The Food Court was nearly empty today. When large festivals take place downtown, many of the downtown workers opt for the festival food. This leaves many of the downtown restaurants without enough customers.
Today, Bo Willies was closed. The Capitol Grill was Closed. The Yogurt Corner closed at 1:00 p.m.
As for those seated in the Food Court, at least six of them purchased their food at the festival mobile food vendors and then chose to eat the food in the air conditioned Food Court.
I don't think Capitol Grill was open at all this week. Also, I don't remember for sure, but I don't think Bo Willie's was open on Thursday.
Ive heard of many business owners taking advantage of the influx of people (30,000+) downtown. Im sad to hear these establishments did'nt even open there doors.
capital grill shut down for one wk of rr. they and their workers are off for a wk. the workers did not recieve vacation pay. the owners must be very cheap people to work for in their est.
Well what can the profit margin be for the Capital Grill? Can they afford to pay employees who are not working? We don't know, so why even go there?
rr that business has a line that is a knee deep going up to pizza joe m-fri. rr i would not worry about the capital grill profit, they do just fine.
I'm pretty sure that some of the Food Court vendors realized they would lose business during the Italian Festival so they just took the week off. It's too bad their employees lost a week's worth of wages.
The employees of the Food Court vendors pay city income taxes. Transient festival workers probably do not pay any city income taxes.
So what's the answer? Ban any and all festivals from downtown?
On the one hand you seem to support these activities as most of us do, yet on the other you complain about their effect on a couple of businesses.
Now we all hate to see any downtown business lose a single penny, but should the city just say ... no more activities downtown, or should the Food Court restaurants use these festivals as an opportunity by offering specials, and even offering cupons whereby all the Food Court restaurants join in together for a promotion.
One Youngstown blogger recently suggested that these festivals should be moved to the underutilized Convocation Center parking lot.
This recent festival blocked Central Square, parts of East and West Federal Streets, and several side streets for 6 days.
The city opened up Federal Plaza several years ago to improve business and now these festivals are held where Federal Plaza used to be located.
if silvers vogue shop pulled in 30 thousands customers in a three day event then he has a legit complaint until then barry must shut uo or close down for thoe thee days, roberto's restaurant run out of food by saturday nite thus causing them to close until monday. i disagree having all festivals at the convocation ctre. why is it yton and the subs complain about festivals then cry about losing the revunues from them when they go to communities where they are welcome with wide open arms. ytown residents cried fowl play when the it fest went to kk land. it fest returned to yown and a shop keeper complaned when his ten monthly regular customers ha two walk a few blocks.
I fully agree with you 10000000000000000000000000% iwasthere, there's simply no pleasing some people, they whine because there are festivals downtown, and they would whine even louder if the festivals all simply threw up their hands and moved to Boardman.
As to using the Convention Center ... [1] it's not large enough to hold all the booths, and rides and still allow for the free movement of festival goers, [2] where would out of towners park their cars ... paid parking lots that would jack up their prices?
Church festivals control the number of vendors because of the limited space so that's not in the equation.
Tell you what ... lets just ban any kind of event downtown even the farmers market ... no nothing period not festivals, not parades, not farmers markets, not holiday events like 4th of July, Christmas or New Years ... nothing. Let them all go to other communities.
UUUUUUUU Your mean Towntalk :P :P :P
:laugh: Yepper Mean ;)
Wrong...wrong...wrong...wrong...100000 times wrong. I'm not the one whining about festival effects on other downtown eateries etc. The events are fantastic and I love each and every one of them :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
I just get ticked of at those folks that gripe at just about everything :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P
As I said these folks whine over not enough activities and they whine about events ... darn if they do ... darn if they don't ... there just ain't pleasing em.
Sorrrrrrreeeee Towntalk - I got your drift until the last line "Let them all go to other communities" now that was mean and I took it as such. :laugh:
I LOVE MY SIMPLY SLAVIC FEST :-* Aww the others are OK :laugh: ;D ;) And yepper we all don't agree or are pleased - ask my wife :o - but it is very nice that we all get along :-* 8) :laugh: :-* and no one likes whiners :( but I like wine ;)
Actually that last part was meant to generate comment from a certain Westsider who spends a great deal of time promoting events, but he chose to remain silent >:( .
He enjoys tossing things out there, but chooses silence over healthy debate. :P
This same gentle soul started this thread ::)
Ohhhh Yea - The gentle soul is getting old like the rest of us - but the bird is true blue :-* :-* :-*
;D ;) :laugh: ;) ;D No arguments from this end of the galexy ;D ;) :laugh: ;) ;D
By the by...what ever came of the Thursday downtown meetups?
Downtown Day
Now that the downtown is booming, we should turn our attention to helping the businesses on other sides of the city.
Well yes, there is more to Youngstown than downtown.
What about a few North Side meet an greet and bring an buy events?
north,south,east,west...makes no difference.....Del Sinchak....
:-* Love that band :-*
About all the talk of the Italian Fest being ( possibly ) moved to the Covelli Center . . my opinion is NO NO NO !!!!! ...i was down there most of Fri night til late . .having a great time. Someone mentioned on another blog that alot of the 'city officials' would like to see it moved . . i SAW alot of city officials there , a judge , and a State Rep . . some were dancing to The Ovations . . great group btw. . . . and having a great time. I can't believe alot of city officials want it moved from the central area . . it was BOOMING!!!! Now that things are going well . . and there were soooooo many ppl there that night . . why move it somehwere else?? All the complainers can just re route themselves around dtown for a few days ... it won't kill them ,right??? ..Columbus area has festivals and things going on alot ...have streets blocked off in the dtown area, , but the media announces it well in advance , tv, newspaper and radio . . so everyone knows which routes to take. They also have big SIGNS detouring them . . and it works out well..... why can't Y town do that. I can't see where 1 week out of the entire yr is such a horrendous thing for other people to complain about . . especially when it generates a ton of money for our city. As to utilizing the Covelli Center more . . they should be able to find other orgs to use it and help out with costs if that's what they're interested in. Moving it to a big 'parking lot' would really take away from the excitement of the downtown atmosphere and being around central square , in the heart of it all. My opinion is if it ain't broke . . . don't fix it.
If there is any downtown that can accommodate closing off central square for an event it is Youngstown. It is very easy to circumnavigate downtown over Commerce and Front streets.
these so called city leaders wannt to move the it fest to another location in city must have thier heads examined . warren businesses during the it fest do not complain. let the city leaders mess with the it fest committee and these people will move it the welcoming suburbs aka st pat's parade to boardman. yo have to thank pat ungaro for chasing out the st pat parade into the welcoming arms of the boardman trustees. i say to the naysayes, "watch what you wish for yourselves".
CLARAFICATION NEEDED
Some posters are suggesting that some city officials want to shut down any and all downtown festivals while others are suggesting that it's certain stores that want it done, so which is is?
When I suggested that we chase the festivals to Boardman, I was being facetious in the hope of generating comment from Jay, and in NO WAY want to see it ever happen.
IF it is some city officials, WHO ARE THEY ... START NAMING NAMES and don't toss out blind statements.
As to the store ... if he doesn't like it, let him pack up his goods and move to Boardman. We couldn't care less about him.
I have to travel on Market Street past the Court House in Warren several times a week and I get all kerplunked when I have to go around a few blocks :o But after a right and a left another left and a right (3-4 minutes max with everyone else doing the same thing) I am just peachie keen and I left My kerplunked back at the detour sign ;D They block off Market and just look at how large the green space is around that Court House :o It is indeed the atmosphere.
BYW Have you seen Warren's Hanging Baskets :o I am impressed 8) IMPRESSED ! ! ! They have had them every summer for a few years, really something to see.
Come On iwasthere who are you talking about - hugh hugh hugh ??? We DEMAND to know - otherwise ":keep those kind of comments to youself :P :laugh: ;D :laugh:
lyndz previous post she made a comment about city leaders wanting to move it from the sq. ungaro screwed the st pat parade committee by pulling in kind police security from the parade then handed them a five thousand dollar bill for the city's police protection tthat is when boardman ts trustees welcome them with open arms.
it may have been lynn who said something, I dont think i posted anything about officials wanting to move it, the only person i know who wants to move it is PK and some of his friends on facebook.
lyndz thanks for the clarity. as phil kidd and his frds on facebook they can take the rod that is up and out thier mmmmmm and quit being anal. these ethic festivals bring more people downtown then any other businesses that are presently dt.
Hi: yes it was me that posted it . . . i read it on another blog that some 'city officials' want it moved to the Covelli center ........but no one seems to be naming the ppl wanting it moved . . that's still a mystery to me . just to clarify.
it fest will lose its charm if moved to the covelli ctre.
I agree 1000%