Posts

Showing posts from February, 2023

Cheyenne KFC is remodeling and renovating!

Image
KFC Sign advertising the drive thru being open during construction - Optopolis If you've passed by the Cheyenne Kentucky Fried Chicken recently, you may have noticed something a bit... different about the location. They are actively moving along with remodeling and renovating the building! Cheyenne KFC History If you've lived in Cheyenne for 15+ years or visited at some point back then, you'll likely recall that KFC used to be closer to downtown Cheyenne; it was once located next to Baskin Robins at what is today Rodolfo's Mexican Grill. According to the property assessor, the building was built in 1968! TOP: KFC in 2007 | BOTTOM: Rodolfo's in 2019 - Google Maps Street View KFC moved to where it is today around the turn of the 2010s, the property assessor noting a 2009 build date. Previously, the property was home to the Home Ranch Motel as seen in this image on flickr . For the longest time--since opening--the new KFC offered their buffet. Last year in 2022, howeve...

Ziggi's, Western Vista to hold grand opening celebration

Image
"Now Open" sign for Ziggi's Coffee sits near the Thomes Avenue Entry on opening day - Optopolis Ziggi's Coffee opened their second Cheyenne location, and Western Vista opened their third Cheyenne location! Now they are going to have an official Grand Opening! History and Recent events... According to the property assessor, the City Center Building (located across the street from the Civic Center) was built in 1982. Based on Google Maps Street View from previous years, the building had been for lease for a good part of the 2010s. Recently, Western Vista Credit Union began renovating the first floor for their new branch. As mentioned in a recent article , Ziggi's Coffee was going to have (and had!) their first day open on Tuesday, Feb 21st. It turns out that Western Vista softly opened their new Thomes Avenue branch (whose branch is located in the lobby with Ziggi's Coffee in the City Center Building) late last week as confirmed by both staff and a post on Weste...

Second Cheyenne Ziggi's is about to Open!

Image
Ziggi's inflatable coffee displayed at the first Wyoming location the day of opening - Optopolis Ziggi's Coffee is about to open a second location in the capitol city, and a third one appears to be on the way! Background: First Wyoming location Ziggi's Coffee opened their first Wyoming location in 2021 in part of the former Big Apple Bagels along Yellowstone Road--of course, here in Cheyenne. For those who may not know, Taco John's used to be in the building next to Grease Monkey. They long-since moved across the street to their then-newly-built restaurant that replaced the Montessori School of Cheyenne. TOP: Old TJ's Yellowstone location | BOTTOM LEFT: Montessori School | BOTTOM RIGHT: New TJ's Yellowstone location - Google Maps Street View The old building was replaced by Big Apple Bagels, but Big Apple Bagels closed around the end of 2020/start of 2021, with Ziggi's and Domino's starting to renovate the inside not long after the closure. TOP: Big Appl...

DKG 39th Annual Used Book Sale to be held at Frontier Mall

Image
A table of books sits inside the old Big Lots during DKG's 38th Annual Book Sale - Optopolis It's once again that time of the year- the time of DKG's Annual Used Book Sale! This is the 39th year of running the sale, and this year, it will be in various spaces in the Frontier Mall. There are also several places throughout the capital city where you can drop off books. A glance at the history The broader history of DKG has been talked about in a past article here on Optopolis ; DKG has held a book sale every year except 2020 for forty years. The last two years, they used the former Big Lots in the Cheyenne Plaza. As far as is known here at Optopolis, DKG also held the sale at the Frontier Mall twice so far; the first instance was actually their first book sale, and the second instance was in 2018. View of part of the former Big Lots during the 38th Annual Used Book Sale - Optopolis Where will it be this year, and when? This year, they will be occupying the Frontier Mall. They...

Bed Bath Beyond Cheyenne is closing! (Casper's is closing too!)

Image
Store closing sign inside of Cheyenne's Bed Bath and Beyond store - The Retail Photographer Officially, yes, Bed Bath and Beyond in Cheyenne, Wyoming is closing! Here's some info about where the store and also the brand as a whole stand right now. Initial history Cheyenne's Bed Bath and Beyond opened as one of the original tenants to the Cheyenne Marketplace along Prairie Avenue, the plaza of which was mostly built in 2007. If you go into Google Maps Street View and jump back to Aug 2007 in the parking lot near present-day Plato's Closet, you can actually see the Bed Bath and Beyond facade before they added the signage to the building. Bed Bath and Beyond in Aug 2007 when the plaza was being built - Google Maps Street View Concern for the future of Bed Bath and Beyond in Cheyenne started by 2019 when an article seen on KGAB was published by Chris Brooks . In March 2020, all of the Bed Bath and Beyond...