Locals or Chains - What's Your Opinion? - Presentations by various retail experts over the last few years have emphasized the value of a mix of national and local retailers downtown. More recently the conversation has shifted to the subject of restaurants, triggered somewhat by the Pineapple Square project. Clearly the large nationals generate huge numbers - one can't argue their popularity, and numbers are needed to support quality retail. On the other side of the coin, I'm lifting a comment that was posted deeper in the blog today to start a new thread, because it articulates well an alternative point of view, as follows:
"http://www.blogger.com/profile/22131175 said...
Mr. McNees: I've been a three decade resident of Sarasota and long time fan of smart growth and new urbanism, a few things stick in my side about the proposed Pineapple Square project. When downtown had become a desolate wasteland of mediocre shopping destinations and for lease signs ruled the day, some very astute and visionary businessmen saw the area for its potential. More than a decade later, both the city and residents have reaped these early risks taken most often than not by independent restauranteurs. Now that the pendulum has swung in the other direction, Saraota finds itself again at a crossroads. Now that growth is occurring faster than your head can spin, we have corporate interests telling us that in order to attract high end retailers, downtown needs nationally operated chain resataurants to anchor the commercial and residential projetcs.If your destination is "anytown USA", then I tend to agree with these builders. Yet, the whole point of making Sarasota an exclusive location is sustaining its individuality from everywhere else. No one goes to dine in South Beach because there is a Morton's Steakhouse there. Sarasota should not allow any corporate restaurants within the downtown sector. There was a plan behind the fact that the Burger King on Main and Lemon would have a nonrenewable lease. Sarasotans love their restaurants. If you want corporate, get in your car and drive half a mile in any direction down US 41. But if you come to dine downtown, what you should find should be intrinsically Sarasota and should remain in the hands of the visionary and risk takers that have contributed the most the resurgence of the downtown sector.Take a note city managers that once you give in to one or two, it will hard to deny the ones that follow. Many think that having a Morton's downtown or from what I hear a PF Chang's, will attract people to downtown. News Flash - The people are already here. And Morton's may have a reputation, but (1), you cand find one anywhere(six other locations in Florida alone), and (2) Do not underestimate the sophistication of your residents' palate. Remember, corporate restaurants are always busy and for no other reason that "There is no accounting for popularity". Let independent restauranteurs lay the groundwork for the Sarasota food and wine scene to follow and send the corporate profiteers packing.Put pressure on the Isaac Group and Urban Land Concepts to lease the available restaurant spaces in their projetcs not to corporate chains but to independent owners.P.S. No one wears Gucci and Prada to Morton's - Sarasota needs to take a hint from the East Coast, New York and Chicago if it ever wants to have world class restaurants!!!"
10/4/06 2:52 PM
Can local independents generate the foot traffic critical to retailers? Would national retailers take a chance on a center anchored by unknown (to them) independents? Don't we want those nationals that are so popular other places - aren't they popular for a reason? What do you think?!
"http://www.blogger.com/profile/22131175 said...
Mr. McNees: I've been a three decade resident of Sarasota and long time fan of smart growth and new urbanism, a few things stick in my side about the proposed Pineapple Square project. When downtown had become a desolate wasteland of mediocre shopping destinations and for lease signs ruled the day, some very astute and visionary businessmen saw the area for its potential. More than a decade later, both the city and residents have reaped these early risks taken most often than not by independent restauranteurs. Now that the pendulum has swung in the other direction, Saraota finds itself again at a crossroads. Now that growth is occurring faster than your head can spin, we have corporate interests telling us that in order to attract high end retailers, downtown needs nationally operated chain resataurants to anchor the commercial and residential projetcs.If your destination is "anytown USA", then I tend to agree with these builders. Yet, the whole point of making Sarasota an exclusive location is sustaining its individuality from everywhere else. No one goes to dine in South Beach because there is a Morton's Steakhouse there. Sarasota should not allow any corporate restaurants within the downtown sector. There was a plan behind the fact that the Burger King on Main and Lemon would have a nonrenewable lease. Sarasotans love their restaurants. If you want corporate, get in your car and drive half a mile in any direction down US 41. But if you come to dine downtown, what you should find should be intrinsically Sarasota and should remain in the hands of the visionary and risk takers that have contributed the most the resurgence of the downtown sector.Take a note city managers that once you give in to one or two, it will hard to deny the ones that follow. Many think that having a Morton's downtown or from what I hear a PF Chang's, will attract people to downtown. News Flash - The people are already here. And Morton's may have a reputation, but (1), you cand find one anywhere(six other locations in Florida alone), and (2) Do not underestimate the sophistication of your residents' palate. Remember, corporate restaurants are always busy and for no other reason that "There is no accounting for popularity". Let independent restauranteurs lay the groundwork for the Sarasota food and wine scene to follow and send the corporate profiteers packing.Put pressure on the Isaac Group and Urban Land Concepts to lease the available restaurant spaces in their projetcs not to corporate chains but to independent owners.P.S. No one wears Gucci and Prada to Morton's - Sarasota needs to take a hint from the East Coast, New York and Chicago if it ever wants to have world class restaurants!!!"
10/4/06 2:52 PM
Can local independents generate the foot traffic critical to retailers? Would national retailers take a chance on a center anchored by unknown (to them) independents? Don't we want those nationals that are so popular other places - aren't they popular for a reason? What do you think?!
posted by Michael McNees at 3:19 PM
5 Comments:
I would like to keep the feel of our local run restaurants. I dislike the idea of large chain restraunts that you can find in any other city. I do not want our city to turn in Generica! I do not like that the large chains will hurt our local restaurants parking by taking up what is available. I feel the same way about generic chain stores. If we are going to have something that is a chain, I hope it is a unique one that is not all over the place. We do not need the same stores that are in Sarasota Square or Southgate.
Until Florida changes the way property tax appraisals are done, a lot of independent restaurateurs will not be able to afford the triple-net leases that will be offered downtown. By comparison, New York law allows the property appraiser to appraise property based on the income it generates. Florida does not and it would require a constitutional amendment to change it. As Sarasota property increases in value, so do the taxes passed along through the lease. The large chains have the deep pockets to weather the slow times of year and the combined advertising resources of multiple locations. That is not something that the overwhelming majority of locally owned restaurants can afford. I'd be frightened to see what the per square foot rent plus CAM will be for Pineapple Square. Imagine the first $50,000 a month of your restaurant's gross income needed to cover your lease and taxes!
p.f. change better take another look at that list of retailers. Radio Shack is closing stores and Blockbuster's business model is doomed by technology. Barnes & Noble is no small footprint, and with our great local bookstores downtown we don't need them there. Let's first see what it will cost to locate a restaurant in Pineapple square, and then we'll see how many locals are clamoring to pay that rent. I think many of them would prefer some US 41 frontage with parking and 50,000+ cars a day going by their sign.
But, this all somewhat assumes that Pineapple Square is a done deal, which their full page newspaper ads seem to imply.
srq941girl - When I said "traffic" in the original post, I meant retail or foot traffic.
So far the no-chainers are unanimous on the blog - is anyone reading this that would express a pro-Chang's, or pro-national point of view?
No!
Our downtown does not need chain restaurants.
The developer is only interested in their bottom line by renting to chains that survive through the good and bad times paying their rent; what property owner would not want this? They are not concerned about the customers they may draw away from our cherished local restraunt because they may have lower prices because of their purchasing power. They are not concerned that they may take up all the convenient parking locations just for their restraunt customers making it harder for us to get to the locals. They do not care if they hurt anyone because they have by the deal they convinced the commissioners to sign. These are not developers that need money or incentives but they sure spent a lot of money making sure they got them anyway.
Let's request small establishments that are not chains or at least chains that are not in every city around Florida or the US. Pick a chain from Japan!
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