Happy's has been a falling-down wreck of a building for years. It's a big building, 90,000 square feet. And it's 55 years old and I don't recall ever seeing a repair truck parked outside. The bathrooms are distusting. I wouldn't go near the restaurant. The inside looks shaky and in desperate need of repair and update. The city now says the roof's about to fall down and it hopes the owners will repair it before we get a good snow. The electrical wiring is apparently iffy, at best.
As readers here know, I enjoy Happy's a great deal during the warm months. But I don't go inside the building. The action is in the parking lot when it's warm enough to have weekenders pack in there with items from their newly-cleaned out attics. Inside? No, thank you. What's mostly sold there is cheap junk (except maybe for the motorcycle gear shop) and it's new. I don't want to go to Happy's for new. I can get that better in a lot of places.
Happy's is one of many troubled Roanoke buildings owned by people from outside the city. Its owners are in Manassas. It could be condemned by Jan. 6 if extensive work isn't underway. About time, I'd say.
(Photo: boiseweekly.com)
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