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I'm curious: does anyone have any old maps showing where the various shops & restaurants were in the mid-80's? I'm trying to recall where the Ground Round used to be in there (a restaurant which, the few times I went to it, rivaled the Saugus Sonic for speed of food delivery).
 
squidman1 said:
The Ground Round was on Huntington Ave (I believe), roughly in the same place where the Pressed Cafe space is
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So in the late '90s to early '00s there was the Berkshire Grille in the back of the Pru on Huntington Ave across from the Colonnade Hotel, where 5 Napkin Burger was and now is Pressed Cafe, and that was owned by the Ground Round. I worked there as a bartender and server and I actually opened it and closed it, I believe 4 years later when Ground Round Inc went under. It was a shame because Berkshire Grille was doing pretty well there, even if it was in a kinda weird spot that didn't get much foot traffic, other than the drunks coming and going from the original spot of Dick's Last Resort, which was on the other side of the garage entrance. It was an interesting time of my life, just after college, working a full time day job and there at night, not to mention all the drama of being down there during 9/11.
 
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Off topic but there are still a couple Ground Rounds surviving in Maine. I also went to one in Rutland Vermont a couple times over the past few years, but that one is now permanently closed.

It looks like it's still surviving somewhat in the midwest.

GroundRound - Locations

groundround.com groundround.com
 
DZH22 said:
Off topic but there are still a couple Ground Rounds surviving in Maine. I also went to one in Rutland Vermont a couple times over the past few years, but that one is now permanently closed.

It looks like it's still surviving somewhat in the midwest.

GroundRound - Locations

groundround.com groundround.com
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I thought it was all of the Ground Rounds and their subsidiaries that closed but it was the corporate ones. According to Wikipedia:
"On February 13, 2004 the franchisor for Ground Round filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In the process, all 59 corporate-owned restaurants (almost half of the Ground Rounds then open) abruptly closed their doors.[7] A group of franchisees joined together in order to buy out the company, at the time Ground Round, Inc., and started the Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC (GR IOC).[8"
 
gac108 said:
I thought it was all of the Ground Rounds and their subsidiaries that closed but it was the corporate ones. According to Wikipedia:
"On February 13, 2004 the franchisor for Ground Round filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In the process, all 59 corporate-owned restaurants (almost half of the Ground Rounds then open) abruptly closed their doors.[7] A group of franchisees joined together in order to buy out the company, at the time Ground Round, Inc., and started the Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC (GR IOC).[8"
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Thanks, everyone! I just found the "Evolution of the Pru" thread here, and in that was a 60's-era directory that showed Schrafft's right where the Pressed Cafe is now (which aligns with what everyone here said), but after the renovations (and the arrival of R2-D2) it's no longer possible to access it from within the mall as we could in my Boskone days. Thanks!

So the Ground Round franchisees are trying to do what the HoJo's franchisees also attempted? That bodes ill.
 
prucirca1993.png


This mall directory from 1993-1994ish shows where the general Ground Round space was.
 
Ah… that’s the part that was obliterated by Menino’s hat rack (AKA 111 Huntington).
 
squidman1 said:
View attachment 28439

This mall directory from 1993-1994ish shows where the general Ground Round space was.
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Man! That Ground Round space was HUGE! Same with that Fleet Bank. Looks like they had larger footprints than the Pru itself! The Berkshire Grill was definitely not that big. I think it must've taken up the space of the former Dick's Last Resort as well. It's wild to think how much this area has changed along Huntington, Belvedere, and Boylston since then. It's hard for me to remember what it looked like back then when I was in high school, though I'm sure I wasn't paying attention to these kinds of things the few times I walked around the Pru Center in the mid 90s.
 
33FD8471-C8E9-4450-AE1E-7C54A1013600.jpeg


The Berkshire Grill only took up the size of the highlighted space. I think the mall map just shows general areas for “anchor” restaurants and services.
 
They're wrong about it being Boston's only observation deck, as I believe you can still go up the Custom House at a certain time of day. Also Independence Wharf has a free, albeit crappy/low, deck across from the Seaport. Also there are observation "points" with structures including Bunker Hill Monument, Washington Tower at Mount Auburn Cemetery, and the Prospect Hill Tower in Somerville.

Obviously it's the only deck that sits above 500' so we can still point to that. I sure hope it doesn't get a full million people per year!!! One of my favorite parts of the prior one was that I could admire views from all different windows without feeling like I was getting crowded out, or had to share the best angles with people specifically waiting for them. I also see that they're essentially doubling the price, when for me the view was the only benefit I cared to pay for and that itself hasn't doubled in grandeur. So IMO this whole thing stinks, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised?
 
I wouldn't be surprised if prices are outrageous. This is probably the 4th or 5th time I'm posting this, but $185 million to renovate an observation deck and lobby is still absolutely absurd to me, especially when $42 million was outlined for interior renovation costs - the other 143 million (The going cost of a really nice brand new public high school) was for...?
 
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First. Is there really now website for Boston that lists stuff like this for tourists and other visitors??? If not then there definitely should be a list compiled of all observation decks and other great view sites within and around the city.

All the understandable miff about costs brings up another good point. Whenever anyone talks about site seeing in DC there are always people who are amazed that so much is free.

Yeah yeah I get it that even little groups need some type of income to provide the experiences but donations and other ways 🫣 Taxes to a point should be used for some museums and other things that show how great our city is and it's very influential past.

A little here and a little there will help drive up other things in our economy.

Just my 2¢
 
I had the pleasure of going up to the one at the John Hancock Tower when it first opened, & thus was a bit surprised to see that you could look down a little to the top of the Pru Tower!! That gave me such a thrill to see that!! :)
 
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Nibbles O’Plenty said:
Sure hope price does not double. The old one was about 24 dollars…and that view was not worth that much.
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Eh... the Willis Tower is $30-$44, Empire is about $40, when I went to the top of Shanghai Tower I feel lke it was... about $25-$30ish USD. Of course, those are all considerably taller than the Pru, but you're paying for the highest local observation deck, so I'd bet it'll come in at around $40-$45.

With the new outdoor deck and whatever fancy amenities they've tricked out the completely overhauled interior with, it may well be worth a visit at the price -- either as a one-time tourist or maybe an annual or occasional trip for locals (especially architecture dorks).

I know I'll be forking over the price of admission to go up once they reopen, even if I bitch about it afterwards.
 
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