If everyone in the county had $1 for every time someone said, "Well, we're supposed to be getting an Olive Garden!" or, "We're supposed to be getting a Kohl's!" we wouldn't have a poverty problem.
Olive Garden was a myth for years, so much so that I chose not to believe it was real until I was there. Call it guarded optimism. But it did happen. Olive Garden is there--my brother insists it's one of the best ones he's been to, but I'm pretty sure he's only ever been to the one in Greensburg--and very popular.
We've also seen a TJ Maxx spring up, although by most accounts, it's a bit of a disappointment. It's like a more expensive and less risky Gabe's (in the word's of my boyfriend's dad, "I don't brag, I flaunt that snag!"). So Gabe's purists probably stay away, plus it lacks the variety of the approximately 1,000 clothing racks strewn across the middle of Bon-Ton in the mall a few weeks ago.
Rumor has it TJ Maxx was a test-run to see if the Nam was ready for a Kohl's. I'm not sure where this is coming from and I'm not sure I believe it, especially since Kohl's and TJ Maxx are very different stores. But rumor also has it that the TJ Maxx test failed and our dreams of a Kohl's have been shattered.
Meanwhile, a sign advertising a forthcoming Michael's is still standing tall and proud, because crafting is just what Fayette County needs. However, Ponderosa went out of business at some point in the past few weeks. Or was it months? No one knows because no one noticed because no one ate at Ponderosa...which is why it went out of business. Oh, what a vicious cycle.
I too didn't believe a word about the Olive Garden until I saw it for my own eyes. As for Michael's, it's long overdue since Jo-Ann closed years ago. I mean, you have to give the people access to as much puffy paint and fleece for those fringed blankets as possible.
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