There were a lot of media crews in town over the weekend, including one from the popular Travel Channel show Man v. Food Nation. And on Sunday, they were at Westport Village taping a segment spotlighting The Comfy Cow. The show features independent local businesses all around the country.
The show’s host, Adam Richman, was there touting the product, interviewing customers and preparing for the big event — a guy named Joe who works at Zappo’s was preparing to take on a 15-scoop treat for the cameras. He’d won a contest eating Mexican food, and that was enough to get the attention of the show’s producers.
I dropped by and spoke with co-owner Tim Koons-McGee, overseeing a busy day at the store (the presence of the TV crew did nothing to slow down sales). He said the long-awaited deal on the Genny’s property the Comfy Cow is buying on Frankfort Avenue is closing today (May 9) after months of wrangling over details. In a bit of irony (at least to those following the Genny’s story), he said construction will start soon to tear down the Genny’s building to create a parking lot, and renovations to the existing house will begin.
It’s ironic because Frank Faris, the proprietor of Genny’s, found trouble with preservationists when he attempted to tear down the building to create a parking lot for his restaurant. Koons-McGee said the Genny’s Diner building wasn’t worth saving, and that he’s anxious to get started on the plan to put a Comfy Cow in on the lower floor of the structure and a corporate office in above it.
Meanwhile, the business is being featured in a national advertising campaign called Independent We Stand, promoting independent businesses. The ad seen here appeared in USA Today.
The business recently signed on as a vendor at Slugger Field, and was a sponsor of the Mint Jubilee.
