The place to break bread among Shelby fans falls to economy.
06-20-09: For just over a year the Shelby Corner Café located within the Shelby Automobile’s campus in North Las Vegas hosted enthusiasts, visitors, employees and the public for a meal. Carroll’s idea was to create a place for employees to eat since there is little in the way of restaurants near their facilities north of downtown.
Sad news has come this week that the Shelby Corner Café has closed. While not a lot of detail is out yet, it is said the closure was due to a number of factors - largely due to the brutal economic atmosphere in Las Vegas which has tourism down nearly 30%. While employees of nearby businesses were a big part of the clientele, the Shelby Corner Café was also a major hit with Mustang and Shelby enthusiasts visiting Las Vegas and touring the Shelby Automobiles facilities.
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The Shelby Corner Café was brilliantly themed with Shelby history, unique car parts derived décor, and a traditional American menu. The restaurant played host to a number of car shows and club gatherings and most recently was the kick-off point for the 2009 Mustangs Across America 45th Anniversary Drive.
While Shelby Automobiles is doing very well in their business these days despite the down economy, the Shelby Corner Café honestly had a tough nut to crack even in good times. While Mustang and Shelby enthusiasts all over the country loved the place, it was located out in the middle of a faceless industrial park at the far outskirts of town. Even in good times, the café would have struggled to get regular traffic in amounts to make the place really hum.
What Shelby might be clever to explore now is working a deal with one of the nearby resort casinos like The Cannery or the Aliante. They could create a Shelby Corner Café within the confines of the casino through a licensing venture, and theme the place just as the original.
Such a venture would have built-in foot traffic 24/7 and be a win win for both Shelby and the casino. In addition it would still be close to the Shelby campus allowing it to be a built-in attraction to local Mustang and Shelby shows. But alas,I am an optimist that sometimes dreams too easily a rosy picture.
