September 11, 2009

'Raytown Roadhouse' proposed for Sixth Street

The Raytown Roadhouse's mechanical bull passing Monument Square Saturday afternoon.


Update: A centerpiece of the new Raytown Roadhouse arrived Saturday. Jim Spodick and Pete Karas bought a mechanical bull for the first floor of the country western-themed bar they hope to open in the former Century Market building.

Here's Karas riding the bull ...

Karas riding the bull.


Original post: Jim Spodick and Pete Karas are teaming up to open a new restaurant and bar in the former Historic Century Market building on Sixth Street.

The duo applied for a liquor license to open the "Raytown Roadhouse" at 506 Sixth St. The two-story business will have a Country-Western theme with a full restaurant, bars and live music.

The proposal will start the city approval process next week.

The Roadhouse's business plan features a chophouse restaurant, several bars, a VIP room and a stage for live country music and line dancing.

The restaurant could open this month and Spodick and Karas hope to secure a liquor license by mid-October. They had to pay $10,000 to apply for one of the city's reserve "Class B" licenses; most of the fee will be refunded once one of the city's 121 regular license - a number set by state law - is freed up.

46 comments:

  1. If I hear one person comment about being Korean, I think I'll puke!!
    Give it a rest already.

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  2. Funny, The Koreans were turned down. Let's see how this turns out.

    Here is your puke bucket

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  3. Jim Spodick is at it again? Everything he attempts to do eventually fails.

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  4. Shut up already about the damn Koreans!

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  5. Col. Sanders9/11/2009 6:57 AM

    Once again we will see Racine open itself up on how racist we are. I expect everyone who spoke out agest the Korean owned store to speak out on this. If not the question will be to me is it (The bar)O.K. because they are not Korean? Perhaps the slogan "Downtown Racine Great place if your rich and white" is what best describes Racine WI.

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  6. Dear Col.Sanders, Alas, you're 100% correct about this corrupt little company town. We all know which elitist WASP corporate crime family runs and ruins Racine. Someday those disciples of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ayn Rand will join their racist mentors in hell. (No, this is not a threat. Like all human beings, the Waxtrash will die and face divine judgment. I tremble for the Carnauba Court and its Ivy League lackeys when I remember that God is just.)

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  7. Maybe the devil will make the wicked Waxies work in hell's worst convenience store forever. I can just envision Mr. Hurt-Us, Dr. Risk and Ms. Yellin' waiting on their customers.

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  8. What? Another establishment that wants to sell even more alcohol on 6TH Street? And hard liquor at that?

    Well, based on disallowing a convenience store from selling packaged beer and wine, I would expect all of those 6TH Street shop owners to stand up at the next city council meeting and disapprove of this bar/restaurant that will put even more inebriated citizens on the streets and in vehicles. Oh, but wait, this is Pete Karas, a well known fairly well-to-do white guy. There won’t be any contention to this. I’ll bet the city council approves this without batting an eye. So get ready all you rowdy rednecks! There’s going to be a country western bar and restaurant for you to kick up your spurs at on 6TH Street. And I’ll bet that idiot that owns that pottery shop on 6TH Street doesn’t utter a word against this one.

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  9. Do you people even pay attention to what goes on in this city? Obviously not, if you think Pete Karas is well known and well to do - or liked by the aldermen. He just accused a bunch of them of a crime, remember? First you stooges think that Keith Fair is connected, now Karas. You are right about one thing, they are connected - to Jim Spoddick, everyone's favorite unsuccessful businessman.

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  10. concrete katie9/11/2009 9:33 AM

    Many don't seem to understand the new ordinance. Convenience store package licenses are different than liquor licenses that bars and restaurants seek. The Licencing committee has licenses to give if its a bar or a restaurant. If it is a convenience store that doesn't exist, forget it. If it exists and changes hands, you can get one I guess (Magic Market on Washington? Doesn't make sense? You are right. The Licensing Committee is now in position to be selective and discriminatory with each new business proposal that comes its way. Apparently the Licensing Committee knows better than the taxpayers and residents they represent.

    I love the idea of Raytown Roadhouse. Very, very cool. Fun, colorful and local use of the building! And yes it is another headache brought on by overreach for the Licensing Committee! Yes! to Raytown Roadhouse. It is great news.

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  11. Yes Racine WI the home of racism what will we see next? Guards at Party on the pavement to keep Blacks,Hispanics, and God forbid Koreans away?

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  12. Katie, yes we do understand the difference. But the point is that a convenience store selling only beer and wine as packaged alcohol (not individual bottles and cans) that are designed for people to TAKE HOME and consume is far less of a problem than bars selling hard liquor that is consumed right there on the premises and then spew intoxicated people out of their doors onto the street next to your home. These are the ones that piss and vomit all over the place, get into fights and throw their smuggled out bottles and cans all over the place. When was the last time you saw someone come out of a convenience store and sit in their car and drink up a 6-pack and throw the cans out on the street. I’ll bet…, never. And sure, you’re all for this redneck cowboy club, but would your attitude be the same if they were playing hip-hop music and drawing a predominantly black crowd like Park 6 does? I think not.

    Anon 9:11, don’t put words in my mouth. I DID NOT say that Pete Karas was liked by the aldermen. And it IS true that he IS well know in the city and he IS fairly well-to-do. If you think otherwise, you’re not on the same planet I am. But the fact is, they are white guys (as am I) who want to open a white club and they will get the OK to do it. However, if this was a black guy wanting to open a hip-hop club, he’d be shot down in a heartbeat. I don’t believe the Chun’s were discriminated against by the city council because they were Korean. I believe that prejudice came from the other shop owners on 6th Street and the city council used the self-imposed licensing limit as an excuse to placate the racist business owners. Also, Pete Karas DID NOT accuse the aldermen of any criminal activity. He did not call them criminals. He pointed out an infraction to a parliamentary point of procedure. These guys are all buddies and are not going to hold a grudge for something a trivial as that. They’re all members of the GOBC.

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  13. Dave Duke, the most current undisputed, unconstitutional, racially discriminatory practice going on in the city is that black males between the ages of 21 and 24 are banned from entering Park 6's premises on Friday and Saturday nights. The reasoning is that they are the age group that causes most of the trouble. I understand the reasoning, but to target a specific group based on age and/or color and then deny them their constitutional rights to enter a bar is criminal, to say the least.
    Where's out mayor or city council concerning this issue?

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  14. The Translator9/11/2009 12:03 PM

    So Fritz Cape must be OK with this one? The CS decision smacks of cronyism!

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  15. I have to agree with the previous post. Is prohibiting all men (or women)of legal drinking age a widespread practice or is it just African American men?

    Since the LiberTEA folks were so concerned about the constitutional rights of the people starting the convenience store, I wonder where they stand on this issue?

    Will they weigh in?

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  16. "Where's out mayor or city council concerning this issue?"

    Thinking of new taxes

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  17. Where's Colt when you need him?

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  18. Tim the Shrubber9/11/2009 1:27 PM

    "Many don't seem to understand the new ordinance. Convenience store package licenses are different than liquor licenses that bars and restaurants seek."

    No, they get it, they just want to be obnoxious in their anti-government stand.

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  19. Colt is still here, and active.

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  20. Colt is a looney felon! I think it was for theft.

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  21. For the guy saying if it was a hip hop club or chocolate city bricks club it would not be allowed just look at Park 6, looks hip hop to me.
    Some guy claimed Park 6 does not allow black youts between 21-24 to come on Fri and Sat, oh well dont most all businesses RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE THEY SEE FIT ? You want the mayor and common clowncil to weigh in ? For what ?

    I don't really buy that Park ^ does not allow black youts in, I cruise around downtown most every Friday and Saturday night and observe whats happening and I do not believe Park 6's clientele coming in for smooth jazz.

    Wally's BBQ was black owned, he couldnt hack it. Oh well, around 8 thousand white owned art galleries have come and gone on Sixth St over the past ten years.
    Keith Fair's getting a free bar, PARTY FRICKEN ON.

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  22. What is free about remodeling, whoever you are.I still marvel about the ignrance in these blogs. It is probably someone that I am sharing information with, but whoever you are I personally am not scare or intimidated by your lack of information or intolerable ignorance You ROCK on!! Discrimination, what discrimination when you can;t even spell it.

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  23. I am with Keith on this one. Spelling is important.

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  24. Dear 9/11/2009 8:40 A.M., Having Satan make the Waxtrash work in Hell's worst convenience store is too lenient a penalty for their raunchy racism and elitism. Nope, I think that Mr. Hurt-Us, Dr. Risk and Ms. Yellin' should have eternal infernal jobs in a dive featuring nothing but inedibly-bland and blah WASP cuisine.

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  25. Obscenities won't solve this toadish town's problems. As for the Post, it isn't pathetic--it's prophetic! Some of the ideas presented here are constructive suggestions we can use to reform Racine and build a better future here for our people.

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  26. And then a hero comes along
    with the strength to carry on
    and you cast your fears aside
    and you know you can survive
    so when you feel like hope is gone
    look inside you and be strong
    and you'll finally see the truth
    that a hero lies in you.

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  27. Wow The Post is in the bag for Pete too.
    Dunstan The Post in no way can be thought of a "Newspaper" just like the J-T.

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  28. Dear Mr. Demske, Although you mean well, the Transcendentalist notions promoted by your poem won't lift the oligarchy's victims up and out of poverty. The individualistic philosophy which you espouse enables the rich to keep the rest of us down in the muck. (Nowhere else in the post-industrial world would you find such ballyhoo. Over in Western Europe, the workers know that ordinary people must unite to fight their oppressors, not look within themselves for individualistic solutions to collective problems. Over there, they know that groups, not individuals, change socio-economic and political systems.) Thank you very much for your kind attention.

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  29. I'm trying to figure out if Anon. who uses the big words is named Zinn or Chomsky...

    Either way, I like it.

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  30. Spodick, Karas and alot of bull.

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  31. I must have missed a number or something. When was anyone turned down at this address? You all aren't getting confused with 422? 6th are you? This is a block away dudes!

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  32. Good luck Jim(& Pete), you've been working on your vision of 6th St. for more than a dozen years. I hope this helps you get it there.

    BTW, I thought liability insurance was dang-near impossible to get....

    I'm going to stay out of the politics and socio-economic posts here for once.

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  33. I heard Jim Spangenberg is going to start a "advisory group" to advise license & welfare against giving Pete & Jim a license to house the mechanical bull. Jim Spangenberg's reasoning is that the Bull might get loose and stampede all the art shoppers on Sixth St. Way to look out for us Mr. Spangenberg. Maybe you can appoint only PETA members to this group.

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  34. I think that Tom should build a gas station to replace the fountain.
    After all we need more Gas Stations, so much better then say Farmer's Markets

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  35. Good luck guys! Sounds like a good idea - even though I'm not a country music fan myself.

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  36. You must agree with our betters!

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  37. Tim the Shrubber9/14/2009 8:42 AM

    "I'm trying to figure out if Anon. who uses the big words is named Zinn or Chomsky..."

    Neither. Chomsky cannot write something without citing one of his own previous publication, and Zinn cannot write something without citing Chomsky. They are some of the most inbred academics I have ever read.

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  38. Pete - will you be sharing some of your pot with your customers?

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  39. Negativity, negativity. How about this - we don't have any country bars in Racine! Isn't that a good reason to open it? It sounds like fun. I can't wait to check it out when it opens.

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  40. did you ever ride a mechanical bull?


    did you ever ride a mechanical bull on WEEEEEEED?

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  41. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  42. Mariah Carey rules!

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  43. My husband and I both enjoy country music and welcome the opportunity for a night out with friends without the bone shaking bass that you normally get at other bars.

    I'm not saying that "hip-hop" music draws an un-disarable crowd so don't jump to that conclusion, I'm saying that it gives me a headache, I don't appreciate most of the subject matter of the songs, therfore I prefer not to patron bars which play this type of music. Just as someone who doesn't like country music most likely won't step foot in Raytown Roadhouse. It's a matter of choice and if you don't like the business model then don't spend your money there. In the long run the community will decide the success of Raytown Roadhouse...Nothing speaks louder than the "green".

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  44. Well... with all the construction on 6th street only the rednecks with their big trucks can navigate downtown anyway...

    I think that Racine will be surprised at how many rednecks there actually are in this community. The business most likely will do well, as those country boys sure do know how to toss back a beer or two.

    As a mother of 2 redneck children and "foster mom" to countless others I can say this about them...They're good kids! Respectful and hard working. They earn everything they have and pay their taxes... not one of them is on welfare or any sort of public aid. I know of 3 that purchased homes within the last 6 months, the oldest was 24 and the youngest was 20.

    It's about time that Racine supported a business that catered to the country music fan and lifestyle of the hardworking class that BUILT this country... the american farmer.

    My lingering question is... where the heck are they all supposed to park?

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  45. Your concern is where they will PARK? Good lord, ever heard of how you're not supposed to drive when you're DRUNK?

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