Five Willows is dead. The fitness center that spruced up the horribly ugly former Food4Less location at 48th and Pioneers called it quits through the time-honored and ever-so-honorable method of slapping a note on the door. I hate it when businesses close up that way.
I always wondered how long Five Willows could make it. Only the Jazzercise portion of the building ever seemed to get any use. (Jazzercise is separate and is still up and running.) The information I was able to gather over the years suggested that the business had to struggle from the start after the building's renovation process went far out of scope and over budget. If true, it may mean somebody will be able to take over the building for a steal, much like Lazlo's took advantage of the failure of Stackwoods. As a resident of the neighborhood I would love to see that kind of successful transition. Prairie Life, College View Edition?
If you're sad that you can't exercise any more at 48th and Pioneers, may I offer up an alternate plan? Go eat at Paul's, just across the street from Five Willows. If you can't work out you may as well eat some darn good food.
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I thought this place was doomed to failure as it was getting built. I am stunned that it lasted 5 years, to be honest. There was simply no way they ever could have recouped $2 million in the expenses they put into that building.
It is a nice looking building now - I hope someone can make use of it. The Prairie Life idea is good, but I’ve never seen the inside, so I don’t know if it would work.
This place wasn’t fully open a full five years. We moved back to Lincoln in October of 2006 and the building wasn’t finished as I recall.
First Center Stage calls it quits, & now this. It’s stressing me out. Maybe I should go get a massage at one of the remaining spas.
I didn’t think it had been 5 years either. It seems that construction took forever. I gave it less than 2 years, so I am still amazed at how long it lasted.
I predicted the same for the new art/cooking/whatever business just announced at the LJS Biz Buzz.
I worked at that Food4Less right up until the day that it closed and reopened on 33rd and Nebraska Hwy. I have fond memories of it.
My sis in-law taught yoga there till about a month ago. She knew it was coming.
It would have been kind of nice if other people had known, though. Its a bit tacky to hang a sign on your door and then bail.
I agree. When I closed my smaller health club, I gave all my members a one-month notice, and I didn’t charge anyone again (on monthly auto-renew)after we posted the notice it was closing. People got to work out with us for free for anywhere from 1-30 days. Seemed like the right thing to do. I’d do it that way again in a heartbeat. My employees all knew a month ahead of time as well.
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