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Staff Writer WEST SPRINGFIELD After 40 years of providing quality dining and a family friendly atmosphere for the West Springfield community, the Ivanhoe Restaurant on Elm Street has closed it doors for the final time. According to Steve Abdow, president of the Abdow Corporation, whose family has owned and operated the Ivanhoe Restaurant, many factors contributed to the closing of their business, the largest factor being the loss of valuable parking spaces they leased from Raymour & Flanigan Furniture next door. "We have leased the parking lot from Raymour & Flanigan and they said that they were going to use their part of the [parking] lot to develop," Abdow said in an interview with Reminder Publications. "It's their right to develop [the land] and we don't begrudge them. We understand." When asked about the plans for the parking lot, Vicki D'Agostino, director of communications for Raymour & Flanigan Furniture released this statement to Reminder Publications: "Currently we have no redevelopment plans for our existing location at Elm Street. Construction has begun for our new location on Riverdale Street with the store opening anticipated for this winter. As a family owned business established in 1947, we empathize with the Abdow's difficult decision to close their restaurant." According to information released by the Abdow Corporation, since the opening of the Ivanhoe Restaurant there have been 113 parking spaces available to their business. The parking spaces leased from Raymour & Flanigan include 62 of the 113 spaces that the Ivanhoe Restaurant provides for their customers. "We lost half of our spaces and we felt that it was impossible to run our restaurant," Abdow said. "We would have to change our business model and become a small, more exclusive restaurant, with higher prices and that is not what our customers expect." Abdow went on to state that the current business model has been fine, casual dining, that is affordable for families, senior citizens and business people. "We've had a value element because we serve so many people," Abdow said. "We believe in a good value for your dollar. Part of being able to do that is volume [of customers]." According to Abdow, the Ivanhoe served an average of 1,500 people per week, with 400 people arriving for their Sunday brunch. Their menu included an All-American cuisine with dishes such as prime rib, seafood and salad bar. At the height of the business, Abdow stated that there were 23 Abdow Big Boy restaurant locations, which were sold in 1995 to Bickford's for various reasons. "A lot of it had to do with the market change and the dynamic of the restaurant business changed," Abdow said of the sale to Bickford's in 1995. "But Ivanhoe has been open for 40 years and that means that we've beaten the odds." The closing of the Ivanhoe Restaurant came as quite a shock to Sherry French, general manager for the Ivanhoe Restaurant. "I am very sad because this is not something that I ever saw coming," French said. "You always think that this is something that is going to happen to another person." French also stated that she has been working at the Ivanhoe Restaurant for 27 years. She started waiting tables while she was in school and was just recently promoted to general manager last year. "I called the staff to let them know and we're going to have a gathering to explain everything," French said. "The main issue is the parking. The parking lot isn't that big to begin with and we have large groups so we can't afford to even have only a couple of spaces taken away." French said that she understands why the restaurant is closing and is going to take a little time before plunging back into the work force. "I understand why they are just telling us," French explained. "To tell employees it creates such a panic and chaos that I understand why they didn't want to put it out there until it becomes real. I know that they tried their hardest to keep us open." For all involved it seems that they have come to terms with the closing of the Ivanhoe Restaurant. "I am accepting the situation," Abdow said. "I am coming to terms with it. I feel mostly disappointed for my staff and customers because it is such a big let down for them." | ||||||
