Rumor has it that Country Kitchen may have served it's last guest meal. According to the same rumor it will be repurposed into a combination of Prestige Member lounge downstairs and employee break area upstairs.
Prestige Lounge Replacing Country Kitchen
- Thread starter horsesboy
- Start date
If that’s true - that’s one of the dumbest decisions the park could make. It has a huge, well-equipped kitchen, two good serving areas, and tons of dining capacity. And it’s centrally located in the park. Not to mention the decor and theming that was just redone on the interior, and that lovely outdoor patio by the pond.
On top of that, it very clearly feels like a restaurant inside — converting it into a lounge seems like a tall order. Meanwhile, there’s probably close to half a dozen buildings in the park that are unused or underutilized and which could much more easily be gutted and converted into a lounge.
Hopefully it’s just a silly rumor. But if it’s true, I hope the backlash is swift and loud.
On top of that, it very clearly feels like a restaurant inside — converting it into a lounge seems like a tall order. Meanwhile, there’s probably close to half a dozen buildings in the park that are unused or underutilized and which could much more easily be gutted and converted into a lounge.
Hopefully it’s just a silly rumor. But if it’s true, I hope the backlash is swift and loud.
This is the stupidest thing i've seen in a while, and if this is the direction the park is headed, maybe it's good i haven't renewed yet.
This is gonna sound crazy but, I’ve never gotten to dine there let alone even enter the building… so I really hope this false. The arcade is right there…
Absolute bonehead decision. Hopefully they don’t make many major infrastructural changes so this decision can be reversed someday.
Yeah this is a puzzling decision to me. I can't think of a more classic KD food establishment than Country Kitchen.
Some of the decisions the higher ups make about our Virginia parks really kinda make you see a lack of "passion" for the parks coming into play. You'd like to think these places are ran by enthusiasts sometimes but nope, just businessmen thinking about business that see theme parks as the GP does.
Some of the decisions the higher ups make about our Virginia parks really kinda make you see a lack of "passion" for the parks coming into play. You'd like to think these places are ran by enthusiasts sometimes but nope, just businessmen thinking about business that see theme parks as the GP does.
As long as this is a temporary solution, I don't really mind it.
Country Kitchen has fallen well behind the top tier of KD dining and really does need a renovation and comprehensive menu update to make it desirable again. If (big if!) the park has enough dining capacity on heavy days to manage without its lesser dining options (like Country Kitchen) and this means more money goes to renovating and updating higher capacity, more prominent dining establishments like Victoria's, I'm okay with it for now.
Long-term, Country Kitchen is far too prominent, nice, useful, and historic a structure to be resigned to this use forever. Plus, if this VIP lounge thing continues, I hope to see Cedar Fair invest in purpose-designed areas for these lounges—not just shoving them in existing spaces.
Country Kitchen has fallen well behind the top tier of KD dining and really does need a renovation and comprehensive menu update to make it desirable again. If (big if!) the park has enough dining capacity on heavy days to manage without its lesser dining options (like Country Kitchen) and this means more money goes to renovating and updating higher capacity, more prominent dining establishments like Victoria's, I'm okay with it for now.
Long-term, Country Kitchen is far too prominent, nice, useful, and historic a structure to be resigned to this use forever. Plus, if this VIP lounge thing continues, I hope to see Cedar Fair invest in purpose-designed areas for these lounges—not just shoving them in existing spaces.
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Agreed, the only time I ate at Country Kitchen lately was when it was running a special menu.
It was seriously lagging behind the newer options that have opened recently at KD.
If it's closed and remains closed for a revamp like Chic-fil-a to Firehouse: awesome, I hope it goes great and I look forward to whatever it becomes for 2025/beyond.
If it's closed because it's getting gutted to become a new VIP lounge: this is a horrible idea, and the only thing that can save it is if they keep the kitchen intact and are planning on building a new VIP structure, then revamping Country Kitchen once that is done.
Of course, I have no idea what they are actually doing and am just projecting what I want.
It was seriously lagging behind the newer options that have opened recently at KD.
If it's closed and remains closed for a revamp like Chic-fil-a to Firehouse: awesome, I hope it goes great and I look forward to whatever it becomes for 2025/beyond.
If it's closed because it's getting gutted to become a new VIP lounge: this is a horrible idea, and the only thing that can save it is if they keep the kitchen intact and are planning on building a new VIP structure, then revamping Country Kitchen once that is done.
Of course, I have no idea what they are actually doing and am just projecting what I want.
If they're going to take the best building in the park for a VIP lounge -- CK at KD, Best of the West at SFGAdv -- we should boycott the program. Especially the latter, which seems like shooting themselves in the foot, there were hundreds enjoying the shade structure first time I went there, and it's a truly impressive building. Unless that was temporary while working on the flume, which encircles the building.
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It’s just occurred to me that the old mac and cheese bowl building (I honestly forgot what it’s called now that it sells tacos) would be a much better place for a VIP lounge than Country Kitchen. It’s literally never open, anyway, and it would probably be used more as a VIP space than it ever was as a restaurant.
Great point. Another great option would have been the small arcade across from Firehouse, which is always deserted and filled with basically nothing but nearly identical claw machines. It can’t possibly be making much money.
The biggest loss for me, I fear, is the back patio of Country Kitchen by the pond. I absolutely love sitting back there and relaxing while sipping a soda. There’s the noise of the fountain, the occasional frog resting on a lily pad or tadpole swimming by, you can hear the instrumental bluegrass music coming from the arbor tunnel, the antique cars of Blue Ridge Tollway putter by, and you can watch the Flying Eagles soar. On autumn days when I just need to get away from everything and relax, I’ve driven to the park just to read my book in this little spot.
If the patio is gated off and left to the exclusive use of Prestige passholders, I’ll be bitter that the park took one of its loveliest spots and effectively slapped a $120 upcharge to be able to enjoy it. Talk about scummy. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised and the patio will still be accessible to everyone, but the cynical part of me wonders if one of the reasons Country Kitchen was chosen as the location for the VIP lounge was precisely because the pond makes it such an enticing venue.
The biggest loss for me, I fear, is the back patio of Country Kitchen by the pond. I absolutely love sitting back there and relaxing while sipping a soda. There’s the noise of the fountain, the occasional frog resting on a lily pad or tadpole swimming by, you can hear the instrumental bluegrass music coming from the arbor tunnel, the antique cars of Blue Ridge Tollway putter by, and you can watch the Flying Eagles soar. On autumn days when I just need to get away from everything and relax, I’ve driven to the park just to read my book in this little spot.
If the patio is gated off and left to the exclusive use of Prestige passholders, I’ll be bitter that the park took one of its loveliest spots and effectively slapped a $120 upcharge to be able to enjoy it. Talk about scummy. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised and the patio will still be accessible to everyone, but the cynical part of me wonders if one of the reasons Country Kitchen was chosen as the location for the VIP lounge was precisely because the pond makes it such an enticing venue.
It's also just a kitchen and counter with no indoor seating or even room for seating and the other advertised amenities of the lounge. My best guess is that KD is trying to do this on the cheap and that a conversion of the closed Mac Bowl/ Taco place is just not feasible. The good news is if that guess is correct it's more likely that Country Kitchen would be only minimumly changed and might be an easy conversion back in the future.
The park could have taken the west part of the main CAG arcade building, gutted it, and transformed it to a prestige member lounge. The east section was long ago separated by the laser tag arena and now the Trick or Treat haunt location. It is just off the main walkway that runs in front of the Ferris wheel. I always thought it was in a quiet corner for indoor relaxation.
I wouldn't be surprised if there were single day passes for sale too.
Overall I don't see this as being much different than cabanas or igloos. Reality is the park has gate and season pass prices pretty low, so upcharge type amenities are needed to offset operating costs. Country Kitchen has a nice location and vibe to it, so making more money off it is smart business, as it's easy to move that menu elsewhere.
I think upcharging a preexisting element of the park that used to be free is patently scummier than adding something new as an upcharge. It's a direct downgrade for the average guest. The park should be focused on delivering something of even greater value to people who want to pay more, not diminishing the experience at the expense of those who don't want to/can't pay more.
The park could start roping off the front and back rows of the coaster unless you buy a special a special "Front/Back Row Pass." That's an easy few bucks to make. They could start selling tickets to see the shows; if you don't want to pay, tough. Why not make the big draws like I305 an upcharge too? It might be "smart business," but it's scummy nonetheless.
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I think that argument is being a little overly dramatic. If this change happens I don't think it's fair to say it's suddenly charging for part of the park that use to be free. A lounge setup there what be something totally different and new from a restaurant that you pay for food at.
I’m not too shocked by this, saddened that they would use this over their MANY other options but both SF and CF (IIRC) have flat out said that surveys reflect that this is what pass holders want - area that feel exclusive. They want experiences and things you can’t get elsewhere.
And frankly, I hope they don’t sell day passes, not because it would feel like a money grab but because it gives you a reason to buy the pass. We don’t know the plans yet but if this has some free things like charging stations, sofa fountain that you can’t take the cup out, maybe something like ice cream sandwiches, this would be a win. Who knows, maybe they wanted a kitchen involved because this could also be a small/large group dining hall (like company picnic on smaller scale of like 100-300 people). 10-15 days a year of that would be smart.
And this is generally my thought on parks in general:
We lament the loss of things that aren’t park icons (like VTBC, BBW) almost too much. Is this a loss of a quiet corner? Sure. Is it something worth getting so mad over? I don’t believe so. Business is constantly a value vs cost proposition. To CF/KD the value of that space is better as a revenue generator in passes than it is in food sales. Especially if they do what I proposed above.
If there’s one thing I always applaud Walt Disney on, it’s his belief that he instilled in his theme parks that the park is never done.
And frankly, I hope they don’t sell day passes, not because it would feel like a money grab but because it gives you a reason to buy the pass. We don’t know the plans yet but if this has some free things like charging stations, sofa fountain that you can’t take the cup out, maybe something like ice cream sandwiches, this would be a win. Who knows, maybe they wanted a kitchen involved because this could also be a small/large group dining hall (like company picnic on smaller scale of like 100-300 people). 10-15 days a year of that would be smart.
And this is generally my thought on parks in general:
We lament the loss of things that aren’t park icons (like VTBC, BBW) almost too much. Is this a loss of a quiet corner? Sure. Is it something worth getting so mad over? I don’t believe so. Business is constantly a value vs cost proposition. To CF/KD the value of that space is better as a revenue generator in passes than it is in food sales. Especially if they do what I proposed above.
If there’s one thing I always applaud Walt Disney on, it’s his belief that he instilled in his theme parks that the park is never done.