Whispers

Clean-up in Aisle 3
Could Hy-Vee be planning additional stores in Columbia? And could those additional stores be positioned near existing Wal-Mart Supercenters? Rock Bridge Shopping Center? Payback for opening a Supercenter across the street from Hy-Vee’s East Broadway location? Hmmm … The rumors may be unconfirmed, but they’ve been floating around town like a plastic grocery sack on a blustery afternoon.

Meanwhile, other sources have been whispering about another grocery chain locking in a location in North Columbia on 763. While I can’t disclose the name just yet, I can tell you that “Murphy’s Law of Grocery Stores” may still apply—a 50/50 chance of snagging a cart with wobbly wheels.

The Reel Deal
A recent trip through Columbia’s Bass Pro Shop left me believing that talk of “less than desirable” store traffic is true. Inside the cavernous outfitter, one could find everything for the great outdoors—including peace and quiet. Something tells me Bass Pro’s HQ in Springfield is rethinking its hunt for business in mid-Mo.

More Fore! Less
With Old Hawthorne being the new game in town, the Country Club of Missouri may be offering deep discounts to hold on to its duffers. Figures being discussed at the 19th hole include CCMO memberships priced as low as $5,000, well below the $10,000+ the club has charged in the past. Wonder if I’ll see the same thing at Perche Creek.

Targeting More Space
Changes at the Columbia Mall may include an expansion by anchor store Target. Seems sales are, well, on target (sorry). Even so, new elbow room won’t include Garfield’s digs. While whispers hinted that the recent smoking ordinance could have snuffed out biz at the eatery, Garfield’s is cookin’ right along. That means the two may remain happy neighbors for a long time to come.

Whispers Returns…
It’s great to be part of the team bringing “Whispers” back to the Columbia Business Times. As I thank you for reading it, I also feel compelled to define its existence: just a quirky little piece that allows me to share openly what is being discussed at diners in The District, watering holes on The Loop and benches along the MKT Trail. My hope is that “Whispers” is a colorful column that always reports rumors with 100 percent accuracy. (I know, oxy-moronic, isn’t it?)

Your comments, questions and Whispers are always welcome. Send them off to [email protected], in care of “Whispers.” My ears are always open!

One confirmed item… (what fun is that?)

French food? Fiddlesticks
The former Cherry Hill Brasserie, which closed earlier this summer, will soon become a family-oriented American grill. Previous owners Michael and Vidia Bakert opened the Brasserie in January 2006. The Gibson Girls Café, with owner Rachel Gibson, purchased the restaurant and plans to open Fiddlesticks in mid-August. (Sounds appetizing to me. Besides, I always thought a “brasserie” was a French undergarment.)