville isn't just about St. Louis. The whole parent company is moving to Nashville from California.

Yes, I think everyone knows the reasons Hardee's left under the current circumstances. There are factors that are beyond our control......BUT, to play devils advocate..... WHY not St. Louis for their combined national HQs. WHY NOT? Maybe there is blame to go around to local and State politicians. I understand Nashville is the hip, cool, 'it' city right now. Why is STL not an 'it' city... Why are we losing businesses, seeing a spike in crime, losing other HQs, not pushing towards becoming a no income tax state, right to work state, dumping the City earnings tax, joining forces as a region, etc..etc...etc... Politicians for generations, have put us in this position. I think you can look at our region and State, then realize that there are things that our region can and should be doing, to make it more attractive and an 'IT' region. How is it that a guy like Putzer for example, with major STL ties, does not even consider STL as a place to consolidate his HQ? Your telling me that we are not centrally located?
I understand the franchisee/company owned issue. It looks like they are moving in the direction of franchising all of their stores, eventually. Under the right conditions, they could have easily moved all operations here. As we know, it didn't happen. This is just ONE example. When you start adding up one here, one there, it starts to hurt our region. Again, I understand a lot of these things are out of our hands. Then again, other metro areas with much less to offer, are catching us and passing us for some reason. . . . .

I think the comments about no state income tax when trying to decide on Texas and Nashville told it all. The was decision by the executives for the executives because in large part they don't own many of their own places anymore.

imthewiz wrote:

dweebe wrote:

arch city wrote:CKE Restaurants is moving to this new development in suburban Franklin, TN.

Man, that sure is pretty. Absolutely beautiful.

I think we all need to start using the /s tag more liberally.. Im really having a hard time telling when people are joking anymore lol

Sadly the phpBB version used by urbanstl.com doesn't support the puke emoticon.

^ Not sure but two floors are leased at 100 Broadway. They are downsizing from what I understand with their move but a Nashville Biz article says the lease they are working on could accommodate up to 200. (Rents go for $35 sq. ft. with parking in their digs, btw.)

^ Lease rates at 100 N. Broadway are $18/sq. ft./yr: http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16837584 ... -Louis-MO/

So they're doubling their rent.

While we lost Hardee's, mostly due to Puzder and his affinity for no income tax states...
Nestle did expand and take two + floors at 100 N Broadway.
Is it me or has Slay been asleep at the wheel regarding business downtown? I'm not saying he could have prevented a Hardee's move, but he's starting to remind me of Harmon. Too complacent and doesn't seem to care at all about the city's golden egg: downtown

jcity wrote:Is it me or has Slay been asleep at the wheel regarding business downtown?

There's seems to be zero sense of urgency on his part. Perhaps NGA and Cortex are receiving the bulk of his attention as far as development is concerned.

I believe Slay is doing jack poo in terms of recruiting jobs in the area to downtown. Or pressuring something to happen at BPV. If I were in his shoes, I would at least want to give the impression I was fighting for the city.. Actively sharing with the public what he is working on though tv or social media.. The most we get are his dumb cute tweets.

Who is a realistic BETTER candidate (aka not reed) to run against Slay? I would love love love love to see Ogilvie!

^ While I give Slay very poor grades on leading on infrastructure downtown and even poorer marks for letting Rex dictate the earnings tax debate at the moment. I do have to defend or least give him the benefit of doubt on corporate jobs downtown. Simply put, how does Slay as a mayor compete with a state like Texas that offers millions for corporate relocations or essentially buys them? how does Slay compete against a no state income taxes let alone the city earnings tax when talking to Corporate Executives? This is on top of the fact that corporate consolidation has hit St Louis city corporate hard whether it Union Pacific buying Missouri Pacific a while back to Macy's buying Famous Barr to CongaAgra purchase, so on. Simply put more competition in the corporate world that offer less jobs not more by more players offering more incentives on the state level.

As far as jobs, CORTEX is bringing jobs to the city. As far as tech & start up scene, it is bringing jobs downtown with T-Rex and the likes.

As far as BPV, the city I think made the right decision not too back bonds like KC did at the time the deal was made and revised. I would change my position now after markets have come back and the central corridor investment is producing taxable properties and bringing some stability back to the city itself

As far as development downtown
- Two more boutique hotels in the works
- Arcade now open followed with a legit proposal on the huge Jeff Arms space, movement appears for Chemical Building
- SLU Law School and expanded Webster Campus downtown
- Arch Grounds rehab and an expanded Western Expansion museum, Blues museum with residential and hotel rooms on top
- LHM/Union station next phase coming up on top of Peabody coming back a few years ago.
- Steady increase in residential population and continued rehabs
- Looking like a legit MLS proposal coming together for downtown
- Finally discussion on CVC ballroom expansion and upgrades, Scottrade upgrades.

^ If it's left up to a public vote, I don't see St. Charles Co. joining Metro or ZMD in this century. They're going to have to be compelled to do so through being charged for accessing ZMD properties / tolling the interstate or some other means.

Lindenwood strengthening its presence downtown is good for downtown, but I am not sure it compels St. Charles Co. to do anything or changes the politics of the matter.

May be old news but the old muncipal court building has a "for lease" sign on the corner. Says ideal for office and restaurant

jcity wrote: Is it me or has Slay been asleep at the wheel regarding business downtown? I'm not saying he could have prevented a Hardee's move, but he's starting to remind me of Harmon. Too complacent and doesn't seem to care at all about the city's golden egg: downtown

It's just you. Slay isn't even behind the wheel. No one is.

debaliviere wrote:There's seems to be zero sense of urgency on his part. Perhaps NGA and Cortex are receiving the bulk of his attention as far as development is concerned.

Slay isn't even needed at Cortex. Wexford/WashU etc are running that perfectly fine.

dredger wrote:^ While I give Slay very poor grades on leading on infrastructure downtown and even poorer marks for letting Rex dictate the earnings tax debate at the moment. I do have to defend or least give him the benefit of doubt on corporate jobs downtown. Simply put, how does Slay as a mayor compete with a state like Texas that offers millions for corporate relocations or essentially buys them? how does Slay compete against a no state income taxes let alone the city earnings tax when talking to Corporate Executives? This is on top of the fact that corporate consolidation has hit St Louis city corporate hard whether it Union Pacific buying Missouri Pacific a while back to Macy's buying Famous Barr to CongaAgra purchase, so on. Simply put more competition in the corporate world that offer less jobs not more by more players offering more incentives on the state level.

As far as jobs, CORTEX is bringing jobs to the city. As far as tech & start up scene, it is bringing jobs downtown with T-Rex and the likes.

I understand what you are saying about companies bolting four states without an income tax. St. Louis just isn't going to compete for a company who desires something like that.

What I am talking about is taking an initiative to draw some of our corporate base back into the city. At least publicly, there are crickets coming from City Hall when it comes to recruiting local companies. The St. Louis region is a great market. As was mentioned during the Rams debacle, we have a ton of fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. Where are they? Why is there not an aggressive campaign to get them back into the city? Slay passes this off as completely out of his hands, and that its just not going to happen unless companies take the initiative, and want to move downtown.

This is true to an extent, but so much more can be done! We were ready to give an arm and a leg to the Rams to get them to stay in the city. Same with the NGA! Where is that kind of aggressive commitment to recruit local companies?? Why is it that we can't give some tax abatements or land to local corporations as an incentive to come back downtown? These are the things I'm talking about. And what makes me think Slay has become very complacent and, frankly, incompetent.

dredger wrote:^As far as development downtown
- Two more boutique hotels in the works
- Arcade now open followed with a legit proposal on the huge Jeff Arms space, movement appears for Chemical Building
- SLU Law School and expanded Webster Campus downtown
- Arch Grounds rehab and an expanded Western Expansion museum, Blues museum with residential and hotel rooms on top
- LHM/Union station next phase coming up on top of Peabody coming back a few years ago.
- Steady increase in residential population and continued rehabs
- Looking like a legit MLS proposal coming together for downtown
- Finally discussion on CVC ballroom expansion and upgrades, Scottrade upgrades.

All these things are great. But look at our peer cities. Development like this is happening everywhere, and frankly, I feel like it is happened in spite of slay, not because of him.