And the record for slowest lunch ever goes to...

Smithers, which is located in downtown Dover. Although this entry is not exactly fair because I have not discussed restaurant service in Dover other to provide a general overview of a few places that are worth going to, I can state without hyperbole or exaggeration that Smithers on State Street (downtown Dover) broke the world record for slowest lunch ever. Total time from entry to exit? Almost 2.5 hours. And this doesn't count the drive over there. This also breaks Smithers' previous slow record of 90+ minutes, which was set in a different lunch a couple months ago.

I'm not joking, and perhaps I am unlucky in lunch. The previous record for slowest Dover lunch was clocked at 2.15 hours at the Loockerman Exchange, which has since gone out of business. Maybe it's just that part of town that is slow. I've been to other places around there though (Lobby House, 33 West, Irish Mikes, the pizza place across from Loockerman, TGI Fridays, to name a few in that area), and while all of these places are slow sometimes, they are never that slow.

In this particular experience, it took almost an hour to get our first drink, and while my description may imply that the place was hopping, it was not: I saw maybe five or six groups there, mine included. As I mentioned, the food is decent, the wings are great, and you can get a lunch under $10, but who can afford to take more than an hour for lunch? Even La Tolteca and the Olive Garden can get a group of six or seven in and out in less than an hour, so I'm not sure how these local chains can't figure out the concept. Or maybe that's why I only saw five groups there, who knows.

The food Smithers serves is good, don't get me wrong. The outside deck is a good time otherwise also, and I've been to their happy hours several times and they are fun. But for lunch, I highly doubt I will go there again. You don't have to take my word on it, though - check it out yourself. Just be sure to block off a two hour schedule in your day in case your service is as slow as mine was.

In the meantime, I'm going to stick to places on 13 for a while and see if that keeps my lunch hour to a more reasonable length. I think I've been to just about all of them now, but am always open for suggestions as to more.

Tags: smithers restaurant dover

Loockerman exchange closes

I heard on the radio this morning that the "world famous" Loockerman Exchange (also self-referred to as "the Lex") has closed its doors. Having visited this establishment a couple of times, I find this as no surprise. Rather than kick a man while he is down, however, I will point out what likely businesses would succeed in that prime piece of commercial real estate.

A few thoughts. First, there needs to be some sort of take out lunch place, like a Panera bread. I think even a local chain like Purebread Deli would do well. Or a Starbucks. In either case, part of that property would need to have that aspect to it in order to make money off the Dover lunch crowd.

I'll even tell you the key to success for any of these restaurants: Lunch under 60 minutes. Too many restaurants in Dover (the late Loockerman included) take far too long to serve your food. Most jobs don't appreciate taking lunch breaks that last longer than an hour (which includes driving). I thought that was a given, but there seems to be a shortage of restaurants in Dover that understand that concept. The non-exhaustive list, from my experience, includes: Lobby House, The Lex, 33 West, Smithers, and TGI Fridays, to name a few downtown. 33 West is the fastest of all of them by about 15 minutes (on a good day).

The second type of business that would succeed in the other half of this space would be a English pub, similar to Catherine Rooneys in Trolley Square or Kid Schellens. I also think an Iron Hill would do well down in Dover. My point is that these bars, unlike Lobby House or Smithers or Buffalo Wild Wings, could target a different crowd and capture an untapped market. Or they could segment the market. Either way, it's all about brand identity, of which the "world famous" Lex did not have.

While the article above cites to construction as costing them revenue, I find this excuse to be more of a red herring. The reason why that business failed is largely due to its business strategy (or lack thereof) and failure to understand the Dover market. I don't purport to say that I am an expert on these issues, but I do know that no business is going to work in that location unless it has multiple draws to get people to come back downtown at night. Parking is a whole other issue.

Perhaps if this new business worked with area businesses such as the Schwartz Center or Dover Downs, it could more effectively reach a more diverse market willing to part with both their time and hard earned money. I, for one, can't wait to see what business will try and succeed there next.