I love it when a plan comes together! Some times all it takes is some discussion. Some times it takes a new candidate who shows new VISION and LEADERSHIP. One thing is for sure, THREE new businesses will be swinging their doors on the Downtown Plaza, some as early as March 1st.
It's good to see these investors recognize that the Downtown area will be vibrant once again in the very near future. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. Get in NOW Ladies & Gentlemen. The time is NOW to buy or rent one of these properties because when I get done with the Downtown I can assure you rent and or property values will skyrocket.
I'd like to add, the top photo is the old Aqua that will reopen as Roadie Joe's. It will employ 30 people. They will be open for lunch and dinner and will be more of a Sports Bar with pool tables, a fooseball table and TV's just about everywhere. They will provide live music on weekends and a DJ during the week.
UPDATE: There's a 4th restaurant opening up in the old Flannery's on Main Street and Rt. 13. It will be a New York Fried Chicken business.
how many bars/restaurants have closeddowntown - very few have made it - i don't believe bars/restaurants are family friendly, which is of more interest to me - a downtown problem is walking down dark streets to get to parked car with a bunch of drunks doing the same - if the rent or property values skyrocket there will be less of a future -
ReplyDeleteJoe, I had considered opening a small business in the City Center that would have worked very well with the other businesses that are located in there. Spoke to someone about it and was told they would get back to me and eight months later, never heard a word. It seems to me if a business was interested in moving into the downtown area, the owner would have jumped on that, especially with all the empty office space that is available around Salisbury!
ReplyDeleteanonymous 8:03, some times people say, what you want and what your going to get are two different things.
ReplyDeleteOcean City has been labeled for years as Family Friendly. Many will argue that point but that is the image they imply.
Since so many people say the Downtown area is dead, past administrations have had what, 30 years to revitalize it with ideas similar to yours but unfortunately it hasn't worked. Many have said plow it down and rebuild. The City doesn't own these properties, so they can't be torn down. We have to work with what we have and an adult entertainment district, a destination location is what can be done.
I tip my hat to those people willing to risk their investment dollars on this idea. Change is sometimes very hard to accept but the key is, Salisbury needs to rebuild and bring in tax revenue to fix our failing infrastructure.
If your not coming Downtown now, why would it bother you that this idea could actually work?
8:03, go to the park or the zoo. there are many family friendly places to visit in salisbury. I think it's great.
ReplyDeleteGot to start somewhere. However, I would not use the term " adult entertainment", that could be taken out of context big time.
ReplyDeleteanonymous 9:06, Your right, whoops. It could be taken the wrong way but I think everyone gets the point. I should add, there's a 4th new restaurant opening in the old Flannery's. It will be a New York Fried Chicken business.
ReplyDeleteWhile "supposedly" Famous Dave's is closing. Go Figure
ReplyDeleteanonymous 9:45, I have heard that rumor. I have also heard of four other local restaurants that may be closing.
ReplyDeleteA 5th restaurant will be opening soon, the old Rt. 12 Pizza will be Paul's Pizza Parlor on Snow Hill Rd.
Well going to FD's while still can!
ReplyDeleteTotal waste.
ReplyDeletejust people wasting money on a dream to own a bar. will be closed in a year. there's nothing downtown to support it. and people aren't going to go there to eat in enough quantities to support all those places.
we need downtown to get back to it's roots. get some clothing stores, toy stores, real business.
not more of this non sense.
jeez, how many places has flannery's been? and the bar by giant food. at least 5 or 10 since i remember going there in the 70's.
salisbury doesn't need more food and bars.
what a joke.
What other restaurants Joe?
ReplyDeleteanonymous 10:48, Is that you Jim?
ReplyDeleteI am sure jim-bo will try and take credit for this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with 8:03 and I agree with Joe's stating that "Ocean City has been labeled for years as Family Friendly." As far as O.C. being family-friendly for years though...that was a long, looooong time ago. O.C. caters to adult entertainment and is DEFINITELY not a family-friendly or kid-friendly town as it was in the 70's & 80's. When our family drives down Coastal Hwy during the summer, we ALWAYS see drunks stumbling around acting obnoxious & inappropriately. O.C. is now being labeled as the new "Sin City" in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteSalisbury & OC are INUNDATED with waaaay too many bars, restaurants, hotels and retail stores with low-paying jobs that lead to a dead end within unprofessional hostile work environments. What BOTH cities and counties are in desperate need of is other types of business that offer professional jobs with decent & livable wages, not only for the sake of adults in the area but also for the sake of our area's youth.
New York Fried Chicken, whoop-de-doo! Another chain restaurant with unhealthy food. Thank God for Rob Mulford, the Knorr brothers and La Tolteca. I'm still waiting to hear what, if anything, is being done to bring another supermarket here. I'd rather spend money in a high-quality store like Harris Teeter than a crappy chain restaurant.
ReplyDeleteHats off to these people for trying. But Salisbury already has one of the highest restaurant totals per capita in the country.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, there's nothing else around that is interesting (and open) to that crowd that would encourage somebody to come downtown for a bite to eat before or a drink afterwards.
Plus, nobody has dealt with parking yet. Not that it's really much of a problem. You will park and walk in Annapolis or Baltimore, and usually Easton or Ocean City. So while I am a realist about it, many people in Salisbury cry about having to walk a block or two.
If there's a chance to do a bar crawl, I'll do it once just to check it out. Who knows, it may be fun. But my nights of spending a mint on alcohol are well past me at this point.
seriously? The restaurants in this town suck! I travel extensively and have eaten in some of the best/worst restaurants in the world. Any believe me when I tell you salisbury is the worst when it comes to restaurants. eeither all chains or grimey mom and pop shops with no idea of what la buona cucinaa is!
ReplyDeleteKeep eating your muskrats!
I love to go to downtown areas such as Snow Hill and Berlin...lots of quaint shops and antiques galore. I agree about the lighting and parking...make it friendly, but remember many of us have other agendas besides bars. Why can't we try to model after those towns? Or...does our current mayor and council make that too difficult?
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to Aqua? Hadn't heard about them closing.
ReplyDeleteQueensgirl go back to you NURSING HOME you are MIA.
ReplyDeletewith some of the attitudes people have, its obvious why business fail in Salisbury. Everything is not going to be family friendly or all bars with drunk people stumbling around. These people are trying to take a chance, they see the potential in Downtown Salisbury & surrounding areas. Support them at least once and if you don't like it don't go back ..enjoy your steak at a chain restaurant. I hope you enjoy supporting multi million dollar companies, instead of your local neighbors. We have such a great looking downtown, if these people succeed then maybe we can get other types of business to come. Attitudes around here need to change.We need people like these 3 who want to take a chance and make our town better place. This is just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteOutlets will work downtown.
ReplyDeleteanonymous 12:49, Yeah, right. I'm sure customers will LOVE putting quarters in the meters or paying to park in the garage. With all due respect, I think not.
ReplyDeleteEverybody knows how EXCITED Ireton will be with the new places he can hit to get drunk. Especially since he's made a bad name for himself at Mojo's and other restaurants/bars in the area from his inappropriate & childish alcohol-induced shenanigans.
ReplyDeleteNew York Chicken....is that like the commercial new york city salsa.
ReplyDeleteCant believe a company would set up a chicken restaurant from new york in Perdue Chicken Country??
I wish the new owners of Roadie Joe's good luck. However the plan sounds like more competition for Mojo's and Market Street Inn. Vicious circle of one restaurant opens, and another folds up. Good luck to all investing in downtown.
ReplyDeleteMojos is a over rated cafe.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm outlets? Probably not a bad idea except Joe is right the meters would be a hugh problem.
ReplyDeleteIf you look on any company website under property acquistions and/or leasehold parking is always a main issue. A company does not ever want to inconvience customers/clients with things like metered parking.
Harris Teeter is overrated also. It's just a grocery store and nothing special. I've lived within 2 miles of one for over 10 yrs-Northern VA and W Fenwick. They sell the same old tired stuff as any other grocery store. You know, seafood from Viet Nam and other 3rd World countries, Pepsi, Coke, Kraft, etc. I don't see people driving out of their way for very long to patronize this store.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest something along the lines of Byler's which is in Dover (and Harrington now also.) I drive up there several times a year for their bulk foods and spices and other grocery items-not name brand-Made and produced still in the USA-and great prices make it worthwhile to drive the hour up to Dover. I just met a lady from OC the other day who makes several trips to Bylers a year. Also while I'm there I've met quite a few people from the Baltimore area who drive over an hour to shop and stock up on groceries.
Spences Bazaar is a hugh magnet for downtown Dover on Tues and Friday's. It's a flea market (mostly the real deal and not just all fake designer stuff)and an auction. A building houses stalls which are rented by the Lancaster Co Amish. These stalls include butcher, cheese, candy, bakery, and ready to eat food items. You can't move in there at lunch time and when weather is nice flea market area is packed.
I say it again, pay for parking in an enterprise zone is like charging people for air to breathe. Ireton's an idiot for not adopting that idea of free parking, but then we'd all know it was Joe's idea. He's all about getting grant money and thinks it's all for free like money grows on trees.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing growing in center city is Ireton's nose, from all his lies. He's even growing a mustashe like Barrie Tighlman.
what is New York Fried Chicken? I thought it was a southern dish. I bet it's a Chinese owner. They like to put pictures of NY on their menus even though it has nothing to do with their food. Not sure why.
ReplyDelete4:00 they are sneaky.
ReplyDeletePeople when purchasing fish see where it was raised. Most in Vietnam. Look at the river in siagon. peoples sewage drains right into the river. I would rather never to eat fish again if raised in Vietnam. Not that hungry!
What is New York Chicken? Chicken with a bad attitude.
ReplyDeleteI've been to Kentucky and seen signs for "Maryland Fried Chicken".
What is New York Chicken? Chicken with a bad attitude.
ReplyDeleteChicken that has been left on the dock all day and then cooked for others to eat and sell.
So you think KFC get their chicken from Kentucky ?!
ReplyDeleteAnd Popeyes get their chicken from Louisiana ?!
Please. Give me a break.