No fish Rainforest Cafe

FlyinBryan · Jun 15, 2015

My wife and I are at one our favorite restaurants here in Chicago area. Sad to report that they got rid of all the sw fish. In fact the tanks in their entirety. Not sure if its an economic decision or something else. Hope it's not an indicator of what's to come for the industry as a whole!

sureal00 · Jun 15, 2015

That would definitely add to my list of negatives with them.Thats one element I liked.

SantaMonicaHelp · Jun 25, 2015

Bummer! That was a highlight for me.

~CI

NeuroticAquatics · Jun 25, 2015

Yeah, that was really the draw for me to go. Not sure I will go again when I am around one with no fish. Probably cost an insane amount of money to maintain, which cuts profit.

yellojello · Jun 25, 2015

Not just maintenance costs, but I'm sure insurance costs and liability, since there was a major crack and leak in one of their sister restaurants.

d2mini · Jun 25, 2015

I know Bill Wann was offered to take a bunch of fish from his local RF Cafe.
Sounds like it might be something they are doing across the board.
You'd have to have an experienced reefer on staff at every restaurant. They aren't the kinds of restaurant tanks you'd hire a local LFS to do weekly maintenance on.

Ike · Jul 6, 2015

If you guys knew how these tanks were maintained and how many fish they kill (at least used to) you'd see it as a blessing. I worked at one during college and they managed to wipe out the total system twice in the first few months and have dozens of other fish loses over the next few months. It doesn't matter to "corporate" if the fish are sick and should be quarantined, or if the tank isn't fully cycled, the display has to be stocked full of large pretty fish at all times... They employed someone that was a formed LFS and maintenance company owner, and he knew better, but he wasn't the one pulling the strings.