| Author | Message | ||
     joeltfk Citizen Username: Joeltfk Post Number: 61 Registered: 8-2001  |
I'm very excited that Samurai Sushi is taking the spot of Water Lillies, which had terrible Chinese food and I hear a host of inspection violations. But what's the deal with yet another NAIL place taking over the former Cornercopia location? (I guess the margin for greeting cards isn't too high to make a living). Someone suggested to me that these nail places exist not so much to meet (what must be!) a surging demand for better manicures, but to make it easier for Asian immigrants to gain status in the U.S. en masse. What else would make sense? Still, it smacks of an unlikely conspiracy theory. Of course, it's less shocking given the strip has three pizza/Italian places, for a while had two ice cream shops, and other redundancies. My wife an I debate what would be the PERFECT shop for Maplewood, one that would serve a unique and truly legitimate town interest. Obviously, it's not a place like CRAVINGS with its yummy but high-priced sandwiches. I'd vote for a Smoothie place like Jamba Juice, or a place that specializes in salads, but independently owned. I'm sure the kids would love a small music store. I fear for the Carmelita's and the dessert place across from the Coffee House. We'll see what happens next... | ||
| joeltfk Citizen Username: Joeltfk Post Number: 62 Registered: 8-2001 |
...Or maybe we plant a phony store front: "Discounted Grafitti Supplies" and immediately arrest dim-witted patrons on the spot. | ||
| ajc Citizen Username: Ajc Post Number: 3431 Registered: 9-2001 |
"Smoothie place like Jamba Juice, or a place that specializes in salads, but independently owned. I'm sure the kids would love a small music store." Smoothie place, specialized salads, music store, independently owned... good ideas! Are you looking to invest? | ||
| Bobkat Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7321 Registered: 5-2001 |
There is a whole thread about downtown Maplewood elsewhere on this board. The major issue is very high rents that limit the types of businesses that can survive. I agree with Art, for once. Everyone talks about the types of businesses they want to see, but few will put up their own money. | ||
| joeltfk Citizen Username: Joeltfk Post Number: 63 Registered: 8-2001 |
Well, count me out. I'm one of the "everyone" Bobkat talks about, not that I'm in that line of business. Though, Bob, you know that if I did open a place in town, it would a Christian Music store  | ||
| Bobkat Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7333 Registered: 5-2001 |
Amen Brother!! | ||
| Miss L Toe Citizen Username: Miss_l_toe Post Number: 145 Registered: 10-2003 |
I overheard a radio presenter saying a couple of days ago that the fastest growing retail business in the USA right now are the $1 dollar shops.... | ||
| Duncan Supporter Username: Duncanrogers Post Number: 3833 Registered: 12-2001  |
Joel..supply and demand. If they can pay the rent and their employees it will stay open. If they cannot the wont. I sure hope the "friend of yours" who told you about the surging asian immigration has some evidence? Or just a guess. It's pretty simple. There are a lot of people in this town and surrounding towns who have a need for the service they provide. As for the bakery across from the coffee shop, they have to charge 1.50 for a cookie to stay open. The overhead is just so high. If I had money to invest down town I throw it into a place like H2TA. Make it bigger and have after-school programs for middle and high schoolers and sell em coffee to boot. Maybe even offer em manicures...ROFLMAO | ||
| lumpynose Citizen Username: Lumpyhead Post Number: 1088 Registered: 3-2002  |
I would love a real bakery with fresh bread and a deli as good as Millburn deli. | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 900 Registered: 8-2003  |
Lumpy I'm with you on that. Good fresh bread and rolls in walking distance from my house. Whole Foods bread is very good, but it's just to far to get some fresh in the morning. | ||
| Analog01 Citizen Username: Analog01 Post Number: 18 Registered: 11-2004 |
Too many carbs.  | ||
| Lydia Citizen Username: Lydial Post Number: 892 Registered: 5-2001 |
I'm reading a book about suburbs and the different businesses that settle in the various types of 'burbs. An interesting phenom is shopping areas like Rt. 10 --At first glance it's all big-box stores but there are mini-communities with thriving Mom-and-Pop businesses, think Panang and the Asian grocery store next door. | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 902 Registered: 8-2003 |
Analog, I'd love a good butcher shop, too. FWIW, the whole carbs thing is way overrated, IMHO. There is an old german saying "Friss die Haelfte". Translates to "Feed (yourself) half". And whole grain breads are really good for you. Didn't even the government just change their recommendations along those lines? (Not that I always believe the government) | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 5249 Registered: 1-2003  |
I don't feel Arturo's pizza is redundant with Trattoria and Roman Gourmet. It's a different sort of thing. | ||
| Phenixrising Citizen Username: Phenixrising Post Number: 344 Registered: 9-2004 |
I agree Tom. I love the "brick oven" taste and their thin crust! | ||
| Bobkat Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7353 Registered: 5-2001 |
Yeah Lydia, while I haven't read the book places such as Route 10 or US 22 are really the new downtowns of many 'burbs. Route 10 around Home Despot has two strip malls with local, non chain businesses. | ||
| kmk Supporter Username: Kmk Post Number: 408 Registered: 5-2001 |
I will say it again...........we need a butcher and a baker! | ||
| Lydia Citizen Username: Lydial Post Number: 895 Registered: 5-2001 |
There's a butcher in the Millburn Mall, there are a lot of bakeries in the surrounding towns, plus Freeman's carries fresh bread from Hoboken, plus Whole Foods has an impressive array of artisan breads baked fresh every day. That's the competition. If the rents in town are $4000-$6000 a month, I don't see how a butcher or baker could ever break even. The initial investment could be easily $100,000, plus getting up at 5, plus dealing with highly perishable stock. it's not an impossible dream, but I wouldn't want to invest in a bakery, especially as people are still carb-o-phobic. That said, I'd love a good bakery too, but I doubt it's a good investment. | ||
| joeltfk Citizen Username: Joeltfk Post Number: 65 Registered: 8-2001 |
Okay, some people prefer Arturo's, but it's really just a pizza preference. Just like how I prefer Maplewood Pizza's spinach pizza to Roman Gourmet, or how Trattoria always features eggplant parm pizza by the slice, whereas the others don't automatically. I don't mean to start a pizza war because these are all local businesses and nice people run all of them. It's just kind of funny to have so many pizza options in a small radius. And it was insane to have both Carvel and Hershey's on the same strip while that was going on. Same with the two Chinese restaurants -- thought I know one was take-out only. It would have been nice if one was Japanese (which it will be) or Indian cuisine or something. My pizza choices are usually circumstantial: Tuesday we get pizza from Trattoria, because proceeds benefit Clinton Elementary and we find they do the bebst Italiain food because they take real cooking (vs. simple re-heating and frying) a bit more seriously. On the way home from the station, I pick up a slice form Roman, becaue it's the most convenient, slicewise when going to my car. With the kids, Arturo's small thin slice pizza fits best into tiny mouths. And Maplewood Pizza and their veggie rolls in particular are yummmy and the only ones who deliver, I think. Not that this is soapbox-worthy editorial, but I'm just bored and am interested in other pizza 'pinions... | ||
| SoOrLady Citizen Username: Soorlady Post Number: 1726 Registered: 9-2003 |
I'm not a fan of the Trattoria's pizza - but we love their other food. My favorite pizza is the Resivoir's "everything" pie. One slice is a meal. If you're in the mood for thin crust bar pie...Bunny's is your destination. If you don't mind going out of our towns.. The Star in Orange.. extra garlic, white clam sauce, pizza.. amazing! |
