With the temps climbing and old snow piles starting to melt, some folks are looking for the arrival of the first robin of spring.
After I asked readers what restaurant brands they craved to have cooking in Rochester, it seems many of you are hoping for a specific robin — Red Robin Gourmet Burgers — to swoop into the Med City.
Here's a note that fluttered into my e-mail box today:
"I was watching Food Network over the weekend and they did a segment on Red Robin. I decided to look up their menu. Oh my, why don't we have a Red Robin here?! Their menu looked great! I am heading up to Plymouth to try one of their burgers! Thanks." - Terri
I have checked with the chain based in Castle Rock, Colo., before, but Terri's note spurred me to call to see if anything has changed in the past couple of years.
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The spokeswoman Jamie Winter was happy to chat, but…
"Unfortunately, I don't have any news about Red Robin opening in your area," she told me. "And I didn't see anything on the radar for 2011."
Red Robin's nesting plan for this year is to build 10 or 11 new restaurants. It already has about 450 in operation across the U.S.
In Minnesota, you can get Red Robin burgers in Apple Valley, Plymouth and Shoreview.
The majority are corporate owned and about one-third are franchises.
Despite the melting snow, it doesn't look like this Robin will be flying into Rochester this spring. Sorry, Terri.
At least the roads should be clear for your drive to Plymouth.
