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Food Carts in Clintonville

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Started 1 year ago by mazzyD
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michaelcoyote
!seabus
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drew wrote >>
Instead, here's what the news tells me - Clintonville doesn't want to serve me alcohol, doesn't want to make it easy for me to drive there, and doesn't want to provide the kind of food options that are being embraced almost everywhere else. In short, the news says - Clintonville doesn't want me.

Yep, and frankly Clintonville ain't got nothing I want. Send the trucks down here to SN/VV and we'll gladly make them busy. Clintonville can continue to be known for their anti-business policies.

Posted 1 year ago #
Pablo
Crestview Addition
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If you follow DeFourny's logic, any new business is a threat to existing businesses so there should be no new businesses. My guess some old time restaurant owner complained. It's BS and DeFourny is a joke with me and my CV friends.

Posted 1 year ago #
CheeseFoodie
Harrison West
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+1 to MCoyote, we'll gladly accept all the CV food trucks down here, Yerba Buena can park in front of my house if they like!

Posted 1 year ago #
feedthebeast

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I wish District 1,2 and 3 could leave the CAC and form its own interest group. I'm just guessing here but I think these districts are less conservative than the ones north of North Broadway. We also have the strip of High Street that is suitable for more interesting commercial usage.

I'm definitely keeping a close eye on the next election in my district.

Posted 1 year ago #
bob.os
Columbus *not* Cbus
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michaelcoyote wrote >>

drew wrote >>
Instead, here's what the news tells me - Clintonville doesn't want to serve me alcohol, doesn't want to make it easy for me to drive there, and doesn't want to provide the kind of food options that are being embraced almost everywhere else. In short, the news says - Clintonville doesn't want me.

Yep, and frankly Clintonville ain't got nothing I want. Send the trucks down here to SN/VV and we'll gladly make them busy. Clintonville can continue to be known for their anti-business policies.

Yeah, but there's nowhere to park in the SN. :)

Posted 1 year ago #
mbeaumont
Italian Village
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I love Columbus, but the status quo is never what has kept me here.

The thing that's kept me in this town is that every year it keeps getting BETTER (and food trucks are part of that).

If people are happy with the way Columbus is now, and not pining for what Columbus could be/will be/should be, then that's fine, but it's not the town I want to be in.

Posted 1 year ago #
bababoohi

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bob.os wrote >>

bababoohi wrote >>
The problem with Cville's dining "scene" is still the limits on alcohol, not the food trucks.

How do you figure? There are three sites which were granted liquor permits quite a while back that are sitting empty. Northstar opened up recently on what was a long vacant lot that sat for years with a beer (and I think wine) license.
Honestly, I think that most of Clintonville people just aren't go-out-to-eat people.
And +1 on Walker's take.

Exactly my point, you're naming 3 specific sites in Clintonville. I think that would quailify as a limit on alcohol. My thing is that Cville would benefit from having a few blocks that each had 2-3 restaurants. To achieve that I think they would all need to serve liquor. I get your point on Northstar, but honestly NS is a pretty specialized restaurant and it's not like there's a bar in there. I doubt much of their business relys on alcohol sales.

Posted 1 year ago #
meltsintowonder

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bababoohi wrote >>

bob.os wrote >>

bababoohi wrote >>
The problem with Cville's dining "scene" is still the limits on alcohol, not the food trucks.

How do you figure? There are three sites which were granted liquor permits quite a while back that are sitting empty. Northstar opened up recently on what was a long vacant lot that sat for years with a beer (and I think wine) license.
Honestly, I think that most of Clintonville people just aren't go-out-to-eat people.
And +1 on Walker's take.

Exactly my point, you're naming 3 specific sites in Clintonville. I think that would quailify as a limit on alcohol. My thing is that Cville would benefit from having a few blocks that each had 2-3 restaurants. To achieve that I think they would all need to serve liquor. I get your point on Northstar, but honestly NS is a pretty specialized restaurant and it's not like there's a bar in there. I doubt much of their business relys on alcohol sales.

The sites approved for alcohol (not necessarily a license) were owned by a developer looking into getting other businesses into their spaces, but if you have to go through a ballot to get a liquor license, it's easier to take business elsewhere. It's less risky to get a lease in another area with no licenses and then just buy one on the open market. So the scenario is an example of why things aren't right for bringing in more restaurants and bars to Clintonville.

Posted 1 year ago #
bob.os
Columbus *not* Cbus
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meltsintowonder wrote >>

bababoohi wrote >>

bob.os wrote >>

bababoohi wrote >>
The problem with Cville's dining "scene" is still the limits on alcohol, not the food trucks.

How do you figure? There are three sites which were granted liquor permits quite a while back that are sitting empty. Northstar opened up recently on what was a long vacant lot that sat for years with a beer (and I think wine) license.
Honestly, I think that most of Clintonville people just aren't go-out-to-eat people.
And +1 on Walker's take.

Exactly my point, you're naming 3 specific sites in Clintonville. I think that would quailify as a limit on alcohol. My thing is that Cville would benefit from having a few blocks that each had 2-3 restaurants. To achieve that I think they would all need to serve liquor. I get your point on Northstar, but honestly NS is a pretty specialized restaurant and it's not like there's a bar in there. I doubt much of their business relys on alcohol sales.

The sites approved for alcohol (not necessarily a license) were owned by a developer looking into getting other businesses into their spaces, but if you have to go through a ballot to get a liquor license, it's easier to take business elsewhere. It's less risky to get a lease in another area with no licenses and then just buy one on the open market. So the scenario is an example of why things aren't right for bringing in more restaurants and bars to Clintonville.

Yes, but what I'm pointing out is that for those three sites the playing field is even. The ballot is done, and yet no one is willing to try in any of the sites, even with the supposed magic bullet of serving alcohol.

Given that there have been two sites (Northstar and Smith's) who were able to start serving with no ballot measure, and the number of bars on Indianola and south of N. Broadway I'd have to guess that there are other existing sites out there that don't require a ballot measure, either already approved or grandfathered 3.2 beer sites. The former Pizza Hut (now Starbucks & Cash for Gold) at E. N. Broad & High comes to mind.

Has anyone done the research on this? Honestly, I'm not even sure where to start.

Posted 1 year ago #
drew

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bob.os wrote >>
Yes, but what I'm pointing out is that for those three sites the playing field is even. The ballot is done, and yet no one is willing to try in any of the sites, even with the supposed magic bullet of serving alcohol.

It's 'even' only in the sense that they have been granted the ability to implement liquor licenses. From the perspective of a restauranteur, variations in location, size, and cost have significant influence on any given location's appeal.

Perhaps more importantly, were I looking to open a restaurant in Clintonville, I'd be concerned about how unstable the liquor permissions are. There's no guarantee that there won't be more exemptions doled out later (or a complete repeal of the ban) - and that'd seriously devalue any existing location's presumed advantage. Any smart business person has to consider variables of this nature.

When it comes to opening a restaurant in Clintonville, there is no 'even' - only an excessive degree of instability that is unnecessarily foisted onto a profession that is already unusually risky.

I'd guess that's probably no small part of why the mobile food vendors are attracted to Clintonville - they can take advantage of an underserved population (in no small part due to the above) and can easily bug out anytime the 'powers that be' are afflicted with one of their bouts of political tourettes.

Posted 1 year ago #
bob.os
Columbus *not* Cbus
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drew wrote >>
There's no guarantee that there won't be more exemptions doled out later (or a complete repeal of the ban) - and that'd seriously devalue any existing location's presumed advantage. Any smart business person has to consider variables of this nature.

What "ban?"

Posted 1 year ago #
EmZeeGee
Clintonville
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feedthebeast wrote >>
DeFourny doesn't represent the interest of Clintonville well.. neither does the CAC.

Yup. This.
It's so frustrating, and so much wasted potential. (In Clintonville, not DeFourny.)

Posted 1 year ago #
zp945
Clintonville/Short North
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So...What do about this? I'm a resident and soon to be business owner in Clintonville. I'm willing to help organize an effort to remove the alcohol restrictions all together. My thoughts are that alcohol alone is not the issue but we need to start somewhere. Relaxing the liquor control and getting a landlord or two to view the area as one worth investing in can go a long way.

Posted 1 year ago #
EmZeeGee
Clintonville
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zp945 wrote >>
So...What do about this? I'm a resident and soon to be business owner in Clintonville. I'm willing to help organize an effort to remove the alcohol restrictions all together...

That's a good question, and I'm willing to assist too. I don't know how one would start this, however.

Posted 1 year ago #
spindle
clintonville
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joev wrote >>
Clintonville: Home of the most conservative hippies in the world

This thinking coming from DeFourny is anything but conservative, he seems, actually to have quite the opposite of a free-market mentality.

I, for one, would love to see some forward thinking, innovative free market guy take over the CAC. I'm starting to wonder if all of them are just too busy out there running businesses to wade into the sophomoric mire that is Clintonville politics.

I agree with EmZeeGee, there is an awful lot of wasted potential here, we could learn a thing or two about encouraging development and fostering a thriving business environment from a few of our friends south of here.

Posted 1 year ago #
joev
Merion Village
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spindle wrote >>

joev wrote >>
Clintonville: Home of the most conservative hippies in the world

This thinking coming from DeFourny is anything but conservative, he seems, actually to have quite the opposite of a free-market mentality.
I, for one, would love to see some forward thinking, innovative free market guy take over the CAC. I'm starting to wonder if all of them are just too busy out there running businesses to wade into the sophomoric mire that is Clintonville politics.
I agree with EmZeeGee, there is an awful lot of wasted potential here, we could learn a thing or two about encouraging development and fostering a thriving business environment from a few of our friends south of here.

I meant conservative in the lower case form - desire for nothing to ever change.

Posted 1 year ago #
mazzyD

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It seems that DeFourny may be getting his way after all. At least one food cart is being pushed out of their location in Clintonville.

Yerba Buena pulling out of North High location
http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/clintonville/stories/2011/08/24/yerba-buena-pulling-out-of-north-high-location.html?sid=104

I'm really disappointed that this is happening. I've had the chance to eat there a few times since they set up. I heard about Yerba Buena through word of mouth. It's really good food and I think people in the neighborhod have felt that it is a unique and great addition to the dining options in Clintonville.

It's really a shame that DeFourny and the CAC are so out of touch with the community. I have really enjoyed having Yerba Buena in the neighborhood but I guess I'll be driving to whereever they set up next.

Posted 1 year ago #
hivner1
clintonville
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This is another case of the city being ass backwards instead of forward thinking. The same thing happened to Ray Rays after Subway complained so that he was forced to comply with 'policy' and move his trailer every night. Totally ridiculous. Defourny is notoriously anti-anything that will enhance Clintonville in a way that doesn't keep it exactly like it was 20 years ago. Another discouragement for potential business and foot traffic in Clintonville. South Clintonville secession sounds better every day.

Posted 1 year ago #
joev
Merion Village
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I'm starting to wonder why anyone would want to live in Clintonville.

Posted 1 year ago #
mazzyD

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hivner1 said:
This is another case of the city being ass backwards instead of forward thinking. The same thing happened to Ray Rays after Subway complained so that he was forced to comply with 'policy' and move his trailer every night. Totally ridiculous. Defourny is notoriously anti-anything that will enhance Clintonville in a way that doesn't keep it exactly like it was 20 years ago. Another discouragement for potential business and foot traffic in Clintonville. South Clintonville secession sounds better every day.

Well said. It seems unfair that one person can cause so much trouble for a small business that is trying their best to comply with city and health codes. I wonder if there are any changes with the way the city handles these complaints that would help?

Posted 1 year ago #