Downtown Festivals And Downtown Restaurants

[jay]

Are you aware that several blocks of East and West Federal Streets have been blocked off since Wednesday, July 27 and probably won't reopen until late Monday, August 1?  That's six days of additional traffic congestion and the elimination of dozens of parking spaces for those doing business in Downtown Youngstown.

[Towntalk]

Could the organizers of these activities guarantee that they won't set up their booths, rides, and food vendor vehicles prior to 4:00 on the day of the event and have everything removed the morning after the event? I hardly think so. And could they be required to not operate earlier than 5:00 on the day or days of the events if they fall on week days?

[jay]

Weekday lunch time is the problem.

Most downtown restaurants do not have a problem with festivals taking place on the weekends.

Parades?

[Towntalk]

Jay, would you suggest that the city bans all the public events in downtown Youngstown? That would guarintee that the eateries wouldn't be hampered in any way? No Italian Fests, no parties on the plaza, no parades, no nothing, not even for the 4th of July?

[jay]

Many of the restaurants downtown are only open for the lunch crowd.  Conduct a survey some day and tell us how many eateries are open past 4:00 p.m.  If a festival takes place during the day on Friday, a restaurant could loose almost 20% of their week's business to others who don't pay rent, property taxes, or city income taxes.

I do not own a restaurant but these businesses often tell me that they are barely making it.

[ytowner]

What a ridiculous idea Jay. You don't get that kind of food downtown 365 days of the year!

It is for four days, two weekdays. The businesses do just fine the other 363 days of the year.

[jay]

With a lot of the downtown blocked off for the festival, at least none of the VXI workers will be able to double park along West Federal Street.

[Penguins37]

Amen Stewie!  I have no idea why you would want to decrease the amount of time people are spending downtown. Jay's comments are non-sensical.

[stewie]

Goooooood Lord Jay!

How about the hundreds of people that never come downtown and come down only for the Italian Fest?! Perhaps they will look around and say "Gee look at that place! We'll have to come back down here and try that place."  It's one or two days out of 365! 
I mean yeah thats a great idea! Let's put restrictions on festivals!  Let's make it more difficult for the vendors to make any money. Guess what the Southern Park Mall doesn't. Where will the next Rib burnoff be? 

You constantly try to bring up problems that don't exist. It's irratating.  We get it. There aren't alot of topics on the forum. Only the greenies talking about the lack of green projects in the area and of course the "frack bashing".  Topics will come quit reaching.

[jay]

When downtown festivals open during the lunch hour on week days, business at downtown restaurants declines.  Maybe festivals should only be allowed to operate on weekends.

I know of one restaurant that will have reduced hours on Friday because of this week's Italian Festival.