New tables in town

Hello againAs you may have noticed, a few things have changed on this page. First, while it may not yet have sunk in, Toni Scott said farewell in her column last week. I know I’m not alone when I say I’m sorry to see her go, but naturally I wish her all the best and hope she’ll continue to keep us up to date on local happenings! Her absence creates a biweekly hole here that now will be filled with The Goods, all the business news that’s fit to print. So, while I still will check out local growers and makers as I did in Homegrown, I now will cast a wider net when it comes to what I write about. So, if you’ve got local business news, please send it my way (<script type="text/javascript">document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,97,32,104,114,101,102,61,34,109,97,105,108,116,111,58,109,101,114,101,100,105,116,104,99,64,110,101,119,115,114,101,118,105,101,119,46,99,111,109,34,62,109,101,114,101,100,105,116,104,99,64,110,101,119,115,114,101,118,105,101,119,46,99,111,109,60,47,97,62));</script>).

Out on the town I’d heard that Quackers had opened a pool room earlier this year and was excited to check it out. Thankfully, my co-workers and I had decided to challenge each other to a Bar Olympics (check out “Battle of the bar games,” page 16), and I took that opportunity to add Quackers to the schedule.

When we first walked in to what used to be the Crystal Room, I was blown away. Five pool tables—two 8-footers, two 9-footers and the L-shaped table that used to be at The Beach (and, before that, the University Bar). The felt is all new and is a cool gray color. And the coin-op mechanisms allow for players to pay by the game or by the hour. I’d never seen that before—pretty cool.

We had a lot of fun while we were there. The room was large and comfortable, with its own bar and a pretty impressive chandelier on the ceiling. Next time, I’ll go for more than an hour so I can sample the menu. Ever since Robert Mowry (who owns Panama Bar & Cafe, University Bar and The Beach) bought the place about a year ago, several changes have taken place. First, they changed the name to Quackers Bar & Grill and started serving food. In addition, Edwards—the swankier, more intimate bar just inside the main entrance—closed. According to a Quackers employee, Edwards is slated to become a card room sometime later this year. Stay tuned.

Shame on them When I heard recently that Chico’s Hometown Buffet closed, I said a silent “Oh, well.” Obviously the chain restaurant did decent business, but it was far from my cup of tea. But then I heard that the company had given its employees no notice whatsoever. That’s lame. For many corporations—like Hometown Buffet, apparently—employees are just numbers; they’re not individuals with families to support and rent to pay. I wish all those who lost their jobs the best of luck.