LongHorn Steakhouse Coming to Gadsden

April 11th, 2012

By: Andy Powell Gadsden Times Staff Writer LongHorn Steakhouse will open in early 2013 on Albert Rains Boulevard after the City Council on Tuesday approved incentives that could mean as much as $225,000 to the restaurant over five years. The council approved a rebate of 50 percent of sales tax collections for five years, for a total of $225,000 or whichever comes first, for RARE Hospitality which is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants Inc. The council also approved an agreement that allows the company to develop city-owned property near the restaurant as a parking lot. Trudy Blakeman, Darden's director of property and sales tax, said after the meeting that the restaurant will...

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LongHorn Steakhouse possibly coming to Rainbow Drive

March 27th, 2012

By Andy Powell Times Staff Writer Published: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 6:10 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

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The Gadsden City Council on April 10 will have a public hearing on proposed incentives for LongHorn Steakhouse. The restaurant would locate at 344 Albert Rains Blvd., where The Fish Market is now. The council approved the hearing during Tuesday’s meeting. The proposed agreement with RARE Hospitality would give the company incentives of up to $225,000 over five years to cover infrastructure costs, according to Lesa Osborn, director of the Gadsden Commercial Development Authority. RARE is owned by Darden Restaurants, which...

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Riverview honored by magazine as a top regional hospital

January 31st, 2012

Times Staff Reports Riverview Regional Medical Center has been named among the nation’s best regional hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, according to a news release from the hospital. Riverview was recognized in the Best Regional Hospitals 2011-12 category for Central Alabama. Riverview was one of nine Alabama hospitals recognized as a Best Regional Hospital. The list is available online at www.usnews.com/bestregionalhospitals. “To be listed with some of the country’s premier medical institutions is extremely rewarding,” said Lloyd Ford, Riverview’s chief executive officer. “The recognition speaks volumes about the quality of care our dedicated medical staff...

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City banks funds for Riverfront Development

January 30th, 2012

By Andy Powell Times Staff Writer No riverfront development projects are in the planning stages, but Gadsden Mayor Sherman Guyton and council members says earmarking funds for a future project is a good idea. Guyton last week said $900,000 of the city’s cash savings from refinancing bonds will be earmarked for riverfront development (the total savings from refinancing, including interest, will be $1.6 million). Another $160,000 will be set aside for iPads for elementary schools in Gadsden City Schools. “That way, if we get something that would be really good for the city, we’d have a little money there we could work with,” he said of the earmarking. Guyton on Monday...

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Back Forty brewing beer locally

January 28th, 2012

By Eric T. Wright Times Staff Writer “Drink Local” has been one of the slogans for Back Forty Beer Co., and now Gadsden residents can literally heed that suggestion. Back Forty recently started brewing its beer in downtown Gadsden, one block off Broad Street, after contract brewing its beers at another facility for the past two years. “Gadsden was always our first choice (and) we found this building at a pretty opportune time,” said Back Forty's director of operations, Tripp Collins. Back Forty hangs its hat on being an Alabama company producing an Alabama product. Its Gadsden location is important to founder Jason Wilson, who grew up in Southside, and the rest of the...

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East Gadsden Kmart to begin liquidation sale next month

January 27th, 2012