The State of Downtown Retail

[Greenville]

What about Einstein Bros? I know that they are not strictly a coffee shop, but every one of those I have been in does great business. Is there even anywhere downtown or in the West End to get coffee and bagels?

[goodbye]

I'm willing to sign a petition to designate Greenville as the "Coffee City USA." The per capita consumption of joe here is simply phenomenal.

[GvilleSC]

What about Einstein Bros? I know that they are not strictly a coffee shop, but every one of those I have been in does great business. Is there even anywhere downtown or in the West End to get coffee and bagels?

I would be a very frequent customer! I went to one in ATL over New Years and they now have bagel pizzas. Excellent! I hope Clemson's offers them.

[Greenville]

I'm willing to sign a petition to designate Greenville as the "Coffee City USA." The per capita consumption of joe here is simply phenomenal.

I don't know if it is still true, but several years ago Greenville had the highest number of cell phones per capita of any U.S. city. So we might have more people sitting in coffee shops talking on their cell phones than anywhere else.

[gs3]

The Brown Street Jazz Club sign looks great at night:

[Greenville]

Yes, that sign looks great indeed!

[linkerjpatrick]

I don't know if it is still true, but several years ago Greenville had the highest number of cell phones per capita of any U.S. city. So we might have more people sitting in coffee shops talking on their cell phones than anywhere else.

The funny thing is I remember in the early 90's when Greenville didn't have any coffee shops to speak of. I knew a guy at my church and his either owned or partially own the coffee shop (started off as a cart I think) outside one of the stores at Greenville Mall. (the one in the middle before Parisian took over). At the time I wondered if their was a market of such at thing. Now, I prefer to make my coffee in a coffee press and buy a lot from Leopard Forest Coffee.

[GE Turbine Man]

I'm not sure if Greenville could beat out seattle for the title of Coffee City USA.

There is literally a starbucks on every corner in Seattle.

[BookEnder]

The O-Cha "Opening Soon" sign is back at the Hampton Inn at Reverplace (where the candy shop used to be)! Stoped by and talked with one of the owners (Mallie sp?) today. She said they were planning to open around February 1 (but lots of interior work still to do). Much less expensive space (with a lot more visibility) and they had some of the equipment left from their prior location.

[RestedTraveler]

The O-Cha "Opening Soon" sign is back at the Hampton Inn at Reverplace (where the candy shop used to be)! Stoped by and talked with one of the owners (Mallie sp?) today. She said they were planning to open around February 1 (but lots of interior work still to do). Much less expensive space (with a lot more visibility) and they had some of the equipment left from their prior location.

Great news! The space Mike and Mallie were in previously was way too large and a bit pricey...they should do MUCH better at this new location. Maybe we'll have another mild winter and people will be jonesin' for a nice cool bubble tea in February/March, too!

[TREY]

The old Map shop is being renovated for a new tenant, also the store on main street, next to the Paris cafe, is being renovated. Hopefully some cool retail shops (does anyone have any info on the possible future tenants ?).This block on main street ( the Mast general store block) is a great mix of retail, restaurants, and other business and it will be nice to see every store front full this year.

[GvilleSC]

Great! I was starting to think that the Map Shop's location would never be filled.

[RestedTraveler]

The old Map shop is being renovated for a new tenant, also the store on main street, next to the Paris cafe, is being renovated. Hopefully some cool retail shops (does anyone have any info on the possible future tenants ?).This block on main street ( the Mast general store block) is a great mix of retail, restaurants, and other business and it will be nice to see every store front full this year.

I had meant to post this previously. Here's a photo that I took of the old Map Shop a few days ago while walking back to the Richardson Street Garage from the Brown Street Club:

It definitely looks like it's going to be occupied before long.

[gvegascple]

I had meant to post this previously. Here's a photo that I took of the old Map Shop a few days ago while walking back to the Richardson Street Garage from the Brown Street Club:

It definitely looks like it's going to be occupied before long.

I noticed that the awning for this location now indicated a new bridal shop and I saw them bringing dresses into the store this afternoon so my guess is that they are on the verge of opening

On a side note, the Uptown Downtown is closing its doors February 17th. Even though, I never shopped there, I will miss having this store downtown. Every downtown needs a store like the Uptown Downtown to attract that younger artistic element and I hope that this storefront does not stay empty for long.

Edited February 14, 2008 by gvegascple

[GvilleSC]

That sucks about the Uptown Downtown! I never shopped there either, but it definitely seemed like a unique and fun store. Hopefully something equally funky will move in...

[RestedTraveler]

I noticed that the awning for this location now indicated a new bridal shop and I saw them bringing dresses into the store this afternoon so my guess is that they are on the verge of opening

The awning said "Bridal Gallery" when I last saw it. I don't know why, but I had just assumed it was a bridal photography studio.

[gvegascple]

The awning said "Bridal Gallery" when I last saw it. I don't know why, but I had just assumed it was a bridal photography studio.

I sure hope that a lot of the vacant store fronts fill quickly. With the better weather, our festivals and Drive games about to start up, it just seems like a perfect time to open up doors on a new shop, restaurant, etc! I see waaaaaaay too many "for lease" and "comming soon" signs downtown these days. Main St is starting to look like the bad part of King Street did a few years back.

Hopefully we will see a few "grand opening" signs instead!!!

[Greenville]

I sure hope that a lot of the vacant store fronts fill quickly. With the better weather, our festivals and Drive games about to start up, it just seems like a perfect time to open up doors on a new shop, restaurant, etc! I see waaaaaaay too many "for lease" and "comming soon" signs downtown these days. Main St is starting to look like the bad part of King Street did a few years back.

Hopefully we will see a few "grand opening" signs instead!!!

Main Street looks nothing like the bad part of King Street does today, much less several years ago.

[RestedTraveler]

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that if you think in terms of contraction and expansion, downtown is definitely expanding. The breadth of business downtown has increased, at first leaving gaps and empty store fronts and the like. However, over time there has been and will be infill and the depth/variety of retail, services, and restaurants downtown will increase as well. That seems to me to be what's happening now. It's difficult to discern when your immersed in it every day as I had been for a long time, but if you take a step back and revisit the situation infrequently as I have been recently, it's easier to see. It's rather exciting.

[gvegascple]

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that if you think in terms of contraction and expansion, downtown is definitely expanding. The breadth of business downtown has increased, at first leaving gaps and empty store fronts and the like. However, over time there has been and will be infill and the depth/variety of retail, services, and restaurants downtown will increase as well. That seems to me to be what's happening now. It's difficult to discern when your immersed in it every day as I had been for a long time, but if you take a step back and revisit the situation infrequently as I have been recently, it's easier to see. It's rather exciting.

You are probably right. I think we might be contracting right now on the upper part of main and I am just being nostalgic for when it was more lively. I will patiently wait and remain optimistic. With so much talk about putting up another high rise or about why one major development has not started yet or another, I wonder if we might not be missing noticing the symptoms of such a contraction. Downtown Greenville always needs our support as do all of our local shops and vendors and I hope that as a community we continue to support them with our patronage and most importantly our dollars. I do not want to see another local store front close!!!

[RestedTraveler]

I agree. I support as many as I can, myself. I love to go into Mast and O.P. Taylor with the kids. My wife goes to Bergen's entirely too much for my wallet. We tend to make our way into Barefoot Comfort Company fairly infrequently - but how often does one (aside from Imelda Marcos) need shoes? Still, as much as we want to support the local guys, I feel it's going to take at least one (perhaps two) big-name national chains to draw people to that end of North Main. Specifically, I think a Borders or Barnes & Noble would do wonders in this department. It would draw people into town just to go there and that spending would spill over to the other local places as well. Any long-term healthy mix downtown should involve a smattering of national chains filled in by local guys.

Whoa. D

[gvegascple]

I agree. I support as many as I can, myself. I love to go into Mast and O.P. Taylor with the kids. My wife goes to Bergen's entirely too much for my wallet. We tend to make our way into Barefoot Comfort Company fairly infrequently - but how often does one (aside from Imelda Marcos) need shoes? Still, as much as we want to support the local guys, I feel it's going to take at least one (perhaps two) big-name national chains to draw people to that end of North Main. Specifically, I think a Borders or Barnes & Noble would do wonders in this department. It would draw people into town just to go there and that spending would spill over to the other local places as well. Any long-term healthy mix downtown should involve a smattering of national chains filled in by local guys.

I agree completely. In addition to weekday lunches and the occasional weekend dinner, I try to visit a store at least once a week, whether to buy something for myself or the wife, even if its something little, downtown and while I prefer the local vendors, I know that we need something like a big box national bookstore to draw more folks to this area. I think currently, downtown Greenville needs a destination tenant about 100x more than it needs a POM or Gateway tower...

[RestedTraveler]

...I think currently, downtown Greenville needs a destination tenant about 100x more than it needs a POM or Gateway tower...

Amen! I wouldn't mind a mid-rise or high-rise tower going in at Washington & Main next to Piazza Bergamo if it included a Borders opening up to Main and Washington and Piazza Bergamo on the first two or three floors, though. That'd be the best of both worlds. (TIC: Are you Reading/Listening? If you don't lure Borders or Barnes & Noble, that'd be a crime!!!)

[Greenville]

Amen! I wouldn't mind a mid-rise or high-rise tower going in at Washington & Main next to Piazza Bergamo if it included a Borders opening up to Main and Washington and Piazza Bergamo on the first two or three floors, though. That'd be the best of both worlds. (TIC: Are you Reading/Listening? If you don't lure Borders or Barnes & Noble, that'd be a crime!!!)

I have heard rumblings that Borders will indeed be a main tenant in the Main and Washington development, but I'm not sure how legit that is.

[gvegascple]

The awning said "Bridal Gallery" when I last saw it. I don't know why, but I had just assumed it was a bridal photography studio.

Website now up for this new store, I hope they very well there!

http://www.greenvillebridalgallery.com/

Now back to the Border's discussion!!! That is one juicy rumor that I would like to come true. Its too bad that it will have to wait until plans are released, planes denied by DPC, new plans released, plans approved by DPC, aesbestos abatement, demolition, delay, new smaller plans released, delay, construction, delay, email from G-man to developers asking what's going on, and perhaps, completion.

I wonder what the over/under in years bet would be for that?