Sac Press readers started sending us tips last week about the closing of Mongo Mongo Mongolian BBQ & Fusion Boxes. It would appear the restaurant has joined the ranks of other former occupants of the location at 1830 J Street. Plum Blossom shut its business in early 2011. Garlic Shack opened in the same location the following July, only to close its doors a mere three months later. Mongo Mongo then moved in Jan. of 2012, after Garlic Shack vacated, and appears to have shut its doors as well. Mongo Mongo’s Yelp reviewers run the gamut, from disgusted diners to über fans, and owner Jonathan Ng could not be reached for comment. So you tell us – what happened? Bad food, bad business, or is

Garlic Shack, Lounge on 20, Red Lotus, California Pizza Kitchen, Hangar 17 and Brew it Up! are all restaurants that have closed in the central city in the past few years. Meanwhile, others thrived, celebrating 10- and 20-year milestones. Why? The Sacramento Press talked to local restaurant consultant Andy Soto, owner of Spectrum Restaurant Consulting, and asked what he thinks are some of the mistakes restaurants make that cause them to shut down. While Soto said there are many reasons restaurants fail, he sent us his top five.  Why resturants fail, by Andy Soto: Not connecting with the community. Things like participating in events like Make a Wish Foundation, Grape Escape, etc. Those

Garlic Shack, a Midtown restaurant that opened in in early July on the corner of 19th and J streets, appeared closed Wednesday afternoon and evening, with chairs stacked on tables and the vinyl “We’re Open” sign removed. Owner Ken Powers did not return phone calls left by The Sacramento Press Wednesday, and workers at nearby businesses were not able to confirm whether the restaurant was closed for good or just on hiatus. Gluten-free brown rice was the basis for the restaurant’s signature rice bowls, and most menu items featured garlic, with garlic fries being a favorite, as previously reported by The Sacramento Press. Before Garlic Shack, the space housed Plum Blossom, an Asian-food re

July’s Second Saturday was the place to be for music, art, socializing, fashion and a zombie walk. During summer more people take to the Streets of Midtown to enjoy Second Saturday events. Vendors and artists move their venues each month. Many artists move their work from one Art Walk exhibit to the next looking for places to hang their artwork for a month. Other artists have established studios or areas where they exhibit on a regular basis. Local musicians find a street corner to play and then have a show at night clubs as Second Saturday begins to wind down. Law enforcement presence is reassuring and helps to know they’re patrolling the area. This month I walked the streets waiting f

Midtown’s Garlic Shack has been open for a week, and General Manager Ken Powers said the locals have been craving his garlic fries, along with other items such as rice bowls based on gluten-free brown rice. The hard part is letting people know it’s open, he said, since it has been about six months since the former restaurant, Plum Blossom, closed. To read more about the construction and ideas behind The Garlic Shack, located at 19th and J streets, click here. “We didn’t want to open on Second Saturday, so we made sure we opened a week earlier,” Powers said, adding that he hopes to have a DJ outside for the Second Saturday Art Walk. The restaurant’s glass garage door, which spans much o

The Garlic Shack is expected to open in Midtown in about two weeks once a renovation and inspections are complete, the restaurant's owner said Friday. The opening was delayed by more than two months to bring in engineering services needed for the installation of a 17-foot-wide sliding glass garage door that will dominate the front of the building. Sacramento County building inspectors wanted the installation plans drawn up for the space on a busy corner at 19th and J streets. The door will be installed in two parts with a two-foot supporting pillar in the middle. An engineer was called in to ensure the installation will leave the building structurally sound, owner Ken Powers said. "Eve

A late-night eatery celebrating the virtue and flavor of garlic is expected to open soon on J Street – replacing Plum Blossom, which mysteriously closed this week. The Garlic Shack will offer a funky, low-key vibe, with an under-$15 menu starring garlic in everything from Caribbean rice bowls and burgers to dessert, said owner Ken Powers. "It's going to be a fun place to come eat some food, drink some beer," he said. "Almost everything we have will have garlic in it." After 20 years in the food industry, Powers is opening his first restaurant on a prime Midtown corner at 18th and J streets. The Sierra foothills resident has mainly worked at restaurants in the foothills and the Sierra Ne