Noodles & Co. wants to build restaurant at site of former Sze-Chuan West
Plans have been submitted to the city of Ann Arbor to build a Noodles & Company restaurant on West Stadium Boulevard on the site of the former Sze-Chuan West restaurant.
The owner of the property, Gallup Properties, submitted a request in September to the city for a land division, which would divide a car wash at 2151 W. Stadium and the former restaurant at 2161 W. Stadium into two separate parcels.
A site plan has been submitted to the city of Ann Arbor to demolish the former Sze-Chuan West restaurant and build a Noodles & Company restaurant.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Rigg
If all goes as planned, that new tenant could be Noodles & Company, Gallup told AnnArbor.com today.
Although no deal has been finalized for the property yet, a contractor submitted plans to the city to build the new restaurant.
The plan calls to demolish the 4,253-square-foot Sze-Chuan West building, and build a 3,294-square-foot Noodles & Company restaurant.
The proposal includes a new building and outdoor patio, landscape improvements, reconfigured parking, a bicycle rack and a dumpster area.
Gallup said he’s sorting out the final details on the plan before the deal can be finalized.
“If everything goes well, we’d like to get this going next spring,” he said.
The Sze-Chuan West restaurant, a fixture on West Stadium for years, closed in February.
There are two other Noodles & Company locations in Ann Arbor. One location is on South State Street near the University of Michigan campus, and the other is on Washtenaw Avenue in Arborland.
The company has more than 260 restaurants, according to its website.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
Jerome Blue
Fri, Nov 18, 2011 : 3:19 p.m.
Noodles is pretty good, but I'd much rather see an independent.
Doug
Mon, Nov 14, 2011 : 4:09 a.m.
I'm not big on chains but am OK with N&C. I think it offers pretty good food, and a pretty good variety, for the prices. Certainly better than having a McDonald's or something like that go in.
Arboriginal
Wed, Nov 9, 2011 : 1:05 a.m.
Ahoy matey! Hoist up the mainsail! All aboard the S.S. Waterfall! We're sailing off to the island of yesteryear!
jns131
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 9:04 p.m.
Sorry but for the price and convenience? I can boil my own noodles and make my own sauce for the price they charge. Sorry, we don't another limp noodle restaurant. I just can't see how a place like this can make a go of it.
craigjjs
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 12:50 p.m.
Jimmy Johns - Stop discriminating against the West Side.
Barb
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 3:17 p.m.
Yeah, let's get 6 more of them in town.
Dr. I. Emsayin
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 12:12 p.m.
Someone should tell the Noodles and Co. people that even thought high school kids used to be able to go out for lunch, they are not allowed to leave at all from Skyline and once a month they let a few out of Pioneer, so Noodles will not be getting the big high school crowd they might be hoping for.
Ron Granger
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 1:34 a.m.
Another chain. Yawn. Gag. Plenty of family run local restaurants still going in Ann Arbor.
Robert D. Mosley
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 1:23 a.m.
I think it's just good to have business in that empty building! We can get picky later, but for now it is fine.
A2comments
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 11:47 a.m.
Building is being demolished...
Wolf's Bane
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 12:06 a.m.
Better than an empty lot?! I think so, butterscotch!
jcj
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 11:41 p.m.
Hop[e it moves faster than Tin Hortons and the subway!
just a voice
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 11:19 p.m.
I live in that end of town and would happily welcome a healthy fast food choice. The only other thing decent in fast food in that area is Subway (I prefer Noodle and Co's salads and would get over subway if those are the options). I find the options in the area very slim; high price; the Quarter and Zingerman's Roadhouse (both good but pricey) Medium; Pillars Low; Hello Faz Pizza I went to Bells the other day and have been very disappointed by anything other than breakfast there. There was a mexican place by hungry howies that had good food but awful service, sad when they closed.
Anonymous
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 11:15 p.m.
I'm thinking Arby's!
bedrog
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 10:22 p.m.
As chain "fast casual" restaurants go this seems to be a good one, based on the several I've been to......certainly beats McDonalds and ilk for quality .
a2idealist
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 9:19 p.m.
I would be very glad to have a business move in to that location. I am not a huge supporter of chain businesses in general, but Noodles and Co. is one that I like. The food is decent and affordable, offers healthy and vegetarians options and they participate in fundraising events for local non-profits. Sounds a lot better than a vacant building to me.
Barb
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 9:23 p.m.
I agree that it's much better than a vacant building.
dading dont delete me bro
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.
a ramen noodle company... noodles & company is good, BUT expen$ive for noodles... being expen$ive, they will fit right in.
pegret
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:35 p.m.
And neither does Noodles & Co.
pegret
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:34 p.m.
I agree. I love pasta, and work right near a Noodles & Co, but never go. I think they're really lame and blah, and overpriced for mediocre pasta. An inexpensive italian restaurant with beer & wine, pizza, and checkered tableclecloths...kind of like the ones in Chicago. Even though Cottage Inn is right down the street, and their pizza is good, the place has no character.
LarryJ
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:29 p.m.
I always felt like the Asian equivalent of Fred Flintstone in the cave-like atmosphere. I lament the passing of a locally owned restaurant, and a good one at that, for a national noodle chain. Ugh!
James
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:42 p.m.
Too funny.
Marilyn Wilkie
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:27 p.m.
Ho hummmm......(yawn). Why couldn't it be one of those cool mom and pop places like on Diners & Drive-ins?? Someplace unique with really good food at a reasonable price where people line up at the door to get into??
jgold47
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 9:51 p.m.
because those places cant get loans. and like 50% of them fail within a year.
Constance Colthorp Amrine
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:27 p.m.
Maybe this is lame, but if we are opening chains I wish someone would open a Cosi...only this time with parking. We loved that place -- fresh and healthy. I would do it but I don't have the million dollar initial investment.
Lisa
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:24 p.m.
National chain restaurants still hire local people. Empty buildings are never good. We can't be picky anymore.
Holy Cow
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:23 p.m.
I, for one think that Noodles & Company is a great restaurant. The food is very good and the prices are reasonable. When you think about what type of restaurants usually open it is either a mom and pop coney island (don't need another one of those) or an upscale restaurant that most people cannot afford. I think it is a great choice.
Hmm
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 12:50 p.m.
Bill Knapps used to have the BEST biscuits.
johnnya2
Tue, Nov 8, 2011 : 1:41 a.m.
Because they build restaurant acoustics for EVERYBODY, just not for you. I would guess you are older. Bill Knapp's built quiet little restaurants for old people. We saw what happened to them.
Themadcatter
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:46 p.m.
I, too, like Noodles. But let's hope when this one is built they redesign the interior. The acoustics in both the other two are dreadful. I avoid going during peak hours unless I can eat outside. The State St. store is the worst offender and I will never go there again. A friend and I stopped in there for dinner and we could not hold a conversation as the noise level of deafening - and it wasn't even THat busy! This is just one of several offensive eating establishments around. I just don't get WHY the companies build noise into the environment - unless it's to move customers out quickly because they can't stand staying. It's too bad because they are also losing customers.
Go Blue
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:18 p.m.
Jim Kale, where are you? Bring back the Kales Waterfall restaurant!
SpaceGirl
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:15 p.m.
I kind of liked the weird cave atmosphere in there. I guess it could stand to be renovated though, or demolished. Not a noodles and company though! Good lord. sigh.
ArgoC
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:11 p.m.
Too bad. That restaurant's crazy interior was on my "funky Ann Arbor" tour route for out of town visitors.
81wolverine
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:06 p.m.
No loss here in demolishing the old building. Hopefully the new restaurant will have windows.
Barb
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 8:44 p.m.
Sze Chuan had a couple windows.
seldon
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 7:31 p.m.
Aw, come on. A mediocre national chain restaurant? Great.
Barb
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 6:53 p.m.
*sigh* Why do we need more than one of these kinds of places? And this is from someone who *likes* Noodles & Co. and lives on the West side.
Angry Moderate
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 7:38 p.m.
They wouldn't do it if they didn't think there was demand. I'm sure they'd sell you the building if you have a more profitable idea for it.