Ed’s diner had a particularly devastating review of the restaurant which I doubt helped them (see excerpts below)

I don’t know Thomas Mott. Never met him. Never spoken with him. Never, to my knowledge, eaten his cooking. That last statement is the troublesome part.

I’ve eaten at Mott’s new restaurant, Winfield’s Twisted Cue, four times since it opened in late March in the colorful white downtown Tacoma mansion formerly known as David’s on Broadway and before that, the University Union Club.
...
Three out of four times, I saw the chef/owner of Winfield’s somewhere other than in the kitchen.

Meanwhile with Mott clearly anywhere but in the kitchen, my porterhouse steak tasted like liver; the kitchen staff burned its first attempt at serving me fried chicken and undercooked the next; prime rib sandwich morphed into deli-sliced roast beef; and fish and chips were literal – the former was fishy and the latter tasted like they’d been chipped off a raw potato.

...There’s an old and moldy smell in the dining room, the bar and the billiards parlor. Floors list and sag. Food takes a long time to arrive. Except for french toast and fresh fruit, what I ate wasn’t good. I question some servers’ hygeine.

It feels like a remodeled motel off some forgotten highway.

Cue the theme from “Psycho.”

This isn’t what Tacoma needs. Winfield’s is Tacoma’s inferiority complex writ large.

I never ate there. Everythign I heard or read was pretty terrible.

I had a friend go there for brunch and said it costs like 20 dollars a person, just for so so food.

I think that place would be a great mansion. How much are they asking for the building?

The potato skins were the best. Other than that the place gives me the creeps. Probably from the ghost living in the attic.

Anyhow, despite the building’s problems they ain’t nothing a good flame thrower couldn’t fix.

Maybe Williams and Dame should buy it, tear it down, and incorporate it into whatever they decide to do north of the Elks Lodge.

Floors that list and sag are pretty expensive to fix.

Loved the comment by the owners in the TNT this morning, that they “were disappointed in Tacoma’s support” for Winfields. I guess we were supposed to eat there, regardless, in order to provide revenue to an out-of-town property owner who seems to have little interest in the place.

Loved the comment by the owners in the TNT this morning, that they “were disappointed in Tacoma’s support”

A friend of mine told me the owners of the Garage (not too far from Winfield’s) had similar thoughts when he closed down. Something about Tacoma “not being ready” for his concept. So he closed it and will re-open in a few years. While this is a unique idea for a business plan, I don’t think they will be teaching this concept anytime soon i business schools.

Have you noticed that both Winfield’s and the Garage opened with little to no community outreach or input? Seems like there may be something to learn here for future restaurant owners.

Which one is the Garage? Is that the new club up on that desolate parking garage block of Market?

The very same one.

Last night I “supported” Masa. And on Monday night I “supported” the Harmon. As it happens, the Harmon was packed, so I knew they were making a good case to their donors.

It would be a shame if people went to restaurants that they actually liked instead of going to places that needed “support.”

I have to agree on the Garage and Winfields in terms of lack of curb appeal. Step one in any (well most) business plans would be to look inviting on the outside. At Winfields, the cheesy lattice and piece-meal decking with overgrown blackberry and weeds on the lower side, coupled with peeling paint told me to expect the same inside. And the Garage looked cool until they put up that sagging plywood overhang, and never bothered to finish painting the exterior. I could never tell if it was open for business yet. Spruce it up people!

I think UPSPatrick is right on the mark. This isnt the same Tacoma it was 10, or even 5 years ago. We now have OPTIONS and a dirty cheesey restaurant with bad food isnt gonna cut it just because they have a view….

The Garage is an interesting one, in that the original plans for the place were more upscale than what resulted. Maybe they ran out of money and just thought they could cash in on the club scene (which seems more precarious than just running a semi-decent restaurant, but what do I know).

I don’t know how many times I’ve said this on Exit133, but I think that so many of these new places fail because they are overly ambitious. I looked into the Garage when it was under construction and wondered, “how in the world will they ever fill all that space?” These restaurant and business owners think they have to build at a Las Vegas scale right off the bat.

Fortunately, there are numerous examples of businesses that don’t share that logic. Of course, these are the businesses that start small, build up a customer base, and THEN expand. Think Puget Sound Pizza. Blackwater is doing well with just a couple tables.

One business that has failed in this regard is the St. Helens Cafe. Not only does it have the dumbest name in the world, but the food sucks and the space is WAY too big for the operation. The place looks empty when it’s half full. I’m surprised it hasn’t followed the path of Winfield’s and the Garage.

I guess I’m biased because they apparently have never heard of “vegetarianism” there before.

Just to clarify some facts here: Winfields was owned by Thomas Mott. He has lived in Tacoma his entire life. The building is owned by David, (of David’s on Broadway) and his estate. Since his stroke, his daughter has been the executer of his estate, who lives out of state. I believe everyone is talking about her when referring to the owners quote from the TNT. When Thomas leased the building from David’s estate, they came to an agreement that Thomas would pay $150,000 to remodel the building and the estate would pay him back in the near future. This past Monday, David’s daughter told Thomas that they would not be reimbursing him so he had no choice but to close down. Also, he still owes almost all of his employees back-pay and credit card tips. I tend to agree with people who have eaten there, the food was definately lacking in the taste department. Definately not a five star restaraunt by any means!

I agree with Drizell, these owners were overly ambitious. Too much, too soon can kill you. This is a tough business to be in and it will suck the life out of you if you are not careful. I know of where I speak. Folks are quick to criticize when you have never owned your own restaurant. There should be a reality show based on owning and running a restaurant. It would open a few eyes.

Ah, yes. Thanks for the heads-up Jake. I remember that and now wish I had caught a few episodes.

We ate at Winfields a couple times. Food was mediocre, prices were low, service was friendly, if lax. The look and feel of the place wasn’t far from being a truck stop with lipstick and shag carpeting. The biker bar with black velvet paintings in the basement was a bit much. But, it did have a great view and plenty of space to sit. And PARK! OMIGOD. Some of the best parking in town! Okay, I’m just kidding about parking.

I walk by the building everyday to work, and only once have I been in there. I had one beer, and felt uncomfortable the whole time. I’m blaming it on ghosts that haunt the place. It has such a weird vibe to it, but it might just be me(and a couple friends).
I definitely think the idea of a bowling alley isn’t far-fetched at all! It would make for an awesome hang out location, if somebody did a major re-modeling on the place.

Winfields & the Garage seemed to go hand in hand with a portion of Tacoma’s population that doesn’t work, creates crappy art, and then wants you to love them for being artistic. Good results derive from good decisions and hard work strung together. Get your act together and people will come, support your business, and enjoy spending money there(e.g. Paddy Coins)
Half-measures avail nothing.

“ The name makes sense as they are above St. Helens the street”

Or it makes more sense because it is in the St. Helens Neighborhood. :)

I used to work at the place when it was “David’s on Broadway” and it was a little dumpy inside. I think it has GREAT potential though, just not sure for what. Getting some landscaping done certainly wouldnt hurt the place.

Also, yes, it is very haunted in there. I can recall hearing voices in the basement, as well as having lights randomly turn on/off.

I love St. Helens Cafe. You know the staff and owners are very approachable, you might suggest some veggie dishes. I’m sure they’d be up for it.

I loved David’s on Broadway, but it’s always been a spooky place with an Atlantic City vibe. Wish E.R. Rodgers folks would come back to us foodies, David’s would be a great place for them to make a come back.