Lazlo’s Brewery & Grill is closing its doors

By Don Bowen/Tribune Staff
Thursday, Oct 18, 2007 - 11:32:15 am CDT

Just 15 months after opening its doors with the jubilation of a promising new business in a promising new commercial subdivision, Lazlo’s Brewery & Grill is closing in Fremont.

Scott Miller, president and chief operating officer of Telesis Inc., which owns Lazlo’s, said in a released statement that the restaurant “just simply didn’t produce the results to a level required for us to continue.”

Lazlo’s will close as of Monday, information released by the company stated.

“This was a very difficult decision for us given the many wonderful relationships we developed in the Fremont community,” Miller continued in the released statement. “We have appreciated the commitment of our employees and wish to thank the many loyal customers who frequented Lazlo’s.”

The restaurant opened in the Deer Pointe commercial subdivision in July 2006, touting some firsts for the company. It was the first time any of the Lazlo’s restaurants opened in a new building. At the company’s first groundbreaking ceremony in October 2005, Miller said all the other restaurants at that point were opened in existing buildings.

It also featured geothermal heating and cooling, 150 wells ” little holes ” dug 250 feet deep with an elaborate piping system.

Miller said on the telephone this morning that it wasn’t an easy decision to close the Fremont restaurant.

“There are a lot of factors that go into why things don’t work and do work in the restaurant business,” he said. “This is the first Lazlo’s we’ve had to close or modify, and we’ve been in business for 15 years. It’s a tough business. Fortunately, we have some flagship restaurants in Lincoln that are doing well. Our restaurant in Omaha is doing well.”

The Fremont restaurant employs 45 people, and Miller said most of them are being asked to stay onboard to help with the closing process.

“We’d also like to retain as many as possible. We have an Omaha location that not far from Fremont, just 25 minutes away,” he said.

Employees were told about the decision to close the restaurant Wednesday night, he said. Shortly thereafter, a four paragraph press release was sent out.

“We wanted to be the ones to tell it,” he said. “We didn’t want rumors flying everywhere.”

The decision to close the restaurant that sits along Rawhide Creek was made Friday, Miller said.

“This is not something we want to have happen, but it’s part of the business. Statistically, one in eight restaurants fail in the first year. This one ran its course. It wasn’t returning what we needed it to. We needed a certain volume level. That wasn’t there. We kept coming back to our concept. Was our concept developed enough to appeal to a Fremont market? We spent a lot of time tweaking here and there, but we never found that magic bullet to turn it around.

“We started out of the gate pretty good, but that was also around John C. Fremont Days. We had a couple of weeks where sales were phenomenal, but you always do when you open a new restaurant. That’s the honeymoon period. It took a while for that to fall into a routine where sales wouldn’t be what they should. There just comes a point where you have to decide if it’s a good business decision to keep going.”

They hit that point on Friday, he said.

As for the building, company officials haven’t made plans yet, but they will likely sell the building.

“It’s pretty unique. It will take the right customer, or it will take a lot of retrofitting.”

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George
Oct 18, 2007 11:47 AM
Great place for a Gentleman's Club!
WOW
Oct 18, 2007 12:17 PM
The very best place to eat in Fremont NE. That is a shame that it's closing. I can not believe it.
S Claasen
Oct 18, 2007 12:22 PM
Fremont and upscale restaurants historically haven't been a good mix. Sol Harr moved out. The Prospector closed. Nick's is gone. If it doesn't have a clown, a king, a T-Rex, Kiddie meals or an all-you-can-eat buffet or salad bar at a budget price, Fremonters prefer to drive to Omaha than to support a local business. Yours in service, Stephen D. Claasen Broadcast Engineer
Connie
Oct 18, 2007 12:29 PM
I think with West Omaha being such a short drive, people in Fremont and surrounding areas tend to head there because there are so many dining choices in such a small area. Sorry to Lazlo's - Fremont only seems to be able to support quick and cheap places.
Too bad
Oct 18, 2007 12:58 PM
Best restaurant that Fremont has had in a long time and we can't support it. I am sorry to see them go.
Chuck Cochrane
Oct 18, 2007 1:07 PM
I had a couple of occasions to visit the Lazlo's in Fremont. Compared to the flagship restaurant in Lincoln, which is a 'must stop' anytime I'm in town, the Fremont store lacked comparable service. In fact, I felt the service was rather poor on both visits. I've heard the same from friends and family. I have visited the Omaha location and found the service to be exceptional just as it is in Lincoln.
sad
Oct 18, 2007 1:17 PM
Very sad to see it close. Great food -- maybe they should have realized they would need to run it a little different to work in Fremont? More specials, more promotion, more menu variations??
HA
Oct 18, 2007 1:53 PM
Although I am sad to see a business leaving Fremont, this doesn't suprise me. I love the Lazlo's in Lincoln, but the location in Fremont wasn't that great at first, It did get a lot better, but at first the service was terrible, the food wasn't up to par, it just wasn't the vibe that I got at Lazlo's in Lincoln. I just think it took to long for them to get to where they needed to be and a lot of people had already given up on them.
Uncle Buck
Oct 18, 2007 2:25 PM
Just one more statistic of the great economy in the Fremont area. Maybe the city council should vote to make this a gentleman’s club. That way we could keep all those employees employed in the Fremont area. Or we could just do like Fremont has done for the past 75 years. Just let the business stay that are locally owned and make it harder for outsiders to open there doors here. And the chamber of commerce wonders why people don’t want to live in the Fremont area. I think this should be proof enough that Fremont does not have their arms open to outsiders.
Totally bummed out
Oct 18, 2007 2:49 PM
I've never understood how Applebee's was always packed and Lazlo's wasn't. The quality and choice of foods in my opinion was much better at Lazlo's. I know someone mentioned poor service, but I'd never experienced that. Maybe people didn't know, but they have a very nice kids menu that was beyond just chicken nuggets or a hamburger and the prices were very reasonable! Maybe the decor scared young families away, thinking they would be unwelcomed. It was the complete opposite. My children loved to go there. This was my favorite non-fast food resturant in Fremont when I could take my Family and enjoy a good meal. I guess I'll have to drive to Omaha now for a Oatmeal Stout.
Business Going Somewhere Else
Oct 18, 2007 2:51 PM
Looks like other businesses are already supporting the volume of business from the close of Lazlo's....too sad to see them go.
T
Oct 18, 2007 3:38 PM
Lazlo's in Lincoln is fabulous, in Fremont it is above average and certainly the best in sit down dining. It's unfortunate they weren't able to generate enough revenue to stick around.
Jim
Oct 18, 2007 4:28 PM
These guys must be idiots. The reason they couldn't do any volume was simple. Too expensive and the food stunk.
mikala r.
Oct 18, 2007 4:32 PM
I had my moving away dinner at lazlos in fremont in sept 2006. it was my first visit to this location and I had been excited from the day I was told it was coming to town since my father and I went to the lincoln location often and it was by far my favorite place to dine. (IN LINCOLN THAT IS) so my going away dinner we had to sit out in the lobby for 2 hours and wait when there were plenty of open tables. the food was HORRID nothing like in lincoln and none of our orders were correct. so i was not as sad to leave fremont knowing they just put my favorite resturant in. when i came back to visit in march i decided to go there for dinner. the food was still as bad as the first time and the service was just horrid! They really should have had the cooks and wait staff study other staff in lincoln a little better. i cant wait to come back to fremont to visit and make a small trip to lincoln to eat there. atleast i know my meal and the service will be awesome!
Yeah right
Oct 18, 2007 5:08 PM
I think the high prices had a lot to do with the lack of business. It seems like all the business Fremont draws these days are resturaunts. Maybe if we had some places in town for people to work at here that paid more than minimum wage, people would have the money to go to these places.
Jake
Oct 18, 2007 5:20 PM
i ate there once, there prices were VERY high and their food tasted very average, it just wasnt worth it to me, which is why i only went there the once i wont miss the place :)
SingleSource Communications
Oct 18, 2007 7:26 PM
Attn: Scott Miller of Lazlo's. Our company has a Christmas party scheduled for 12/8/07 and NO ONE from Lazlo's contacted us. Now we are forced to scramble to find someplace else. Although I love the food and atmosphere, I am now going to boycott ALL OF LAZLO'S LOCATIONS. I stongly recommend avoiding all locations in Omaha and Lincoln. Jeff Wilson Owner SingleSource Communications in Fremont, NE.
Kathy
Oct 18, 2007 9:49 PM
Can't say I didn't expect the failure of this restaurant. They made a lot of people wait for over an hour to get seated while people coming in after them got seated right away. Many people would not go back because of the service or the way they were treated by employee's.
bad service
Oct 18, 2007 10:18 PM
I only at there 3 times but on each occasion the service was bad to say the least. I eat at the one in Lincoln everytime I am in town and the service is the best. Maybe they need to hire college students from Lincoln to run the store here.
JW
Oct 18, 2007 10:36 PM
Fremont's best kept food secret is the mexican grill on West Military Avenue. The employees from Taco John's, Taco Bell and Gringo's probably eat there during their lunch breaks.
Rob
Oct 19, 2007 12:09 AM
Never made it to the one in Fremont, however Omaha and Lincoln always have the best food and service. Wait staff is the most kind you'll experience. Everyone is trained exceptionally well, from wait to hostess to bartender to managers. Managers will check up on your meal and experience to see if there is anything they can do. My girlfriend and I once ate in the Haymarket location, a manager checked on us, found that my sandwich had mushrooms(which i didn't want) and the lahvosh hadn't been cut. He fixed things right away and comped the sandwich. Too bad about the Fremont one though, sometimes they just need to know when to cut the losses.
T
Oct 19, 2007 1:20 AM
Single Source- I hear ya...I work for a great restuarant in town...today was very busy trying to schedule reservations for those whom had made party reservations with Lazlo's and did not get a call canceling their parties. I guess, we'll be extra busy this season!!!
S
Oct 19, 2007 7:13 AM
I ate there once. That should tell you alot!! Service was mediocre and the food wasn't what I was told Lazlo's was. I haven't eaten at Omaha's or Lincoln's, but haven't been impressed here. High dollar, poor service, avg. or below food, for volume and flavor. I said they wouldn't have there doors open long.
SJP
Oct 19, 2007 8:13 AM
Always disappointing to see a unique NE restaurant not supported by local community. I would always choose to eat locally over driving to W. Omaha, circulate dollars earned here by spending it on people working here. Prices were good, IMO, and beer was fantastic. Fremont doesn't seem to have a lunch crowd, however. Will be missed greatly, esp. non-smoking bar area!
HR
Oct 19, 2007 9:39 AM
Obviously Lazlo's didn't care too much about the customers who had events scheduled there, they didn't even call them to apologize. I'm sorry but that's just BAD business. I know of several people who had things scheduled there and None of them are happy. I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of people and other businesses that will be boycotting all Lazlo's locations. They should have thought more about what they did. Other business that close either fill their obligations and wait to close until their events have happened or they call their customers that were counting on them. BAD MOVE LAZLO's. I'm with Single Source, I won't be visiting ANY of your other locations again. Maybe Fremont can get a business that actually cares about their obligations!
Sam
Oct 19, 2007 10:16 AM
Having run a business in Fremont for many years and not being in the 'good old boy' network, it is a challenge to be profitable. I salute Lazlo's for the attempt, but when it comes to restaurants, typically it only takes two strikes and you're out... My first two visits were both strikes...
JW!
Oct 19, 2007 11:01 AM
Shame on you Fremont
Shelley
Oct 19, 2007 11:39 AM
There many problems with this place for one PRICE. You can not open a place like that in Fremont and expect any numbers comparable to that of Omaha, or Lincoln. Fremont is 75% hard working blue collar people, who after bills, etc. Can't afford places like that. they eat fast food because they can feed a family of 5 on 15 bucks compared to what, 30 dollars maybe more. Also, people were weary about going out that way because of all the construction. Its a pain in the rear. I for one was looking for a place to gather family to celebrate a new birth in the family, and decided against Lazlo's because we had out of town guests who would have to navigate all that. We actually met at Wooden Windmill instead. If you want Fremonts support you need to have more specials, etc. Not to mention everyone I talked too thought you had to be pretty dressed up to walk into the place. half the people I have talked too cited the fact they didn't feel it would be apporprite to walk in in there work clothes and have a bite to eat! You needed to fix your image from uppity to expensive for you, to hey, your in your work clothes, thats great come have a beer and a steak, we're not picky about dress code!
Disappointed
Oct 19, 2007 12:36 PM
After reading some of these comments, no wonder they decided to close. Fremont only seems to want to take care of corporate America like Wal-Mart and Applebes, not local businesses.
HA
Oct 19, 2007 12:38 PM
You want to know something funny. Lazlo's even has a Job posting on this very website. If you look under jobs, it shows that Lazlo's is hiring Servers.
fredo
Oct 19, 2007 12:58 PM
seems like any dining establishment that comes to fremont is substandard when compared to dining establishments of the same name in other communities? wonder what it is about fremont? guess we are destined to be low class trailer trash for eternity. when is the last time something good occured in fremont?
dingo e man
Oct 19, 2007 2:10 PM
Wow. "Dissapointed" sure hit the nail on the head. Local business just isn't much of a recognized trait these days. I prefer to keep my money in the state and have it circulate for a while, benefiting my peers and family. And further more, too bad that many here in Fremont really think that Lazlo's was that up-tight of a place. It's what you make it, come as you are, and enjoy your surroundings. Oh well, maybe Diers can put in a Super Mc.Donalds, or somthing that ya'll can really appreciate
Dine Out
Oct 19, 2007 2:12 PM
I first off want to thank Lazlos for coming to Fremont and giving it a shot. We've always had great food and service there. Always liked the hickory aroma while walking into the place. Place was always clean and well maintained. It amazes me how folks here are complaining about Lazlos' prices, which by the way I felt were very reasonable for the caliber of restaurant it was. You can't expect Lazlos to put up a nice building like they did and make it work by selling $6.95 steaks and $1 beers. It won't work. But yet some of you expected to go there and get those kind of prices. Fremont has always been a $6.95 Chicken Fried Steak kind of town and it now looks like it always will be. Thanks again Lazlos, it was great while it lasted.
Eric Schafer
Oct 19, 2007 2:40 PM
As an owner of Lazlo’s I want to thank everyone for their kind comments and honesty. We are very disappointed we had to make this decision. My family and the employees of Lazlo’s care very much for our guests and we apologize to the people we upset. Unfortunately there is no perfect way to inform everyone. It was extremely important to us that we told the employees of Lazlo’s first and work with them to find employment in our other restaurants or the industry. As Scott Miller stated in the article we “We wanted to be the ones to tell it,” to the employees of Lazlo’s. “We didn’t want rumors flying everywhere.” The staff is very important to us. Since announcing our decision, we have been working very hard to make contact with guests that made reservations and organizations that we have formed relationships with to take care of them or help them find other accommodations. We feel we have very strong core values and taking care of the people we work with and the people we serve are very important to us.
bob
Oct 19, 2007 5:18 PM
I was wondering how long it would take for it to close. With over priced food, bad service and food the was very average it seamed a failure from the start. glad to see you go.
RRR
Oct 19, 2007 6:06 PM
Thank you to Lazlos family, it was nice while you were here. We finely get a nice place to dine out. . . I am dissappointed in Fremont patrons. I would hear from friends and coworkers that Lazlos was an expensive place to eat. I would ask them, how many times have you been there? 80% of the time they hadn't been there ONCE. Now you figure out why Lazlos is closing. My family and I plan on dining there tonight. Here is a clue for those of you who hate to wait; "CALL AHEAD SEATING". That is why people are seated before you. (It is available at many good dining places) Thank you again Lazlos, it was nice. Rod
Roger Stiefel
Oct 19, 2007 9:36 PM
I think the main problem is that Fremont is a poor town! Most of the jobs available, are low paying retail, manufacturing, and food processing jobs. We all know that the vast majority of these are 20K/year jobs. Even with both parents working there just is not enough expendable money available to afford anything higher up the food chain than fast food for most families. I would estimate that less than 10% of Fremont area households could afford to eat at Lazlos. That means less than 2500 people to draw your business from, and with the close proximity to Omaha, that is too small a group of people to support such an enterprise of this size. I think it was a great idea, but was about 3 times the capital invested in relation to the available market in Fremont.
Bud
Oct 19, 2007 10:23 PM
I can't agree Fremont is a poor town. We have 3 car dealerships, a handful of used car dealers, 2 bowling alleys, 5 car washes (one a drive through and 2 within 2 blocks of one another), a plethora of fast food places, a multi-million dollar waterpark, a new hotel catering to the train crews, a downtown littered with high-priced antique shops, etc. etc. etc. Maybe it comes down to priorities. Maybe it's easier to eat fast food every night then save some money for a nice meal one evening???
sm
Oct 19, 2007 11:15 PM
The complaints here are pathetic. Fremont diners, (they're not really diners, just "eaters") are not poor, just cheap, cheap, cheap. Poor people don't go out. F-monters will spend $2+ for a Pepsi, $3.29 for a bag of chips, and 4$ for smokes, but won't spring for a 1/2 price pint for a decent beer (non-Bud) during happy hour. Too far out/construction? If you can't drive anywhere in this town in less than 6 minutes, you shouldn't own a car. Someone else said they worked at a "great restaurant" here in F-mont. Where might that be? Andy's has a decent menu, but higher priced (be advised, tightwads) than Lazlo's and he's a grump. Wooden Windmill? Fatty steaks, gristly ribs, and just an awful, awful Mexican menu. Gee, if only AL'S hadn't gone bankrupt. Now there was a well-managed restaurant! Service? Are you serious? F-monters prefer to pile up their own plates at Chinese buffets, HY-Vee, or USA Steak-now, there's some culinary excellence. Lazlo's too expensive? No more than Crapplebee's or even USA Steak-last time I ate there, (USA), it was $8+ per plate. A burger, sandwich or salad at Lazlo's was less. Too "fancy" for the typical F-mont attire? When did that stop anyone from spending 2 hours lounging around in Wal-Mart in their sweats? Lame, lame, lame-Long live the Coffee Pot! Fremont is as Fremont does!!!
R
Oct 19, 2007 11:21 PM
I dined at Lazlos many times, alot of the time in my work clothes. I've been to the Lazlos in Omaha, Fremont, and Lincoln and at every place recieved awesome service. When you just open a restaurant everything can't be perfect right away, it takes time to get in the swing of things and fix problems. Yes, Lazlos is higher priced, but maybe thats because they have higher quality food. I thought the restraunt was very inviting, the food delicious, and the staff polite and helpful. They will be missed.
SM
Oct 19, 2007 11:36 PM
Almost forgot-someone complained about a long wait to be seated-did it ever occur to you that there's a wait because OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO GO THERE ALSO? The Tribune recently asked F-monters about their favorite restaurants- the Office in Hooper got a ton of positive response-last time I went, there was a 2 HOUR WAIT! Props to the Tribune for running these comments/
S.B.J.
Oct 20, 2007 8:45 AM
I see some people think this was a great place and some not so great. When it all comes down too it its this. Image is everything, if the building and clientele going into the building look as if they're dressed for a wedding or funeral, you assume the prices are high. " Blue " collar people won't bother to check it out. In this town so many people pay out so much for rent, etc. Theres no money left to support a place like Lazlo's even if they wanted too. Working at fast food joints etc. does not leave you the money to spend at Lazlo's. One person stated they will pay 4 dollars for cigs, etc. Yeah, they do what else are they going to splurge on with 5 bucks. Lets be realistic you can't do much in this town with 5 bucks. You can eat at a fast food place, get about 1 gallon and 1/2 of gas. A pack of smokes. It sure isn't going to buy a steak or even an appitizer at Lazlos and a drink! This town is cheap, we're cheap because of rent expenses, utilities, gas prices, and many other things. Face it Fremont Lazlo's was a WHITE collar, maybe upper middle class place in a town that is hard working Blue collar place.
Bummer
Oct 20, 2007 9:57 AM
I'm not sure what the reserved party is complaining about. We received a call with an apology and an offer to accommodate us at the Omaha location, which we thought was a very nice offer. Lots of restaurants just close their doors without any announcement or even advance notice to their staff, so we felt lucky to even have an option. They were calling all of their reserved parties. I'm guessing they had just not connected to Single Source yet as we were contacted immediately.
SM Fan
Oct 20, 2007 10:11 AM
SM, here i was all agreeing with your views, and you uphold the coffee pot, as an exlempary dinning experience. the office as i see it is over rated, the one steak house i like is in scribner, if it is still open. they are down to earth, and i have yet to get one of those steaks the quality wooden windmill serves. i do agree with you, thanks to the tribune for allowing us to comment, come to think of it, that is somewhat forward thinking, wonder how long this might last. one improvement should be considered, although it might be my own ignorance (it may already exist), i would like to see a specific place to post ideas for news stories to the editor.
HK
Oct 20, 2007 10:26 AM
I'm sad to see a nice place close. But I don't think I'll be visiting the Omaha location. I'm sick of spending my money there. I want something nice to stay here, just once. This was a nice little microbrewery. Don't get me wrong, I drink Bud or Natural Light. But I loved that I could get a great variety of locally made brews with my meals. Many of the people I know that didn't like Lazlos never complained while they were there. Not once. Read the menu, folks! If you say that you aren't satisfied, they try to fix it. But no, it's so much easier to kvetch to high heaven afterwards than do what the restaurant WANTS you to do; help them make things better!
Go Italian!!!
Oct 20, 2007 11:32 AM
FAZOLI'S is what we need!! Nice family atmosphere, affordable prices and ALL THE YUMMY BREADSTICKS YOU CAN EAT!!!! LETS GET ONE HERE!!!!
this is ridiculous
Oct 20, 2007 11:48 AM
As a former employee of Lazlo's Fremont, I would like to say I am also disappointed. I'm not disappointed in Lazlo's by any means, but in Fremont. Lazlo's family came into your town with the bst intentions possible. They brought you homemade everything, offered reasonable prices (sorry we forgot to add a $1 menu), and treated everyone as family. Those of you who missed out on a Lazlo's experience because you couldn't get out of your sweatpants will never see the exceptional service Lazlo's offered. If you would have given them a chance, you would have noticed when you walked in the door that the majority of the customers dining were not "dressed up". The servers merely wore black shirts with khakis. This made it easy to identify servers and also helped with the professional look... but oops we don't do professional in Fremont. So, we changed our style to denim. I guess that didn't make you feel a little more comfortable with us? I suppose we should have just came in our sweatpants too. As far as how they treated their employees, kudos to every owner and manager for welcoming everyone they did. From being incredibly understanding with small issues (some those of you who were angry their food took 10 minutes instead of 1 at the drive-thru) to flexibly working with us for scheduling, they were always there with a smile. It means a lot to an employee to know they don't have to be scared to tell their manager they messed up. Instead, they know the manager or owner will say, "I'd love to help you with that". As far as wait times, if you thought we were so high class, wouldn't you expect to call ahead your seating on a busy Friday or Saturday night? Hello people, we're not going to put name tags on a table for you if you don't call and tell us you're coming! Another disappointment of mine was the few nights we had before closing. Some of you Fremont customers were rude and stiffing the servers. We're sorry that we asked for the store to close and we hope you feel better now that you didn't tip a person who just got laid-off. One woman threw a fit for 15 minutes about the store's closing. Maybe if you would have ate at Lazlo's more often, they could have stayed open! The point is, Fremont, that Lazlo's brought their unique ideas to you and you shut them down. As long as you stick with this program, you will always be the town in sweats at McDonald's (or Super McDonald's if you feel that would be a step up for Fremont).
Lazlo_Server_#1
Oct 20, 2007 12:50 PM
"Very sad to see it close. Great food -- maybe they should have realized they would need to run it a little different to work in Fremont? More specials, more promotion, more menu variations??" More promotion? Before we closed Fremont knew about it before the staff did! Why would you need to promote anything, everyone knew it was there. Menu variations? What more could you ask for? We offered everything from a great kids menu to top of the line steaks and seafood. Its a shame Fremont needs specials, and discounts to warrant going to a nice, hometown establishment to enjoy a great meal. I believe the entire town took for granted what a fantastic thing they had. I greatly appreciate the loyal core group of customers that did come out to enjoy the experience. You will all be missed. Needless to say, no one has mentioned the fantastic staff that is now unfortunatly JOBLESS! My heart goes out to the families that Lazlo's provided for. Thanks for the oppurtunity Fremont, it was a blast being the favorite resturaunt for a few of you.
Lazlo_Server_#2
Oct 20, 2007 12:56 PM
SingleSource Communications Oct 18, 2007 7:26 PM Attn: Scott Miller of Lazlo's. Our company has a Christmas party scheduled for 12/8/07 and NO ONE from Lazlo's contacted us. Now we are forced to scramble to find someplace else. Although I love the food and atmosphere, I am now going to boycott ALL OF LAZLO'S LOCATIONS. I stongly recommend avoiding all locations in Omaha and Lincoln. Jeff Wilson Owner SingleSource Communications in Fremont, NE. Sorry that I won't have the oppurtunity to provide a great party for your staff again. Last year was awesome. But unfortunatly, I'm out of a job! Maybe try to be so conceded. There are bigger problems at hand then your employees getting drunk!
eater
Oct 20, 2007 1:20 PM
i`m sorry to see lazlo`s close we do not have many upscale restaurants in fremont. but with upscale decor and priceing should be upscale food and service. lazlos had neither. had lazlo`s expanded their menu and improved the food and service i think they would have had a chance.there are several restaurants in fremont that have been here for years, some decades,they were new at one time. what kept people comeing back? good food and good service.
aggrivated
Oct 20, 2007 2:42 PM
Wow! We are comparing Lazlo's to The Office in Hooper? You are forgetting the difference in size. The Office moves people in and out quickly with the small town friendliness that people are looking for. Lazlo's is more high class with kind of a snobbish atmosphere. You would think with that big of a building they could move more people through faster.
Hmmm....
Oct 20, 2007 4:49 PM
What's happened has happened. It's done, the decision has been made. Thank you for your time here Lazlo's, I'm sorry things didn't work. Everyone has different views and thoughts on how this restaurant should have been run and how restaurants should be run. Why can't we just accept what happened and move on?? I feel horrible for the owners having to see/hear/read all the complaints about their restaurant. Maybe they are true, but they aren't going to help the restaurant anymore.
eater #2
Oct 20, 2007 5:12 PM
I can't help but wonder how village inn can stay open, if you have to have good service to stay in business here? what about holiday lodge, i got my steak prior to getting my salad, that is service for sure. there no comparison with lazlo's service, they could be closed and you would get your food faster than those two previously mentioned eating establishments
#1 Lazlos Fan
Oct 20, 2007 5:16 PM
Today I found out that the best restaurant in town is closing, and now I'm officially ashamed to be a member of the Fremont community. Why do the fast food places always win out, when Lazlos was fabulous? I loved everything about the place, including the service, food, and atmosphere. You people are crazy if you think it's too expensive. Try the french dip sandwich - it's $7 and tastes wonderful. Arby's is more expensive than that! Thank goodness my family and I plan on moving to Omaha within the next year. Then I'll be able to visit Lazlos on 192nd and Center and not worry about it closing the next day because of poor patronage! Shame on Fremont for having such a CHEAP, NITPICKY bunch of residents. Go Lazlos!
sm
Oct 20, 2007 8:12 PM
To SM fan-"Long live the Coffee Pot" was just a little bit of sarcasm-because it represents what Fremont is and what the Fremonter likes-a truck stop dining (I mean eating) experience where you can smoke and enjoy all things chicken-fried. This is by no means a slam on the people that work there-they work hard and they work long-they have to because the Fremonter is cheap and a bad tipper and wouldn't know a decent restaurant if one was built across the street from their trailer. Want proof? Wooden Windmill-below average to crappy food but oh, so close to Regency. Want more proof? See the plea to bring Fazoli's to Fremont-WE WANT BREADSTICKS!! Hey, why not build 2? We've got 2 BK's, 2 Runza's, 2 Wendy's, 2 Taco-somethings, and until Wal-Mart went "upscale" with Subway, 2 McDonalds! Face it Fremonter, you are Nebraska's Council Bluffs.
...
Oct 20, 2007 8:12 PM
The people of Fremont are crazy. Most menu items were lower priced than your beloved Applebee's. This is sad, a WONDERFUL group of people split up because Fremont was intimidated by a nice looking restaurant. Thanks to everyone who understood and appreciated the service that was offered. And big thanks to the people who came in and "forgot" to tip on a free meal. As a lesson, most servers get paid $2 an hour and very rarely receive a paycheck. Nice job Fremont, you are AMAZING.
CP
Oct 20, 2007 11:07 PM
I have only been to Lazlos a few times. For the most oart I liked it. I felt it was exspensive, so we did not go very often. The thing i did not like is that they did not have Range dressing for the salad. It is sad to see it close but it seems alot of new business do not make it. Fremont is not Lincoln. Lincoln is bigger then Fremont. As for having to wait, you need to expect that. Just last weekend we waited 20 min. to get our food at a fast food place in Iowa.
Fan of Lazlo's Servers
Oct 21, 2007 2:09 AM
Outpost is hiring...would greatly welcome the great servers from Lazlo's!!!
m
Oct 21, 2007 5:08 PM
unbelievable!!! You the people of fremont once again messsed up a good thing!! The service, food and prices were good. But, no we the fremonter would rather spend our extra hard earned monies on swim centers that are destined to become money pits and drains on our wallets Jr high's that are impossible to get in or out of "more money to fix latter I'm sure" I for one will miss this fine restaurant!! Oh well I guess it's back to eating shoe leather at applebee's or getting peanunt shells in my sandals @ W.C. or I can pay $20 to cook my own since this was the only place in town that knew what med rare was. goodbye, good luck and thank you to the owners and staff of a fine place of eating.
Disappointed
Oct 21, 2007 11:30 PM
To be honest, It is a great loss to the community. A locally owned restaurant, that has such pride and desire to make their customers happy is leaving Fremont. Of all the GREAT regulars that Lazlo's came to establish, thank you to all of you. The staff and management really worked hard to try and make it work for the community and it couldn't. Thank you to the entire staff and community of Lazlo's! You have been a great place to eat and frequent since I can remember.
?
Oct 22, 2007 7:54 AM
want a good steak go to North Bend and eat at The Rawhide Steak house. Never a bad meal.
SM Fan
Oct 22, 2007 8:45 AM
SM, and m, just imagine what a team the three of us would make, lol. i was struck by another post, now that i look in the mirror, we kind of are the trailer trash of nebraska, almost like council bluffs is to iowa. lol how would one go about changing that perception? loby Warren Buffet to move to fremont, after all we do have a dairy queen here, maybe we got a shot.
Michele
Oct 22, 2007 9:15 AM
I think if they would have had a building closer to town it would have survived. they were too far off the road and no sign from there. I loved eating there when i was in fremont.
bearone
Oct 22, 2007 9:24 AM
My husband took me there finally on 9-11-07. I was excited because I had been bugging him to try it just once. We were both disappointed. When our steaks came they asked us to cut them. I had med rare and he had med. They were rare. The waitress did say "would you like us to send them back?" We yes we did. When they came back, mine was on my husbands plate and vise versa. The manager (i think) gave them too us. As we switched our steaks he was very sorry and said that "our meals would be free and anything else that we wanted also." That did impress me because I think that they were wanted things to be perfect! Just didn't hit it with us. I hate to see any business close. But maybe their training methods have to be looked at. Why would it be good in other towns and not here???
Tried Lazlo's 4 times
Oct 22, 2007 9:56 AM
I've also eaten at Lazlo's in Lincoln on several occasions over the last 10 years and agree that Fremont’s suffered from the start. I don’t know if it was lack of expertise or training of their employees. If ever your entered from the back road (near the church) to the restaurant, it’s pretty bad when you continually see 3-4 wait staff out the back door smoking it up. Once seated most of the waiter/waitress that we experienced, continually ran in and out for another smoke break and when they returned you could smell that they wreaked of cigarette smoke. YICK! The other thing is that if you refused a brewed beer, they pushed and brought samples to your table anyway despite having said “no”. You need to listen to your customers.
Paul
Oct 22, 2007 11:31 AM
Perhaps another Burger King or McDonald's would be a good replacement. Those two places seem to represent the taste and spending habits of Fremont. People, you get what you pay for. If you expect a "good meal" for $6.99, you're dreaming. Go to Applebee's and enjoy your mediocre food.
J B
Oct 22, 2007 11:38 AM
Thank You for trying, Lazlos. I'm sorry Fremont didn't work out for you. Maybe keep the building, and try again in a year, maybe people will realize what they had, and not screw up twice with the same treasure.
Embarrassed
Oct 22, 2007 2:05 PM
Okay, Lazlo's closed, nothing we can do about it now, but I cannot believe how the people of Fremont are acting!!!! Calling one another "Trailer Trash". COME ON!!! Grow up! Everyone is entitled to their opinion, SM, M, SM Fan, who ever you are, if you hate Fremont so much, LEAVE!!! We don't want you here. There are a lot of hard working people in Fremont and for you to put them down like you are is ignorant! So, again, if you hate it here so much, Please LEAVE!!!
A Fremonter that dug his way out and will never come back!
Oct 26, 2007 6:50 PM
Lazlo's expensive....that is funny. I think in Lincoln a cheese burger and fries is like 8.00. Your super sized meal deal at the golden arches will cost you around 5.00, and that is some of the most vile food on the planet. Inside sources tell me that one of the biggest obstacles of running a nice restaurant in Fremont is the lack of a good employee base. Apparently many new employees would quit in a very short period of time or never even show up after a few days. And many times the employees were almost untrainable. It seems that Lazlo's had a very tough time just getting food to the tables because the employees from Fremont were so unreliable. And what do you mean that Fremonters don't have any money. The vast majority of your population commutes to Omaha to work. That means that they are probably making a good living in a white collar job. Fremont had problems that took Lazlos out of business. And that my friends is why I will never be back to live in your community!!