Coming Soon: Three New Route 59 Eateries

It's hard not to get depressed when you drive down Route 59 and see so many unoccupied storefronts, some of which are newly constructed. Just like everywhere else, the economy has taken its toll and the road construction hasn't helped.

But there are signs that not everyone has lost their faith or their entrepreneurial spirit. There are "coming soon" signs for three restaurants on Route 59.

One is the appropriately named Route 59 Grill, which is filling a spot in the 15000 block. Restaurants have not fared so well in this location so we're thrilled to see someone else taking a shot. And the timing is good because their opening should coincide with the near-completion of the Route 59 work.

The other two newcomers are Capri Beef, a fast-food eatery, and Capri Restaurante Italiano, a sit-down establishment, both located in the same strip mall as the Live 59 nightclub. Presumably they share an ownership link because the coincidence of two separate entitites just a few doors away from each other with the same monikor seems rather remote.

We'll get to the bottom of it. Once we know more about when these places are opening and what they'll be serving, we'll report more.

But in the meantime, it's just refreshing to see something is soon to have a grand opening rather than a going-out-of-business sale. Perhaps a sign of things to come?

Karen Sorensen is filling in for About Town columnist Robyn Monaghan.