The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it!
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon!
Today’s question:
QUESTION: There are so many great businesses across the country that are missing from Claycord. If you had to pick, what two businesses would you choose to open in central Contra Costa County?
Talk about it….
Texas Longhorn Steakhouse (or has one finally arrived?)
Publix (between a Safeway and a Sprouts)
None! I wouldn’t wish California on any business. Open elsewhere in a free state and enjoy what real America is like.
Olive Garden.
Yes, Olive Garden!
Olive Garden
(not really, it’s just a Claycord thing)
.
..a Tilted Kilt or Twin Peaks.
.
Definitely a French Laundry.
Weed store
I am not sure about a business that is missing but I really, really want a Cracker Barrell restaurant. And a Arby’s would be nice.
Bass Pro Shops
Yes!!!
A good yarn store. The closest one is in Lafayette, if they are still there. Not sure if they closed, I have ordered it over the internet, but I want to touch the yarn. Looking for a linen yarn.
Linen Yarn!?,…I have never used it, but it sounds wonderful.
While our Daughter & Son-in-Law were stationed in Cordova Alaska, I totally enjoyed visiting The Net Loft,… https://thenetloftak.com/ . The Owner splits her time living in Santa Cruz, CA in Winter, then Cordova, AK in Summer.
Will have to check to see if the yarn shop is still in Lafayette.
Thanks for the tip on it,… 🙂
a large private prison, located in downtown concord, full of felons.
Really? are you going to go visit the prisoners? I am sure they would love to have you for a visitor hahahaha
Isn’t that city hall?
Texas Road House closer than 45 miles away. A really good Mexican restaurant. So many are not all that great anymore.
How about a Los Panchos?
Like the one in Danville, a sit down, dine in restaurant with their wonderful food !
White Castle would be great!!!
A parts store that sells parts for older American made classic cars and trucks. They should have a repair and body shop specializing in old cars too. I’d also like to see a couple of wrecking yards specializing in American classic cars, especially GM, Ford, and Mopar.
Wow – this is an absolutely inspired suggestion given the number of vintage and custom car aficionados in Claycord and regionally. Let’s find a way to make it happen…
+1,….I like that Idea!
Well, these guys can do your mechanical work, probably a good source for parts, but I don’t believe the do body work or paint. Everytime I drive past they have gorgeous cars on the lot!
https://tinyurl.com/7b6dfszk
…several good suggestions I saw… really good Mexican restaurant, Olive Garden, really good fish restaurant (Scott’s in WC closed), or Bass Pro Shop / Cabela’s
This area needs a really good hof brau that can serve up a French Dip sandwich like nobody’s business. For instance, Sam’s Hof Brau, Downtown Oakland, was the best. The Green Parrot at Sun Valley Mall was also good. Terrific roast beef with absolutely the best au jus. The closest I’ve found is Barney’s, which is pretty good but their au jus just isn’t quite right. Also missing is a really good seafood restaurant. The last time I had a terrific lobster dinner was over three years ago in Fort Bragg.
A hof brau sounds good, I used to enjoy going to Tommy’s Joint in the City. A good seafood restaurant is something that’s really missing in our area, I would absolutely love a good abalone dinner.
Cyn,
Sam’s was by the coliseum. If you are thinking about the old Hof Brau on W Grand and Broadway it was just called the Hof Brau with no other name. But they did have great food and 50 cent drinks, or 75 cents for a double. Went there lots of times with co-workers when I worked for BASS on 22nd
And you are correct about seafood. Good seafood in suburbia died the day the Lafayette Seafood Grotto (not Cape Cod) closed.
@Dawg
Haven’t ever been to Tommy’s Joynt. Years ago I work in the Financial District and never heard of it. Now I’ve heard of it and choose not to go to the City.
@Well Folks
I ate at both hof brau’s; and you are correct about no name at the one on Broadway….just the great big Hof Brau sign. However, I do believe they were both Sam’s.
Ja! My father showed me Tommy’s Joint back when, and then I took my son. Used to be hofbraus scattered about, there used to be a huge one in San Leandro.. I forget the name. Times have changed. Now it’s taquerias and Thai.
Cafe Rio
TARGET!!
Texas Roadhouse
Mini Golf
Mini Golf – great idea. I like it. Perhaps raise the senior complex on Clayton Road east of Bailey and put in a mini-golf for families and kids…! Just a thought…
White Castle, and Cracker Barrell….and of course I’d LOVE to have an Applebees open up again nearby!! Hate going to Antioch or Pinole!!!
Yes! I miss White Castle.
Some nice specialty boutiques and galleries. Places where people can get unique one of a kind goods
Also a really good craft store that sells really crafting supplies for leather, suede, ceramics etc. Not made in China decor crap like Hobby Lobby.
Also nice restaurants that are not “chain: restaurants. Good locally owned restaurants would be a fabulous addition
+1
Two things?
At the top of a long list Claycord needs:
*An IMAX Movie Theater (tear down KMart & put it there).
*A Back Forty BBQ restaurant (Pleasant Hill is just a bit too far to go & both will stay busy & profitable).
Good bbq is worth a little drive.. I like Boneheads in Lafayette. The drive from Concord is worth it.
Back 40 does in a pinch. Unfortunately they are rather inconsistent with ther product ..
I think There is an IMAX at the veranda center.
Now I’m hungry….
Del Taco. Don’t want to have to drive all the way to Pittsburg for my fish taco fix.
Also someone from Southern CA recommended a chain called Farmer Boys – supposed to have good breakfast burritos and hamburgers. Closest one to Claycord in in Lodi. Anyone tried it?
Well a chip manufacturing plant so we’re not dependent on China holding out
Or a auto maker for those chips to be sold to
But the left saw fit to oust that as well
Asking about good businesses to be here
is like asking a dem politician or dem voter or even a dem lobbyist
To not be hypocritical of everyone else
When they are in fact the hypocrites
Still laughing at the scam soccer stadium that almost happened
And politicians still saying we need more low income housing
When they in-fact are housing illegals in all that housing
Has anyone seen any illegals living under the freeways or in the creeks
Yeah that’s right
And now we are paying Medicare for those illegals all 8 million of them
You dem voters are sure showing yourselves to do real good
Come on man !!!
A French Laundry. That way you peasants can see how we, the limousine liberals, can do what we want even during a pandemic.
I have heard good things about the Aldi supermarket chain. They are already in SoCal. Unfortunately, if they’re anything like In-N-Out, I’ll probably be dead before they expand to the Bay Area. It takes forever for common national companies to get here. It’s as if they don’t really want to be here. I wonder why (that was sarcasm.)
There is an Aldi here in my new town/state. Have not tried it yet. Kroger and Publix get the majority of business here, with Piggily Wiggly running a distant 3rd.
@chuckie the troll Tennessee or Florida? 😉
We have an Aldi’s in my neighborhood in Nashville. I tried it and gave up on them because I never carry change to get a shopping cart.
Chuckie, when I was stationed in Charleston, we called them Hoggly Woggly.
How about a Lin’s Buffet and Coldstone Creamery?
Islands and Arby’s. Also a close Del Taco! My needs are simple.
I second the Arby’s. There are none in Coco County per some weird franchise agreement. Needs me my horsey sauce …er for a friend
Barney’s Hamburgers and Texas Road House.
Arby’s, o.k., so it is not the greatest but still miss those roast beef (I think its roast beef) sandwhiches with horsey sauce.
Chip manufacturing plant.
Another vote for Islands.
A hobby shop.
How about a better picture of Merida the cat so she can be adopted.
Winco.
A good seafood restaurant.
A good Thai restaurant.
A real hardware store.
.
Try Kacha Thai Bistro in Walnut Creek!
.
Stay way from Plearn.. it’s not good.
I would love it if we could get a good BBQ joint like Franklin’s or the Shed style place where they have outdoor eating and live music every Wed and Sat and Sunday here in Cankerd.
We don’t have any that are worth the money and have great food.
And a Huston’s or a great New York style Jewish deli like Katz’s Delicatessen or Liebman’s Kosher Deli.
A really good Philly style Hoagie and cheese steak joint would be great as well as a killer seafood joint…not a fancy restaurant a cool hangout style joint would be killer.
@DrJellyfinger
Have you eaten at Back Forty in the past few months?
I used to really like their food, but my squeeze and I had a horrible meal there last month. She ordered a salad with chicken breast on it. The plate was hot her salad was also hot the ranch dressing taste like watered down butter milk with zero seasoning and the chicken was rubbery. I ordered the brisket plate, the brisket was cold and dry as hell and the scalloped potatoes which I normally love there were cold and the cheese was not melted. We walked out without paying after talking to the owner about how crappy the food they served us was, and we have never done that before anywhere.. Fast forward a month, and we went to a party that was catered by Back Forty and the chicken was rubbery the ribs were for sure not cooked that day, the beans were super salty and the corn on the cob was mushy, and once again the salad dressing taste like plain buttermilk. It was nasty, Not one person went back for seconds and I watched many people dumping full plates of food into the trash, but hey it only cost $1000 for forty people. Never again will I spend money at Back Forty, and I mean
NEVER AGAIN!!!!!
Duck.
I haven’t been there in over 2 years, too far to go since I moved.
Sorry to hear the quality is declining.
… not sure if anybody but us will read this but here goes…. a big supermarket there imho won’t make it with a Safeway across the street and a large Lucky down the street…. only if they could persuade Safeway to come over and take that spot then lease / sell the existing Safeway spot to a more specialty market, etc (Hispanic, Asian, etc.). What do others think?
… think I might have posted this in the wrong blog – I’ll post there
Joes Crab Shack
Texas Roadhouse
Good steak/seafood restaurant
Of course……..Olive Garden!
Would love to see Bass Pro Shop, but they’d never move here. Absent that, a good, reasonably priced sporting good shop. Put Dick’s high priced goods out of business!
First, I’d have to agree with XJ’s comments earlier – I wouldn’t wish California on any business and wouldn’t encourage them to open anything here.
That being said, I would like to see the following in the Clayton/Concord area:
-Trader Joe’s
-any Texas BBQ place like Bonedaddy’s (preferred), Hard 8, Rudy’s, or Texas Roadhouse
-Cabela’s, BassPro, or Sportsmen’s Warehouse
– a nice cigar lounge
– a nice indoor shooting range
caskydiver
We have 2 cigar bars where I live now. One is kind of ehhh and the crowd is the under 30 set. The other is fabulous. Nicely decorated with really high end cigars and wonderful espresso martinis (2 can knock a lightweight on their fanny easily).
I’m a bit surprised that Walnut Creek or Pleasant Hill doesn’t have a nice cigar bar.
Wells: Where is the nice cigar bar? In the Claycord area?? Please share..I’d like to go there.
A Tommy Burger. Different than the Tommy’s in SF, they are located in SoCal and make the best chili cheese burgers.
108RS
Convert the old K-mart on Clayton Road to an indoor gocart track and outdoors a radio controlled race car track with landing strip for radio controlled aircraft and drones in the parking lots. Include a hobby store for these particular hobbiests
Does Honest Government count?
A Churches Chicken! Closest one is in El Cerrito!!!!