I don't know why this thread has turned to the closing of Shakey's, but I would like to weigh in having worked in the restaurant industry years ago and still having some friends in the business. Restaurants need to constantly reinvent themselves and update their building as well as their interior and menu. Shakeys looks the same now as it did 20+ years ago. And what worked 20 years ago, does not work now. Chains simply do a much better job of keeping up with the times than most locally owned restaurants. Much of this is, of course, because the nationals have deeper pockets, but I believe most local owners just want to keep riding their gravy train until it peters out; then they want to blame the national chains.
Lastly, if they are decent workers, most ex-Shakey employees can get jobs at the other local restaurants. There are more workers in the Janesville restaurant business now than there were 5 years ago. And it looks like more restaurants are still to come.

I think "Chainsville" is more responsible for the closings of Shakeys than the owner. I didn't eat there much, but it's not the first time a Texas Roadhous or Red Robin have replaced a locally owned small business.

I want our our politicians to relize that rock county has lost a number of companies that went over seas over the last 8 years an now we are going to loose a resturaunt in janesville an that means the loss of jobs right here in the comunity i wonder what will happen to those workers an how they will be able to fin a new job with our job market shrinking.I hope the canidates reconize how bad the situation here is i also hope the owner of shakeys has now added to the problem of lesss jobs in Janesville this adds to them an rember this well who lost the Motorola palnt to harvard Il when they were trying to decide which state to build in an gues where those Jobs are now in Mexico so to our curent elected officals includeing the county an city we need jobs now not just cause its a election year you have till Nov 4 2008 time to keep those promisies that were made that got your elected in the first place. TO THE OWNER OF SHAKEYS YOU ARE ACOUNTABLE FOR THE LOSS OF JOBS AS OF FEBUARY 10 2008 an shakeys has been here sense 1972 an the only pole that dose count is the one on election day as voters make sure you keep that in mind when you are voteing the coice is yours an you have a voice

Ah, now a smear campaign comes to Janesville. "tseiden" is a new account with no posting history. Who is funding this effort? Probably the neo-conservative (Bush War) right, who fear him as a candidate. Even some Democrats have been taken in by the lies. Expect this effort to turn its volume up to 11 as the election season progresses.

Obama Targeted in Smear Campaign
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,...

Illinois Senator Reiterates Commitment to Israel
http://www.nysun.com/article/70362

For Jewish Voters in New York, ‘Almost an Embarrassment of Riches’
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/nyregi...

Somewhat off topic, but hear me out Mr. Angus.

Now that a candidate for presidency has made an announcement to speak close to Janesville I am afraid of all the political rhetoric to follow in these posts. I know it’s no easy task for the Gazette to monitor these posts but please try to give it some extra time. I am afraid there will be long drawn out posts from supporters and those that oppose the candidates. I bet also many of those that will post will not even be from around here or really know anything about our area. Please do not allow them to use this forum as their personal “free” page.

Thank you

Obama will be in Madison at the Kohl center on Tuesday night.

It's surprising that Obama is not distancing itself from the United Church of Christ from a political perspective - his denomination, the United Church of Christ, has been accussed of being anti-semitic and and has been publicly rebuked by every major Jewish organization. The quotes from Jewish leads can be found at http://www.UCCtruths.com/ and on the blog at http://ucctruths.blogspot.com/2007/06/wi...

"At least you are honest. You used to rail about the pressure from the “pro-Israel lobby.” You’ve dropped the code language. It’s Jews you’re talking about, as you admit in your current letter. Your irritation is puzzling, though. You have done a near perfect job keeping those pesky Jews from your offices, and from your convention floor when resolutions about the fate of Israelis came up. If we didn’t know better, we would think you simply don’t like outside interference and pressure. But you have no problem with the pressure from organizations like Sabeel and Al-Awda, both of whom reject the legitimacy of a Jewish state, and both of whom have either partnered with the UCC, or have been listed as a resource. And you don’t mind twisting a few arms yourself, do you? Remember the infamous “midnight meeting” at your General Synod in 2005, when you didn’t like the committee recommendation to the floor, so you substituted your own language, without anyone realizing it and had delegates adopt a resolution different from what they thought they were approving?"
-Letter to John Thomas from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, July, 2006

"While it is heartening that the United Church of Christ has come out strongly against those who advocate for Israel's destruction, it is troubling that church leaders continue to embrace the Sabeel Center while ignoring statements from its leader questioning Israel's right to exist. You can't have it both ways."
-Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor, Anti-Defamation League, Director of Interfaith Affairs, January 2006

Eight Jewish groups rebuked the United Church of Christ for what they said was an imbalanced statement on Israel. Joining the JCPA in the letter were the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements; the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League and B'nai B'rith International.
-JTA, June, 2007

I hope he comes! We saw him in Iowa and we love him! He let my 7 year old ask a question during the q&a time. I think he is the best candidate to come along in a very long time. Honesty, integrity, intelligence, humility...all character traits sadly lacking in most politicians. Go Obama!