EDITORIAL: Readers offer ideas for Red Hot & Blue property

Nov. 15—When columnist Wally Kennedy reported recently that the Red Hot & Blue property was on the market, it prompted plenty of emotion from Joplin Globe readers — and a few ideas of what should take over that site instead.

The barbecue restaurant — which was preceded on that site by Shotgun Sam's Pizza and Raphael's Mexican Restaurant-Cantina — closed at the end of September after 25 years in Joplin.

The property, 2601 S. Range Line Road, was to become a new Hawaiian Brothers Island Grill, but as Kennedy wrote in his Nov. 5 column, the deal apparently has fallen apart. The site is listed for $1.75 million by Alan Buttram, with Buttram Commercial Real Estate.

On the Globe's Facebook page, many readers were sorry to hear the news:

—"That's too bad. I love Hawaiian food."

—"This hurts my heart. I love Hawaiian Bros."

—"So sad. Was really looking forward to it."

A few readers dreamed that an old restaurant would be resurrected instead:

—"Come back, Shotgun Sam's!"

—"Loved going to Shotgun Sam's as a kid. Was my favorite pizza place."

Some readers offered suggestions of other restaurants that they'd like to see open in Joplin, including:

—Pounders, a Hawaii-based "farm-fresh, island-style dining restaurant, serving fresh produce from island farms, Hawaii-raised grass fed beef, locally caught seafood, savory delights from the Pacific Rim and unique Hawaiian-style pizzas," according to its website.

—Hooters, the sports bar and grill chain well known for its "Hooter Girl" servers.

—Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based sports bar and grill chain that specializes in burgers, seafood and traditional Cajun cuisine.

And, as with nearly any story the Globe publishes about eateries on Range Line, at least one reader gave a shout-out to a locally beloved restaurant that was destroyed in the 2011 tornado whose owners opted not to rebuild: "I miss Pizza by Stout."