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International Restuarant


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...I wouldn't hold my breath NOT expecting a Coasters, a TGIFridays, and probably, before you know it, a Radisson at Kings Island. To borrow a line from Woofer, and adapt it slightly: There just is nothing that makes any of those restaurants or hotels special or different from another one.

While I somewhat understand the familiar comfort of a known restaurant franchise, CF's use of the Radisson franchise has always baffled me...

The reason you franchise a hotel brand is for the marketing support and reservations system. CF is enough of a hotelier in their own right (especially since they've made the lodging side of the business it's own business unit with its own VP), that they shouldn't need the operating systems a franchise provides. Why pay 7-9% of gross revenue off the top to another hotel company? Does adding the Radisson name in front of the Knott's Berry Farm Resort really add any value? In that case it seems to me that the Knott's brand is the one really carrying the weight...

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And how do you know it was Paramount that changed the name? I think it was just called the carousel room because when we were in there thats all we could think to call it since theres no markings giving different names to the rooms. That one just had the carousel horses in it, so we nicknamed it the carousel room. I dont think theres a paramount exec somewhere taking a leak on a plaque that says "taft suite". Like JZ said, I kid you, because I like you.

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We used to take long family vacations to PKI (and back when it was KI) and the highlight (for me) was always a nice lunch in the IR. After standing in the sun all day and running around, it was great just to sit down in a/c and have a nice meal where we didn't have to wait in a buffet line, it wasn't loud and the view was phenomenal. I've always wanted them to reopen it.

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It's been rumored that this space may become a TGI Friday's for 2007. Yes, it would take a lot of renovation, including possibly a passenger elevator. The restaurant does have one elevator, but it is really for service/staff purposes, so they would have to put one in that can be accessed by the public, unless they were escorted/assisted by an employee to that service elevator.

But overall the one reason to renovate - the elegant passe decor. Guests want a place that looks somewhat "in" and looks reasonably priced - and I think Friday's would fit that need.

Id rather have Lone Star, Olive Garden, or Smokie Bones

Cedar Fair doesn't have a track record owning those franchises...they do at owning/operating Friday's franchises.

I'm a big fan of Famous Daves at the Cedar Point marina!

Well I wasnt talking about them owning anything. As for that they dont own Subway .... but they have one right by Racer! However they can franchise it like they did subway. The food at T.G.I. Fridays is the same you can get at the park plus its been known as a "swingers place" not the type of thing they dont want around familys agreed?

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The last thing that I have heard is that they are currently working on reopening the IR.....not as a Friday's (although that was talked about heavily a few years ago), but as another resturant that has already been named on here.

I have been up there several times and it is still the same as when it used to be open. Only now it was being used for private parties. It was used in 2005 during the July 4th to view the special fire work display. Like in past posts, it would have to meet the disability requirements with a public elevator. There has been discussion about a TGIF going into it but what about Montgomery Inn? It is a very popular local favorite and they have a very good selection, especially their world famous ribs. Unlike Wings in River Town, it would be a sit down and patrons would be served.

MIke

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Well I wasnt talking about them owning anything. As for that they dont own Subway .... but they have one right by Racer! However they can franchise it like they did subway. The food at T.G.I. Fridays is the same you can get at the park plus its been known as a "swingers place" not the type of thing they dont want around familys agreed?

LOL, Friday's has not been a "Swingers" type place since the 70's.

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If they were to add a Montgomery Inn (and not some 'famous' place), perhaps it would actually serve Montgomery Inn ribs (as Cedar Point once did) and Kings Island never has. Oh, I know they have served something with the Montgomery Inn sauce on it at Wings and called them Montgomery Inn ribs, but they were as much like Montgomery Inn ribs as a microwave cheeseburger at a ballpark is like fine gourmet cuisine.

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^

^

Agreed with that. The only time Wings has ever had good or atleast halfway decent food was during FearFest this year with the buffet they had set up.

I can go to Krogers buy the Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce, put it on my dogs food, and it is about the same as the ribs they serve at Wings. That resturant is in great need of an overhaul.

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If they were to add a Montgomery Inn (and not some 'famous' place), perhaps it would actually serve Montgomery Inn ribs (as Cedar Point once did) and Kings Island never has. Oh, I know they have served something with the Montgomery Inn sauce on it at Wings and called them Montgomery Inn ribs, but they were as much like Montgomery Inn ribs as a microwave cheeseburger at a ballpark is like fine gourmet cuisine.

Not Often you are wrong Interp. When the restaurant was Columbia Palace and switched to serving Montgomery Inn, it was most certainly Montgomery Inn Ribs. I remember a time when Mr. Gregory came up to check the location out.

Now the rib sandwiches that were served at rib pit only had Montgomery Inn sauce on them.

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The thing that is saddest about Wings, is that it always seems that not a lot of people eat there. For having ample indoor seating, it always seemed empty on busy summer days. I also believe that the Buffet style they had in there at FearFest this past year is a step in the right direction to reviving a good indoor eating area. But it still needs some work. With some tweaking, that restaurant could be a prime hopping spot and bring in a lot of money for the park.

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I always think that if there's an attraction at KI or another amusement park that I wouldn't partake in if it wasn't in an amusement park, then I definitely am not going to with it being in an amusement park at inflated amusement park prices.

Almost any restaurant thats been around as long as Wings has been remodeled.

I think a place like Wings being empty on busy days goes to show that even I'll-pay-$3.50-for-an-ice cream-cone-just-because-I'm-at-Kings Island people have their limits.

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I also believe that the Buffet style they had in there at FearFest this past year is a step in the right direction to reviving a good indoor eating area. But it still needs some work. With some tweaking, that restaurant could be a prime hopping spot.

I agree that the Wings Buffet needs a little tweaking as I felt that the selections where limited for the price and when we went a lot of the food items where a little dried out for my liking. But I did enjoy being able to build my own salad with my choice of toppings.

On that day Ryan was very pleased with the breadsticks dipped in the Mac & Cheese so much so that he wanted to make that combination the official PKIC food choice.

IPB Image

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Wings needs more than a new menu, it needs to be gutted, rethemed, new store front, and tie it in to the area better.

I think it would be more profitable to just keep it closed than to open it because I have never seen a crowd in there. Mainly because it is crap all around.

Hopefully Cedar Fair will focus on this for next year.

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Let's hope Wings Buffet IS going to be a regular food option.

I'm hoping it wasn't just a special for Fear Fest because the sit down buffet option offered something different that the park needed.

I agree it was a bit overpriced but you have to consider the local market - you can go to Happy Days and pay what $10 for a Hamburger, Fries, and Coke, or $13 for Wings Buffet and get all that and more.

If they keep Wings as a buffet AND reopen the IR as a full service restaurant, that would be a big upgrade in park dining.

Also the Wings Buffet conversion was a quick change over, if they plan on keeping the format, maybe they will tear out the current cafeteria lines and set up an organized buffet line with more vareity, with real china, silverware and glassware.

Can you say Midway Market, anybody?

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