The notion of setting up tables outside our downtown retaurants is a nice one. Yes, I think it will provide a nice, open feel to the downtown. I'm a little worried about space, but we'll make due.
However, is this really an idea that will sell Newburyport?
I'm not too sure. But here's one that would, in my biased opinion. Plus, this brilliant concept would go hand-in-hand with the open table format.
Cover the downtown in a wireless Internet signal. (Full disclosure, my brother suggested this to me a while ago.)
I mean how cool would that be? We could market the downtown as being open to the Internet and all its charms. Folks could sit on sidewalk tables while doing work, keeping in touch with friends, doing research on the delightful item they just saw in one of our stores.
Yes, some folks will linger. But I think its short-sighted to worry about that. The positive marketing will far outweigh any negatives.
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1 comment:
In the Daily News article, Chuck Griffin suggests outdoor seating is beneficial on Inn Street for the Purple Onion; the nearby alley for the Rockfish; part of a State Street sidewalk for Agave; and a common area for Szechuan Taste and the Jewel in the Crown.
Positive points on the above. But that's hardly worthy of a comparison to Newbury Street and the Champs Elysees, as the article states.
Still, where else in the immediate downtown area are restaurants? Forget the Tannery and waterfront areas, which are self-contained.
How about a common area for Starbucks's and Abraham's? Where else, though? Glenn's? Stella's? Both are OK the way they are.
I'd like to see a change of scenery from the existing picnic tables along Inn Street to something more refined, such as metallic tables and chairs. Click here for the type of setup I'm thinking.
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