Mi Tierra Mexican Restaurant, 6164 Saint Andrews Road: 1 May 2010 10 comments
Well, it is a bit sad to see their street sign proclaiming their first anniversary and then to have them closed 16 days later, but that's how it happens sometimes. (Though they apparently still have an operation in Florence).
I wrote about this building first in a closing for Cancun / Little Mexico, so the building has been at least three different Mexican restaurants. Loopnet says the place was built in 1980 and is a "Spanish Style" restaurant, so it probably has been Mexican restaurants since it was built. Notice also the fundamental tension in the Loopnet write-up (apparently left over from 2007 or so) between keeping something secret and posting it on the Internet..
I did not yet notice any "for sale" signs on the building last week, but I suppose it will be another Mexican restaurant someday.
(Hat tip to commenter IrmoJeff)
UPDATE 29 Sep 2010: The restaurant is being converted into a Wata Wing -- or maybe not.
Commenter Matt found this PDF of a legal action in Maryland against Wata Wing which seems to basically indicate that while there may be legit WW restaurants, the franchaising operation is pretty much a scam. The work being done on the Mi Teirra building matches the description in the PDF pretty much to a tee, right down to the work on the floors and the note on the door indicating that it was started without getting the proper permits. To me, the oddest thing in the PDF is that apparently none of the people in Maryland investing in WW franchaises ever asked to visit an operating WW, or at least that's the implication I'm getting. The Taco Bell on Knox Abbott seems to be in a similar state of Wata Wing stall-out.
10 Responses to 'Mi Tierra Mexican Restaurant, 6164 Saint Andrews Road: 1 May 2010'
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JC
20 Aug 10 at 12:03 am
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It has just come to my attention that a place called Wata Wing based in Arlington, Va. will be setting up shop here...
They appear to specialize in spicy wings as well as BBQ...
Andrew
1 Sep 10 at 4:24 pm
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Andrew, thanks for the heads up!! Wow, a place that only serves chicken wings. Ted, I guess you won't be dining there! I'm not going to post the link, but there is an interesting back story with this chain. They started as a Tripp's Fried Chicken in Columbia! It mentions Wata Wings in Columbia and Myrtle Beach, but I don't recognize the name.
Jonathan
2 Sep 10 at 8:39 am
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This is slightly off-topic, so I apologize.
But is this site a joke? You click on Delivery and it gives a cheesy java applet of a delivery truck driving around. You click on locations and it only has pictures of a location. Other than corporate contact info, there is very little here. Also, a Yahoo email address for their corporate info, really?
Matt
2 Sep 10 at 8:21 pm
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@Matt I do understand why you'd say that. The photos don't tell you anything about a location...I can't tell you how to get to any of their other locations based on the info...I get a kick out of the spicy/hot scales under the menu but it dosen't tell me much else
Andrew
2 Sep 10 at 9:41 pm
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I doubt this place ever opens. I found a lawsuit filed Aug 13, 2010 in Maryland against the guy who founded Wata Wing. It accuses him of selling francises and not providing the equipment, licensing, business startup help, etc. The limited amount of work completed that was listed in the lawsuit is similar to what is listed on the Knox Abbott Taco Bell listing (another planned Wata Wings location). The lawsuit states that there were a maximum of 4 locations in SC and all had closed as of June.
I think this website may have originally been built to promote an actual restaurant, but it was updated with just enough info to bait the marks in Maryland into handing over $60,000 in francise filing fees.
http://www.oag.state.md.us/Securities/Actions/2010/WataWing_OSC_8_10.pdf
Matt
2 Sep 10 at 10:50 pm
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Well, they took out a spread in the Free Times stating that they were having a grand opening, but did not give an opening date. Just said "8 New Locations Coming To Columbia Soon!" It did give the St. Andrews address, though. I will be traveling down St. Andrews tonight. I will check it out.
It will be very tough to beat Carolina Wings, both with tap selection and quality of wings. Plus CW's is closer to me. Still will give it a shot.
Jonathan
3 Nov 10 at 4:47 pm
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Yeah, I saw that! Good luck to them. I think I did see a "for sale" sign on the Knox Abbott Taco Bell though.
ted
3 Nov 10 at 5:04 pm
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oh man I ate there at what a wing and i got a say Ive always eat at carolina wings and ale house but I had there sweet and sour an it was the best we've now been 5 times and each time was better then the last. the wife dont eat many wings but she said the pizza is really good and last night she had the gyro and it was great, and by the way matt have you ever looked at how many law suites mcdonalds 5 guys and burger king has ????
great job what a wing keep up good food
sean
21 Jan 11 at 2:49 pm
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I'm suspicious that this place might have already folded up after less than 6 months in business. I say that because my parents and I had dinner at Deno's that is across the street from this and it appeared to me that nobody was home. I went by it again this afternoon and nobody was home either. I am not ready to say with 100% certainty that this place is closed up but I'm afraid that it appears that way to me.
By the way, I did a Google on this place and it listed another location at 1928 Broad River Road.
When I clicked the web link I posted in an earlier comment, it appeared I needed some sort of log code to get onto the site itself... the site left a lot to be desired anyway...I never went and I was a little skeptical based on some of the things discussed herein on this thread...
Andrew
27 Feb 11 at 10:07 pm
It appears this building has sold. Not sure what is going in here. Mi Tierra in my opinion was the best Mexican food in Columbia. I don't think the owners could overcome the past failures there combined with the poor location.