Name of business: Salt & Pepper Taqueria

Type of business: Mexican restaurant

Location: 2901 N. Tegner Rd. in Turlock

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Contact information: 209-427-2946

Specialty: Quesa-Birria

History of business:

When Salt & Pepper Taqueria owner Judyth Avila signed the lease for her catering companys first brick-and-mortar location in Turlock last fall, she had no idea she would be opening a restaurant in the middle of a global pandemic.

Still, despite countless hurdles along the way, the restaurant was finally able to open its doors on November 11 and has been a hit with the community in the weeks since.

I know its one more Mexican restaurant here, but I think were a little different, Avila said.

The food at Salt & Pepper, like the restaurants name, is simple, with no additives and natural ingredients. Since the restaurant opened last month, social media and Facebook pages like Turlock To Go have been flooded with mouthwatering photos of the Salt & Pepper menu, which includes tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tortas and salads made with a variety of freshly-cooked meats.

The Quesa-Birria is a crowd favorite, offering the melted, gooey flavor of a quesadilla along with the savory meat stew known as birria. Other menu items can be ordered with birria as well, and Salt & Pepper also offers keto tacos with a cheesy shell for those who are counting their carbs.

Before the pandemic began, Avila was working on opening the new Turlock location and also opened a second restaurant in Patterson in February. They were meant to be an extension of the catering company she has operated for the last eight years, but now supplement the income she has lost as events are cancelled due to COVID-19.

After signing the lease for the Turlock location in November 2019, there was more construction to be done on the kitchen which continued during the pandemic. Avila said she may have cancelled the project had it not been for the building owner granting her free rent during the brunt of the first shutdown.

Now that Salt & Pepper is open in Turlock, the restaurant was able to offer a few weeks of in-person dining before the latest stay-at-home order forced them to offer takeout, curbside pickup and delivery only.

Despite the setbacks, Avila encourages others hoping to open their own restaurant to do so even though it may seem scary during these ever-changing times.

Just work every day and do your best, even if you dont know whats going to happen, Avila said. Its different times now, but Im really enjoying doing this. I don't see it as a job or money, because of course I need money, but I love the people and the people seem to like what I do.

Visit link:
New Turlock restaurant thriving in face of pandemic - The Turlock Journal

ST. PETERSBURG Marlin Kaplan can picture it now.

Were standing in the middle of the first garden room, he says, gesturing to a large patch of grass.

Right here, on an empty plot of dirt, will be the main dining room a covered area tucked beneath a pergola-like structure, surrounded by lush plants and landscaping.

Over there, a smaller space abutting a parking lot, will be a circular patio, flanked by a towering live oak tree and decorated with bright lights the kind that imbue a holiday-any-time-of-year feel.

In the middle of it all will be a large fountain and a walkway. And all the way in the back, a secluded dining area shrouded by curtains will offer an intimate setting for private gatherings.

Sure, there are some things happening inside, too. But thats not the point. Kaplan is determined to open what he believes will be the restaurant of the future, where outdoor seating rather than indoor dining will be the highlight.

But right now its just a patch of grass.

Two Graces, which will open early next year, is poised to be one of 2021s most interesting and ambitious restaurant debuts. The space, next to Freefall Theatre in St. Petersburg, takes over the former Reading Room building at 6001 Central Ave., which closed in 2019.

Kevin Lane, Lauren Macellaro, Jessika Palombo and Kevin Damphouse together ran the restaurant, which opened in early 2017 and attracted widespread acclaim. It earned Macellaro, the executive chef, a semifinalist nod for the James Beard Foundations Best Chef: South award. The Reading Rooms closure was a loss for both the neighborhood and the Tampa Bay areas culinary community.

Earlier this year, Lane (a co-founder of Freefall Theatre) approached Kaplan, who together with partner Lisa Masterson runs the fine dining restaurant Grace in Pass-a-Grille as well as the gourmet goods-to-go shop Gracie Pasta & Provisions. Kaplan had dined at the Reading Room, and saw potential for a new restaurant in the space. But it was the yawning lot of grass a roughly 1,500-square-foot space abutting the theaters main building and parking lot that really piqued his interest.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Kaplan says hes noticed a big uptick in diners interested in eating outside, likely in response to reports from health experts, who have repeatedly stressed the inherent risks of indoor dining.

Tampa Bays approach to outdoor dining during the pandemic hasnt mirrored that of other cities. While other places have embraced the parklet boom erecting standalone dining partitions outside of restaurants and in parking spaces restaurants here have been more hesitant to the trend. At Grace, Kaplan has been able to take over a few parking spots and expand the outdoor space, but says its nowhere near the kind of business he can do inside. And while other parts of the country have banned indoor dining again amid a national spike in coronavirus cases, that hasnt happened in Florida at least not yet.

Still, Kaplan isnt holding his breath. Even though Gov. Ron DeSantis has repeatedly said otherwise, he doesnt trust that another restaurant shutdown isnt looming. After all, who knows what next year and a new presidential administration will bring?

I really feel like this is the future of dining with COVID, Kaplan said. The restaurant of the future is outdoors.

Since the Reading Rooms shutter, the Central Avenue space has remained vacant. In recent months, Kaplan employed local gardener Maggie Jensen to tend to the property and now the lush garden, once the highlight of Reading Rooms dining program, is once again thriving.

But the main attraction at Two Graces will be the entirely al fresco dining experience that can seat 100 people. The so-called garden rooms are essentially patio spaces divided with landscaping. The main covered space will seat roughly 48 people, and several smaller uncovered patio areas will dot the rest of the property.

Outdoor dining is less attractive during Tampa Bays sweltering summer months, but Kaplan says there are contingency plans for Floridas often unpredictable weather patterns: misters for the hot, balmy days and heat lamps for the odd evening where the temperature dips below 60 degrees.

Inside the restaurant, the space will seat an additional 50 people. Leather banquettes line the dining area, which faces a long bar with room for an additional 12 seats. Chairs are upholstered in bright-colored velvet and a colorful mural from New York illustrator Alli Arnold decorates a wall near the kitchen where a petite chefs counter provides a few extra spots for those looking to get a glimpse of the action.

Though specials will incorporate some of what the outdoor garden has to offer, unlike the restaurants predecessor, that wont be a focal point at Two Graces. Instead, Kaplan said, the menu will feature a New American spread that will be familiar to longtime regulars at his Pass-a-Grille restaurant. Starters include a crispy Brussels sprouts dish with citrus aioli ($16), a baked burrata served with pomegranate seeds and baguette ($22), and mussels with white wine and grilled ciabatta ($15).

The restaurant inherited a large wood-burning oven, from which the likes of wood-fired pizzas will emerge. Some of the larger entrees include dishes like a roasted baby pumpkin filled with pumpkin risotto and topped with a Parmesan tuile ($26); a filet mignon with an herbed breadcrumb crust, artichoke, bacon and potato torte and demi-glace (market price); and pan-roasted sea scallops served with a crispy polenta cake, micro greens salad and a roasted beet sauce ($32).

Handmade pastas from Gracie Pasta & Provisions will be featured, including the Gracie Tagliatelle ($28) with short rib ragu and shaved truffles, and a linguine dish ($22) featuring a mushroom medley, goat cheese and herb butter. For dessert, there will be a blueberry lemon and lavender panna cotta ($8); honey almond cheesecake with amarena cherries ($8); and a triple chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream ($8).

Masterson is curating a wine list heavy on organic and biodynamic wines, and the cocktail menu will look to local flora and fauna for inspiration, with drinks named after local flowers.

Though a decent amount of construction and landscaping for the outdoor space remains to be done, Kaplan hopes to be open sometime in early January. He wont open without the outdoor space finished, he says.

After all, its kind of the whole point.

Link:
Could St. Petersburgs Two Graces be the restaurant of the future? - Tampa Bay Times

December 7, 2020 Restaurant/Bar News

Back in September, in the previous millennium, the folks behind Mitchel London Foods had secured their liquor license for a new restaurant in the Baked space at 279 Church, and had started construction on a full service restaurant.

They were cooking along when a fire started in the fourth-floor apartment on Feb. 15, doing minimal damage there but dousing the restaurant space and also damaging Lyons Den yoga studio (which is still operating online till studios can open, FYI). That set the schedule back, and then ran them right into covid.

Enter the pivot. What would have been (and will be eventually) a breakfast-till-late night establishment will now be an elevated grab-and-go, something closer to what the company a catering operation founded by Ed Kochs former chef at Gracie Mansion does already with their Dinner at Home program. They are also kind of famous for their crullers.

The new place is as of now unnamed, but should be open in about three weeks. The likely hours will be 8 to 8, and they are counting on locals to keep things going over the next months, fully aware that things are pretty quiet downtown. Once the world starts spinning again, they will revert to the original plan.

Pivoting is still a little bit dangerous without people going in to work in the morning, said Thomas Mikolasko, who will run the restaurant. But I liked this location to begin with and over the past five months, I really fell in love with it. I hope there are enough folks around to make it a go we dont need thousands, but we will need more than 20 people coming in each day.

More TK when they are up and running.

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Coming Soon: Dinners to go in the old Baked space - Tribeca Citizen

CLEVELAND, Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Historic preservation real estate firm GBX Group LLC, in partnership with Ethos Capital Partners, LLC, project partners, and city officials, today announced the reimagined 2125 Superior Avenue, now known as 2125 Superior Living. This modernized residential and retail property, in the heart of Downtown Cleveland's burgeoning Superior Arts District, is GBX's latest investment in the adaptive reuse of historically significant buildings across the country.

GBX has long envisioned a revitalized Superior corridor having acquired over 20 parcels in the past several years.

Erected in 1914 and originally home to The Prince-Wolf Co. garment factory, the newly rehabilitated 2125 Superior Avenue now consists of a 57-unit, 40,000 square foot mixed-use residential and hospitality site. The design preserves the building's historic significance while featuring a blend of modern amenities. It includes an interior open-air courtyard and dog park for tenants. Street-level will be the home to Green Goat, a bar and caf by local restauranteur Bobby George that will be a gathering place forneighborhood residents, nearby workers, and visitors to the district. The new apartments will begin welcoming residents in early December with the Green Goat slated to open early in 2021.

For Bobby George, Cleveland area restauranteur and lead developer and majority owner of this project, investment in the Superior Arts District is personal.

"I live directly across the street and am putting my money where my mouth is on the belief that the Superior corridor is well on its way to becoming a highly desired destination for businesses, visitors, and residents," said George. "In addition to chic urban living, our project at 2125 Superior Avenue is going to be a foodie's delight with an amazing menu of nutritious and delicious local fare at Green Goat."

Project Continues GBX Group's Investment in Superior Arts District

Cleveland-based GBX has deployed federal, state, and local tax incentives to preserve, redevelop, and manage historic real estate projects in 20 states across the country. It often takes a mixture of historic preservation easements, historic tax credits, and other government programs to make it financially viable to preserve these iconic buildings in the face of less costly new construction.

"Across America, urban neighborhoods like the Superior Arts District that house historic buildings are experiencing a Renaissance. Largely abandoned at the onset of suburbanization a generation ago, these old economic hubs are once again in high demand as young professionals flock downtown for jobs, short commutes, and social allure," said Drew Sparacia, CEO of GBX. "By utilizing federal, state, and local historic preservation programs to save and rehabilitate historic buildings, we can drive needed and significant investment into the urban core while maintaining the fabric of these neighborhoods in lieu of destroying and building new. These projects are a catalyst for economic growth through construction jobs and increased permanent payrolls, and they generate millions in new tax revenues at the local, state, and federal levels."

A case in point is a recent economic impact study conducted on the Empire Improvement Building, GBX's headquarters, located at 2101 Superior Avenue, adjacent to the adaptive reuse project at 2125 Superior Avenue. The study by Rutgers Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy found that the preservation of the building, both during construction as well as its operations in 2019, returned a combined $7.3 million in added tax revenues. Just as important, the investments made through federal and state tax incentives will be returned to government agencies in just over five years.

Antonin Robert, GBX's President of Community Development and chairman of the Superior Arts Improvement District commented; "We are excited about this project as the latest positive development in the rebirth of the historic Superior Arts District. GBX has long envisioned a revitalized Superior corridor having acquired over 20 parcels in the past several years. The combination of an established Asian community, the proximity of Cleveland State, Playhouse Square, and the ease of accessibility from the innerbelt, makes this area attractive for historic preservation that also attracts new development."

The opening of 2125 Superior Avenue is not the end but just the latest development for the neighborhood. It follows Cleveland City Council's recent support for financial incentives that would propel Brecksville-based CrossCountry Mortgage to create a new headquarters for more than 700 workers by redeveloping a six-acre block between East 21st and East 22nd.

The historic preservation consultant was Peter Ketter. Construction is being completed by PCS & Build, LLC. Construction financing was facilitated by TriState Capital Bank.

For a before and after video visit: https://www.gbxgroup.com/adaptive-reuse-of-historic-garment-factory-adds-modern-residential-units-and-new-restaurant-to-cleveland-s-superior-arts-district/

About GBX Group LLCGBX Group specializes in preserving and operating historic real estate in urban markets. GBX partners with property owners, developers, and local preservation organizations to acquire, redevelop, and preserve historic real estate, generating community revitalization and economic growth. Since its founding in 2001, GBX has completed over 125 projects in 20 states. For more about GBX, visit gbxgroup.com/.

About the Superior Arts DistrictLocated on Superior Avenue between East 19th and East 25th streets, the Superior Arts District was once home to the second-largest garment district outside of New York City. Cleveland's garment district originated in the Flats and Warehouse areas of Cleveland in the mid-1800s, but manufacturing shifted to the Superior Avenue corridor at the turn of the 20th century as demand and improved working conditions prompted the need for larger, safer, and more modern buildings.

The historic buildings lining Superior Avenue have found new life as part of adaptive reuse projects. For residential needs, the structures are a perfect fit for the modern loft-style apartments and live-work spaces. For commercial use, the buildings are ideal for artist studios, warehouses and smaller distribution centers that are gaining in popularity as retailers look to cut the distance to get products to their customers.

CONTACT: Philip Winton, VP of Strategic Messaging, (216) 912-9705, pwinton@gbxgroup.com

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Adaptive Reuse of Historic Garment Factory Adds Modern Residential Units and New Restaurant to Cleveland's Superior Arts District - News-Herald.com

Outdoor seating areas on Shattuck Ave just north of University Avenue in downtown Berkeley. Starting on Dec. 7 through at least Jan. 4, all outdoor dining will be banned. Photo: Pete Rosos

The city of Berkeley and five Bay Area counties announced a new shelter-in-place order on Friday that would impose new restrictions on businesses and restaurants, including shutting down outdoor dining through at least Jan. 4. Local health officials made the decision to not wait until available ICU beds dropped below 15% in the region. The order will take effect at 12:01 a.m., Monday, Dec. 7.

Diners, restaurant employees, and owners weighed in during the last days of outdoor dining in Berkeley about the impact of the order on their lives.

On Thursday, a crew of construction workers gathered during their lunch break at the wooden tables and benches outside Taco and Co. in Southside Berkeleys Durant Square, a narrow courtyard shared by seven other restaurants.

This is where weve been coming every day, said Jonathan Manzano, a worker with B12 Drywall who has been working on a student housing project in the neighborhood for weeks.

Where are we supposed to eat? Manzano asked. The companys employees are staying at a hotel while they work on the project, so they dont have the opportunity to make their own meals. Nearby Durant Square has been a convenient lunch spot for months.

The December outdoor dining ban is just the latest in a long list of alternating directives that restaurants have received since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outdoor dining shut down in March, re-opened in June and shut down again in July before it was reinstateda few days later. Indoor dining got the green light in Octoberbut was shut down again in November due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. One more shutdown? Restaurant employees said they could handle whatever restrictions the city throws at them.

Its the same as always. If its going to happen, its going to happen. What can I do about it? said Robert Lopez while flipping burgers at Bongo Burger on Center Street in downtown Berkeley. Lopezs hours have been cut he now only works three or four days a week and its been hard for him to support his family. Were short on money all the time. We can handle a few days, even a few months, but after four more months, thats going to be it, Lopez said between calling out orders.

Its beyond that. Weve already been affected enough. Its not going to be worse than its been, said Eric Kaedi, an employee at Daryoush, a Persian restaurant, also on Center Street. On Thursday, the tables inside Daryoush were all set with silverware, napkins and glasses, but the restaurant was empty.

People are still scared. 95% of our orders are to-go, Kaedi said. Whether there is indoor or outdoor dining doesnt matter as much because we still have our to-go orders.

Still, outdoor dining can help draw people in. Tucked away in a courtyard off of Euclid Avenue in Northside, La Vals Pizza and La Burrita usually serve students at UC Berkeley during a typical year. Their shared patio has been a boon during this difficult time.

As long as the students arent here, business is going to be slow, said Juan Guevera, who has worked at La Burrita for two years. But when outdoor seating opened up, we saw some families coming with their kids from the neighborhood getting pizzas. Its not enough, but its helped us to survive this period and pay our staff, said Izat Eliyan, who owns La Vals.

Halting outdoor dining takes away an important draw for restaurants struggling to scrape by with only a fraction of Cal students living on campus this year. The latest order raises ongoing questions for business owners and diners about the trade-offs between the economic pains of closing businesses and the risk of spreading COVID-19.

I understand that stopping outdoor dining would reduce the spread of COVID-19. At the same time, a lot of the staff work paycheck to paycheck and they need money to support their families and to pay rent, said Eliyan, who has had to cut half of his employees since the start of the pandemic, including some student employees who left voluntarily.

Outside in the courtyard on Saturday, diners wearing coats and scarves debated the trade-offs of the latest order. Im worried about the economic impact of closing outdoor dining, said Tate Swindell, holding a slice of pizza from La Vals.

You cant do anything about the economic impact. Follow the science, man, replied Robert Kaufman, seated diagonally across from Swindell. When people start throwing themselves off of buildings and theres anarchy in the streets because of economic impact, then well start talking about reopening businesses.

Then theres the question of whether the outdoor dining ban will change peoples behavior at all. People are still going to get food to-go and sit outside somewhere else, Swindell said.

On Thursday afternoon, a pair of friends ate lunch from Bongo Burger seated in the back of a pick-up truck parked on Center Street. There may not be a table you can sit at, but you can still get food and sit on the curb or sit on a pick-up truck for that matter, said Brandon Imbes-Auf-Ingabritzen.

For now, people in the restaurant business are making it work, stay-at-home order or not. Gueveras hours at La Burrita have been cut by a fourth since March, but he is earning enough to get by in the meantime, grateful that his boss prioritized fellow employees who had families. He knows that wont last forever, though. If it does pass that year mark in March, money is going to start running out. Ill probably try to find another job, Guevera said.

Eliyans playing the long game, too. He is hoping for government aid to push his business through to the summer. Honestly, we are accumulating debt right now with rent that is not fully paid. Were hoping there will be some kind of a stimulus package that can help us pay our rent and pay our staff, Eliyan said. I dont think anything will change until the summer. That is our goal to survive until summer of 2021.

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Berkeley diners and restaurants weigh in on the latest outdoor dining ban - Berkeleyside

Its never too early to look ahead at whats on tap for next year and 2021 is already shaping up as a good year for roller coaster enthusiasts, thrill ride junkies and theme park fans.

Consider our top 21 for 2021 to be an evolving and ever-changing list of the best new rides and attractions coming to theme parks in the United States in the coming year.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many U.S. theme parks to postpone 2020 rides and attractions until 2021. Nearly half the entries on this list are holdovers that were supposed to debut this year. Nevertheless, they will still be new rides by the time we get to ride them in 2021.

Early announcements suggest 2021 will once again be a good year for theme park enthusiasts. Many parks have already begun construction on 2021 projects while some holdovers from a spoiled 2020 are already done. Other parks have only announced plans or launched teaser campaigns.

Well update our top 21 list as new rides and attractions are unveiled and more details become available.

The highly-anticipated super hero land is currently under construction at Disney California Adventure next to the existing Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout drop tower ride, which would be thematically tied to the other Marvel attractions.

Disney cant call it Marvel land, for complicated legal reasons, but everybody else will. The official name: Avengers Campus.

Officially the new land will include a Spider-Man attraction, Dr. Strange mystic arts encounter, Ant-Man and Wasp restaurant and Marvel character meet-and-greets.

The Spider-Man attraction will be a web-slinging dark ride. The Dr. Strange encounter is expected to be a special effects stage show. Youll be able to get a beer and a bite in the Ant-Man restaurant.

Disneyland had just announced a July 18,2020 opening date for Avengers Campus when the park closed because of the pandemic.

Work is finished on the new Secret Life of Pets dark ride at Universal Studios Hollywood on the former site of the Globe Theater.

The new ride has been squeezed into the London-themed Baker Street area between the Walking Dead walk-through attraction and the Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem simulator ride.

The original 2016 Secret Life of Pets film and the 2019 sequel examine the lives pets lead when their owners are away from home.

Universals Pets ride was days from opening when the pandemic struck.

Busch Gardens Tampas Gwazi dual wooden coaster will be reborn as the worlds steepest, tallest and fastest hybrid coaster. The new ride will be rechristened Iron Gwazi.

Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction handled the renovation of Gwazi, which has been standing-but-not-operating since 2015. The Utah-based ride maker has been responsible for a number of recent conversions of existing wooden coasters into wood-steel hybrid beasts that have thrilled ride enthusiasts.

Iron Gwazi was among several Busch Gardens and SeaWorld rides planned for 2020 that were put on hold until 2021 by parent-company SeaWorld Entertainment.

The title of most highly anticipated truly new coaster of 2021 belongs to the VelociCoaster at Universals Islands of Adventure in Florida.

The new Jurassic World coaster by Switzerland-based ride maker Intamin is themed to the prehistoric Velociraptor predators from the film franchise.

The dual-launch coaster takes riders over a 155-foot-tall top hat element, into a zero G stall over a lagoon and through a jungle and raptor paddocks along 4,700 feet of track. Riders reach a top speed of 70 mph and experience 12 seconds of off-your-seat airtime.

The Jersey Devil single-rail coaster coming to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey will be the worlds tallest, fastest and longest ride of its kind.

The 130-foot-tall coaster will reach a top speed of 58 mph over a 3,000-foot-long track through the woods. The coaster trains will travel through a raven dive,180-degree stall and zero-gravity roll.

Passengers will sit in an inline-style train with their legs straddling a monorail I-beam track.

Rocky Mountain Construction has built similar Raptor single-rail coasters at Six Flags Fiesta Texas (Wonder Woman Golden Lasso) and Californias Great America (Railblazer).

Six Flags pressed pause on several 2020 rides, deciding to wait until 2021 when crowds return.

Silverwood in Athol, Idaho, will be getting its own version of a Rocky Mountain Construction single-rail coaster that is not quite as tall, fast or long as the world record-setting Jersey Devil coming to Six Flags Great Adventure.

Silverwoods Stunt Pilot biplane-themed coaster will recall the air shows that were hosted by the Idaho theme park in the 1980s and 90s.

The 113-foot-tall coaster will reach a top speed of 52 mph over a 1,800-foot-long track. The RMC Raptor inline-style coaster trains will travel through three inversions including a dive loop and corkscrew.

The Pantheon coaster coming to Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia will feature track segments themed to five Roman gods: Pluto, Mercury, Neptune, Jupiter and Minerva.

Billed as the fastest multi-launch coaster in North America, Pantheon will include forward and backward launches that propel riders to a top speed of 72 mph over a 3,300-foot-long track.

The 178-foot-tall Blitz coaster from Switzerland-based Intamin will send riders down a beyond-vertical 95-degree drop and through two inversions.

The Arctic-themed Ice Breaker quadruple launch coaster coming to SeaWorld Orlando will send riders up and over icy summits on a wintery journey in sunkissed Florida.

The Maryland-based Premier Rides Sky Rocket coaster begins with backward and forward airtime-filled launches that shoot the train up a 93-foot-tall beyond-vertical 100-degree spike track.

After descending the Scorpion Tail spike, riders will reach a top speed of 52 mph as they fly over an 80-foot-tall near-vertical top hat element, race through high-speed twists and hop over camelback hills.

Six Flags Over Texas will get the first Mack Power Splash launched shuttle coaster in North America in 2021.

Aquaman Power Wave will travel backward and forward twice on a U-shaped track before a dramatic splashdown finale that will generate a tremendous wave of water.

The 20-seat boat will rocket backward up a 148-foot-tall track spike before racing forward across an undulating track skimming over a pool of water to another towering spike. Riders will then hurtle backward again above the lake and up the first 90-degree spike again. After a brief hang time, the boat will splash down into the lake at 63 mph unleashing a powerful wave.

The first Mack Power Splash debuted in 2016 at Walibi Belgium, a former Six Flags park.

SeaWorld San Diego will add its tallest roller coaster in 2021 as the marine park continues to shift its focus from animal attractions to thrill rides.

The 153-foot-tall Emperor floorless dive coaster will be the longest, tallest and fastest ride of its kind in California.

Built by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, Mako will have a 143-foot-tall vertical first drop, a top speed of 60 mph and nearly 2,500 feet of track. The ride will feature a barrel roll and a sweeping Immelmann loop named after a German pilot who used the distinctive flying maneuver in World War II.

Epcot will get a new Ratatouille dark ride as part of the France pavilion expansion at Disneys Florida theme park.

Remys Ratatouille Adventure at Epcot will be a copy of the $150 million Remys Totally Zany Adventure attraction at the Disneyland Paris resort.

The attraction features trackless ride vehicles with 3-D projections and special effects.

Shrunk to the size of a rat, visitors navigate around giant food props and towering kitchen utensils as they explore Paris from the point of view of the 2007 films rodent protagonist. In a number of scenes, riders see 3-D images projected on giant domed screens.

The new Legoland New York theme park will open in 2021 in the small town of Goshen, about 60 miles northwest of New York City.

Geared for kids 12 and under, Legoland New York hopes to draw visitors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The park will be open seasonally from early spring through late fall.

Billed as the worlds largest Legoland theme park, the 500-acre New York location will feature more than 50 rides, shows and attractions in eight themed lands including Pirates Shores, Lego Ninjago World and Heartlake City. The centerpiece will be Miniland with iconic real-world buildings and places made with Lego bricks.

Legoland New York will be home to the first Great Lego Adventure attraction that will let riders experience what it feels like to become a Lego minifigure from the manufacturing process to the box to the hands of a kid.

Other major attractions will include a Ninjago dark ride, Dragon kiddie coaster, Lego Driving School, Fire Academy, Rogue Wave Riders, Splash Battle, Merlins Flying Machines and DJ Dizzys Disco Spin.

The new park, like several Legoland attractions around the world, was pushed back to 2021 after being set to debut in 2020.

The new Lego Movie World themed land coming to Legoland California will drop visitors into the quirky, frenetic and manic world of Emmet Brickowski, Wyldstyle, Unikitty and Benny the spaceman from the Lego Movie film franchise.

Lego Movie World will open in 2021 at the Carlsbad kiddie park with a Masters of Flight flying theater, Unikittys Disco Drop kiddie drop tower, carousel, play area and meet-and-greet location themed to the movie town of Bricksburg.

The new Lego Movie World will be the largest addition in Legoland Californias history. A similar Lego Movie World opened in 2019 at Legoland Florida.

Epcot will launch a new version of the long-running Illuminations show in 2021 that updates the nighttime spectacular created as part of the Walt Disney World millennium celebration.

The new Harmonious show will celebrate how Disney music inspires people around the globe. The fireworks and laser show will feature massive floating set pieces, LED panels and choreographed fountain displays.

Billed as the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park, Harmonious will take over the World Showcase Lagoon following a limited run of Epcot Forever.

Disney had planned to unveil the new nighttime spectacular in 2020 as part of Epcots 50th anniversary celebration.

Snake River Expedition is Cedar Points attempt to create its own version of Disneylands Jungle Cruise at the Ohio theme park.

Passengers aboard the riverboat ride will join Trapper Dan and his band of bandits on a risky smuggling mission to trade some goods and sundries. The boats sail along a winding, murky river where riders encounter bad guys out to steal their cargo.

Actors aboard the boat will conduct a hastily-planned takeover like a train robbery on a river.

Snake River Expedition had been planned for 2020, but was postponed until 2021.

Knotts Berry Farm will bring back the Bear-y Tales dark ride in a tribute to the original one-of-a-kind attraction with the catchy theme song that could only be found at the Buena Park theme park.

The Knotts Bear-y Tales: Return to the Fair 4-D interactive dark ride will replace the Voyage to the Iron Reef 4-D interactive dark ride that debuted at the park in 2015. Both rides were designed by Montreal-based ride maker Triotech.

Bear-y Tales riders will once again follow Boysen Bear and Girlsen Bear as they travel to the Country Fair in hopes of winning a blue ribbon for their boysenberry pie. Crafty Coyote and his mischievous pups will be back with their eyes on the pies and thievery on their minds. New digitally rendered scenes will recreate the Boysenberry Pie Factory, Frog Forest, Fortune Teller Camp, Thunder Cave and Weird Woods from the original attraction.

This time around, riders will be armed with jelly blasters they will train on the thieving coyotes who have stolen boysenberry pies from the factory.

The completed Knotts ride was planned for 2020 and will debut when the park fully reopens.

The Dragon Slayer fourth-dimension roller coaster coming to Iowas Adventureland will feature seats that spin forward and backward as the train navigates a zigzagging track with undulating straightaways and free-fall drops.

The 4D Free Spin coaster by Utah-based S&S Worldwide will feature a track that snakes back and forth like a demonic pachinko game. Aided by magnetic kickers along the track, the Dragon Slayer trains will spin freely based on gravity and the weight distribution of the cars.

The new Dragon Slayer ride replaces the parks double-looping 1990 Dragon coaster.

The most talked -about new coaster of 2021 is coming to the new Funplex Myrtle Beach oceanfront amusement park in South Carolina.

The otherwise-ordinary Fun in the Sun family coaster stands out thanks to one unique twist: The so-called 360 Car that spins like a human hamster wheel.

New Jersey-based Rides 4-U debuted the Big Air coaster from SBF Visa Group at the 2019 IAAPA Expo.

ThrillGeek summarized the sentiment on the IAAPA show floor: This new coaster from SBF Visa is nuts!

A Schwarzkopf looping coaster with a long history of traveling the German fair circuit before operating in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Mexico is now heading to the historic 1926 Indiana Beach amusement park.

The as-yet-unnamed triple loop coaster stands 111 feet tall and reaches a top speed of 53 mph as it travels over a 3,400-foot-long track. The classic coaster should attract a steady cavalcade of ride enthusiasts to Indiana Beach who love classic Schwarzkopf loopers and intense G-forces. The ride hits an astonishing 4.7 Gs, according to Screamscape.

Two riders were killed on the coaster in 2019 when the last car derailed at the La Feria Chapultepec amusement park in Mexico. The accident was blamed on poor maintenance by the park.

The Sidewinder Safari roller coaster will navigate hairpin turns, steep drops and helixes along a 1,400-foot-long track.

The new family coaster coming to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will be combined with an animal exhibit. Riders will enter through a jungle-themed queue displaying snakes, lizards and other reptiles.

The Zamperla Twister coaster will have a traditional Wild Mouse-style track layout with spinning cars.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will add a kiddie drop tower that offers panoramic views of the Pacific shoreline.

The Lighthouse Liftoff ride lets seated riders pull themselves to the top of a slowly spinning tower. Riders control the speed of the ascent by pulling on a rope. Let go of the rope and you slowly sink back to the ground.

The new ride technically debuted in 2020 when the Beach Boardwalk briefly opened for two days in November before a spike in COVID-19 cases in Santa Cruz County forced the oceanfront amusement park to close again. But Lighthouse Liftoff will be new to 99.9% of visitors when Beach Boardwalk reopens in 2021.

Legoland California has several of the kid-powered drop towers.

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Top 21 for 2021: Best new attractions coming to U.S. theme parks - OCRegister

Author Beth Cunningham - December 7, 2020December 7, 2020Two Birmingham favorites in one place. Rendering via CMH Architects

If youve driven through Homewood lately, youve probably noticed an abundance of orange cones and construction going on. Dont worrythe traffic is a fair trade for all the exciting developments coming to 18th St. S. Heres the latest on whats coming (and when its going to get here).

Back in September, we shared the latest renderings of The Valley Hotel, the newest (and biggest) addition to Homewood.

The 129-room luxury hotel is a Curio by Hilton, and its currently under construction at the corner of 18th Street South and 28th Avenue South, right next toMaple Street Biscuit Co.

The Valley Hotel is officially set to open its doors in Januarybut well be bringing you a sneak peek before then. Be sure to stay tuned to Bham Now on social so you dont miss it!

Who doesnt love the fresh + vibrant flavors of this local favorite? Little Donkey isnt new to Homewood, but based on my personal experience of dining at their original location recently, filling even more space with customers will be a breeze.

Back in April, we shared that Little Donkey and Rodney Scotts BBQ had plans to open new locations in Homewood. That project is officially moving forward following a resurveying request granted by the Homewood Planning Commission on December 1, according to the Homewood Star.

With almost 17,000 square feet of total restaurant space in this new development, Little Donkey will only fill half. The other tenant will be award-winning Rodney Scotts BBQ.

Pssst: if you want to learn more about this local BBQ hotspot, check out the Emmy-nominated series Chefs Table: BBQ on Netflix. Theres a whole episode featuring Chef and Pitmaster Rodney Scott.

This combined restaurant space will be located right next to The Valley Hotel, both of which are set to open in 2021.

Related

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Downtown Homewood continues to expandhere's the latest - Bham Now

The 19th Street construction started in 2018 and after a long two years, managers of the project are happy to see the end-product.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. After a long two years of construction along 19th Street in Virginia Beach, business owners along the roadway are happy to have open space again to welcome in customers.

The project's goal was to bring new life to the Virginia Beach street where local businesses thrive off of tourism and foot traffic. The city's Senior Planner and Urban Designer, Emily Archer, said they had a distinct image for what they wanted and are in love with the finished product.

19th Street was a four-lane street with small sidewalks, said Archer.

"It really needed to be friendly to pedestrians and aesthetically pleasing for the millions of tourists we get every year," she said.

Archer said it's not just what you see on the surface. A lot of work went underground in ensuring no future problems are to occur.

"It was really fun to layer in those artistic elements as we were developing the project, so we are really happy with how it turned out," said Archer.

For the past two years, business owners along the roadway have expressed their frustration over the construction confusion. While they understood it was a process that takes time for a better outcome, they had to deal with customers not being able to find routes to their businesses.

Now that the construction is complete, owners like Morgan Phipps from Beach Bully Barbecue, said it's a big relief.

"We're just happy there are no more road closures," said Phipps. "People can come all the way from the Oceanfront to the Convention Center. We would get calls probably two or three times a day at least with, 'how do we get to your parking lot? The road's blocked off!'"

Phipps said even heading into the winter months and the coronavirus pandemic, she is hopeful more foot traffic will be coming through her restaurant's door.

"It's a prettier place to walk through and now that we have all the murals done on the buildings as well, we're getting a lot of foot traffic of people just checking out the individual murals without having to route themselves around the construction," explained Phipps.

Archer said this is just one of many steps the city plans to take in fully revitalizing the area. She says they have plans to work on both the 17th and 18th streets as well.

For a closer look at the changes on 19th Street, click here.

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Virginia Beach business owners thrilled to see long-time construction project finished - 13newsnow.com WVEC

The TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database shows that hotel giant IHG will add 94,226 rooms to its global portfolio in the years ahead, with a strong focus on the APAC region.

IHG will open 430 new hotels with 94,226 rooms in the coming years. We take a closer look at this companys impressive pipeline.

In the last few weeks of 2020, IHG will launch 50 hotels with 8,989 rooms. 36 of these properties are already in the pre-opening phase.

In 2021, things will be busy once again 153 launches are planned, encompassing 32,563 keys in total. The pace will slow down slightly in 2022, however, with 96 properties and 20,805 rooms slated to open. For 2023 and beyond, another 131 projects with 31,869 keys are already in the pipeline.

Of these 430 new hotels, 280 will be in the four-star segment. The remaining 150 will fall into the five-star luxury category.

The APAC region will see the most growth by far; here, 225 hotels with 52,604 rooms will open in the near future. By way of comparison, North America is a long way back in second, with 81 planned launches and 11,996 rooms.

Europe takes third place with 71 openings and 13,173 keys, while the Middle East will see 38 hotels and 13,712 rooms go live. The fact that the Middle East has a similar room count to Europe but far fewer properties overall shows that hotels in the former will on average be much larger than the latter.

IHG also plans to grow its presence in South America and Africa by nine and six hotels respectively.

Unsurprisingly, the worlds largest country China takes the lead here with 124 new hotels and 29,120 rooms on the cards. The US comes a distant second with 71 planned launches and 10,605 keys, whereas Australia will get 20 new IHG properties with a total of 4,153 rooms.

The group also plans to significantly grow its presence in India (19 extra hotels and 2,450 rooms) and Saudi Arabia (14 planned openings and 7,953 keys).

Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts will expand its portfolio faster than any other IHG brand it has 86 projects and 22,590 rooms in the pipeline. Hotel Indigo follows with 69 new hotels and 11,362 keys.

Luxury flag InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, meanwhile, will grow its global presence by 61 properties and 14,745 rooms. Last but not least, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts will get 53 new hotels with 14,733 keys, and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will add 31 properties and 5,831 keys to its offering.

Wherever you look, IHG seems to be opening impressive properties right now. Lets dip into the database to pick out a few that you wont want to miss.

Crowne Plaza Kota Kinabalu Waterfront will be part of a mixed-use development at a prime waterfront location in downtown Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia when it opens in Q3 2021. The 367-room hotel will deliver eight versatile meeting spaces, including a large ballroom holding up to 600 people, while the rooftop bar and restaurant will be the first offering of its kind in Kota Kinabalu. Overlooking a waterfront promenade, they promise to provide unparalleled sunset views. An outdoor pool, spa and fully equipped 24-hour fitness centre will also ensure guests stay energised and at the top of their game throughout their stay.

Over in Laos, the 400-room InterContinental Vientiane will be part of the new World Trade Centre Complex due to be completed in late 2021. Strategically located a short drive away from Wattay International Airport and adjacent to Lan Cang Avenue, Vietnam Street and French Street, InterContinental Vientiane will be close to the prime ministers office, international embassies and major convention centres. Guests will also be able to easily access landmark tourist attractions such as the Lao National Museum and the Morning Market.

Elsewhere, the stunning Yarra Valley in Australia will be home to the fancy Voco Yarra Valley from early 2023. This 216-room hotel will boast distinctive features like an onsite gin distillery, lavender farm, mirrored maze, amphitheatre cut from natural ground and provedore serving and selling local produce. Itll also feature large conference and meeting facilities, a gym, bars, a family restaurant and kids entertainment facilities making it perfect for weekday MICE travellers, weekend leisure guests and families.

And finally, a 1950s state-run guesthouse in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan is being transformed into the 349-key HUALUXE Wuhan Wuchang. With a variety of meeting facilities, a large ballroom, a signature Chinese restaurant and tea houses, the hotel appears well-suited to meeting the citys growing need for corporate and leisure accommodation. After a complete renovation and modernisation, the property will launch in Q4 2021.

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Group overview: IHG to grow by 95000 rooms worldwide [Construction Report] - TOPHOTELNEWS

Posted on December 4, 2020By EditorNeighborhood News, San Jose, San Marco, St. Nicholas

East San Marco, located at the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and Hendricks Avenue, is scheduled to break ground in January 2021.

The East San Marco Shopping Center will break ground in January 2021, and Publix is slated to be the anchor store, a representative from Regency Centers told a group of San Marco Merchants at their meeting Nov. 11.

During a hybrid Zoom and in-person meeting of the San Marco Merchants Association (SMMA) at Southside Baptist Church, the East San Marco project was one of several updates given on several San Marco construction projects, including Park Place at San Marco, and the San Marco One building in San Marco Square.

Speaking before the group were Patrick McKinley, vice president and market officer for Regency Centers, Park Place developer Bill Ware of Harbert Realty, and Paul Thomas, vice president of asset management of Sleiman Enterprises, which owns the historic San Marco One building.

Dustin Kaloostian of Beachside Buggies also spoke before the group. He talked of his companys progress in providing free transportation to San Marco and Southbank riders after it was forced to shut down completely due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

But most of the crowd was especially interested in learning about the status of East San Marco, and when the long-promised grocer, Publix, might be coming to the neighborhood.

We finally do have some light at the end of the tunnel, said McKinley. I know everyone has been hearing that for a long time. Many construction projects have been hampered by COVID-19 and East San Marco was one. Delays caused by the virus have delayed the permitting process pushing back the groundbreaking ceremony until January 2021, he said.

Regency has already submitted their site work permits to the city and they are ready to be picked up, McKinley said. He added that architectural plans also have been submitted, and he estimated they would be approved by the end of the year. Contractors are currently submitting bids and a general contractor will most likely be selected in December, he said.

In mid-November, Publix signed a lease with Regency and the new supermarket will anchor the small, long-anticipated shopping center that will be located at the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and Hendricks Avenue.

What is planned for the site is a courtyard-shaped shopping center with a 39,000-square-foot Publix on the second floor of a 50-foot-tall building located at the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and Mango Place. Underneath the store will be parking and a small Publix liquor store, McKinley said.

The Publix will not be a baby-sized grocery store like the 28,000 square-foot grocery in Riverside, but rather a custom-sized store that will be larger than Riversides grocery but smaller than the typical 54,000-square-foot Publix at University Boulevard. This is a unique urban site, and Publix is open to creating a custom store, he said. Its not going to feel small like the Riverside store. This one is going to have everything you are going to want. You wont feel under-merchandised, he told the crowd. It will serve the community well.

The 2.35-acre site will include a courtyard design with 62,000-square feet of retail outlets including two restaurants, bordering Atlantic Boulevard and Hendricks avenue. After three or four months of site work, vertical construction can begin, McKinley said, noting that Regency hopes to deliver Publix so the grocer can start fitting out the interior in the Summer of 2022. He also estimated that the centers retailers would open a few months later in late 2022 or early 2023. The challenges of COVID-19 and its impact on the restaurant industry have presented a challenge for Regency when it comes to signing on tenants for the centers restaurants, he said. Trying to get a marquee restaurant for that one space (on the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and Hendricks Avenue) has gotten a bit more challenging, he admitted.

Other than some minor details, the centers design plans have not really changed from what was presented to the community at its October 2019 town meeting, he said.

McKinley also noted that Regency is coordinating as much as it can with the developers of Park Place at San Marco, which is scheduled to be built on land that was formerly the campus of South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church. Although the two projects will be built simultaneously, he said there should be no real concern about traffic tie-ups while East San Marco is under construction.

We will have the staging of most of our work done on site, he said, noting that some site work regarding drainage was done in May, when one lane of Atlantic Boulevard was closed for four or five days. We choose to do it then because traffic was way down. They city wanted us to do it at that time instead of in the middle of 2021 when traffic might be back to normal.

Park Place at San Marco

Also speaking in the meeting was Ware, who joins Andy Allen and George Leone of Corner Lot Development Group in overseeing the development of Park Place at San Marco.

The new development, which will be built on land adjacent to Matthews Restaurant and behind South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church, will consist of a 133-unit, four-story, 49.5-foot tall residential complex and a two-story parking garage.

The development was slightly delayed due to a contentious lawsuit led by a San Marco neighborhood group, Right Size San Marco, which objected to the way the property was rezoned to allow a nearly 50-foot tall building to be built in the San Marco Overlay, which mandates buildings not be taller than 35 feet. The city and developers were able to move ahead when Right Size San Marco lost an appeal before the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH), and dropped a second appeal before it could be heard before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Ware said his development team includes EnVision+Engineering, led by Doug Skiles of San Marco, and Group 4 Design. Live Oak Contracting, a Jacksonville-based firm, will be the contractor.

Its been a long time coming. Im excited about it, said Ware, noting that the project has been a team effort from Day 1.

Ware said his team plans to break ground in the second quarter of 2021. We have our civil plans approved by the city and available for permit, he said, adding that the projects architectural plans are being wrapped up and should be completed by the end of November to be submitted to the city in early December.

Ware said he was working closely with McKinley so the two projects can dovetail nicely. We want our effort to complement one another on Alford Place so that the main corridor we are creating can be pedestrian friendly. I really believe it is going to add a huge positive dynamic to San Marco. We are attempting to make San Marco more pedestrian friendly, and I do believe once these two projects are up and operational, with all the infrastructure, sidewalks, road improvements, lights and so forth, that we will have the highest walkability factor in Jacksonville, he said.

San Marco One

Thomas also brought the SMMA group up to date on the renovations being made to San Marco One, a historic commercial building in the heart of San Marco Square. The exterior has been painted and preserved in such a way to keep it watertight, he said. William Jaycox, a San Marco architect, has helped Sleiman Enterprises preserve its historic nature. Jaycox has also suggested interior marketing layouts that will make the 8,000-square-foot interior space attractive to as many as three tenants. Thomas also said that he expects different tenants to lease space on the upper and lower floors.

Weve completed the exterior painting and added some wings to bring back the original architecture, Thomas said. It gives it more of a Mediterranean feel, and weve replaced two of the three roofs.

Thomas said he is not ready to make an announcement about what tenants might eventually fill the newly renovated space, however he said his team will be marketing to restaurants, although they might not fill the entire space as they did before. He expects tenants to move into the building at the beginning of 2022.

One leasing challenge facing Sleiman Enterprises is the necessity of opening up the first floor so tenants will feel they are visible from the street, Thomas said. To accomplish that goal, the company is proposing to remove some crepe myrtles along the front and incorporate a landscape island just west of the main entrance to the building. Thomas claimed the proposal, which will be considered by both SMMA and the San Marco Preservation Society, will enhance walkability in front of the building and assist making signage more visible for the first-floor tenant.

We would take up the maintenance of landscaping and pay for all the improvements, he said. We feel this will open up the building and allow people to walk by a little bit better. We are hoping everyone is open to the idea, and we welcome further discussion about it.

Beachside Buggies

The Beachside Buggies transport service that offers free rides throughout San Marco and the Southbank has resumed after a few months hiatus due to COVID-19. The service is now running for limited hours on weekends only, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday but plans to add service on Thursdays at the end of the November, said Kaloostian.

Understanding that people might be leery of riding in the small vans due to the pandemic, the company has made several safety modifications to its vehicles including offering hand sanitizer, and masks and separating riders so that fewer people are transported at the same time.

Our goal is still the same. We want to change the way people get around San Marco, Kaloostian said. We want to change the way people think about traveling the half mile from their condo our hotel. We want residents who may have done it one way for so many years to entertain a new possibility.

By Marcia HodgsonResident Community News

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Publix is finally coming to East San Marco - The Resident Community News