The local lunch dilemma
While I assumed all was happy and bright with the new ad agencies in town regarding lunch crowds for local restaurants, I am hearing from a reliable source (a friend who works there) that they are a bit over the Grove when it comes to eating lunch. Many are brown bagging it now or eating in their cafeteria onsite, they feel that they've been there, done that, where it comes to Coconut Grove restaurants. They don't think there is enough variety, meaning they have been to them all already.
Well, we are a small village, but I'm wondering if they have been to all, I doubt it. I see many of the workers out at lunchtime daily and they seem to frequent the same places because they possibly don't know where some of the restaurants are, some are off the beaten path and not in their office vicinity. Maybe local restaurants can bring over menus or something to entice the workers and show them that there is more than their usual haunts.
Plus a food truck or two wouldn't hurt either. We need Food Truck Fridays back. If the workers are brown bagging it, what's the difference if they hit up a food truck since the local restaurants aren't getting their business anyway?
Well, we are a small village, but I'm wondering if they have been to all, I doubt it. I see many of the workers out at lunchtime daily and they seem to frequent the same places because they possibly don't know where some of the restaurants are, some are off the beaten path and not in their office vicinity. Maybe local restaurants can bring over menus or something to entice the workers and show them that there is more than their usual haunts.
Plus a food truck or two wouldn't hurt either. We need Food Truck Fridays back. If the workers are brown bagging it, what's the difference if they hit up a food truck since the local restaurants aren't getting their business anyway?
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
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11 Comments:
No need for a food truck in the Grove. Plenty of restaurants. They need to tweak their menus. There is a restaurant on Bird Road to the west of Flannigan's that always has a crowd for lunch. I was curious, so I asked about their success. They have no menu -- just a large board with the menu written in chalk. The food looked delicious and reasonable. I don't know the name of it. The restaurants in Center Grove need to have more creative daily menus and some quick food for those on a lunch break.
A) most Grove restaurants are overpriced, and well underspeed for a regular lunch. Moreover, the grove hasn't done anything for lunch because there's been no lunch crowd for so long, because it's a hassle for anyone outside center grove to come there for lunch.
The variety of lunch restaurants in Coconut Grove is outstanding and plentiful. The prices that I have seen are fair. If their business is lacking, I would suspect that it's because very few visitors are coming in from outside the Grove unless they are stopping at Green Streets or Flannigan's.
2:56 nailed it. There's not many quick lunch options. Most of these employees have little time for lunch - especially in the ad world. Walking and waiting for service waste valuable time.
and rank and file employees, more power to 'em, may finally be trying to get thier financial house and waistlines in order and saving hundreds of dollars and countless thousands of calories by bringing food from home and going out less frequntly and for special occassions. trust me, I am an office worker and if I want to bust my belt and my wallet I start eating out with frequency. Even if the restaurants have low cal selections I cant help myself around bread and fries and onion rings and key lime pie etc etc. But for brown bagging its big salads or warmed up stir-frys. Like leasing BMWs and Benz's that all these wage earners are sucked into driving--maybe they're realizing they need to save money somewhere ?
I tried to have lunch in the center Grove today. At11:45 Siam oishi was no open, just starting to set up. Akashi was closed. I live in the grove and don't work on the clock like the newcomers. This could be a turn off, as we ll.
EL taquito is doing great.everything else is failing.there food is exelent and priced right
And parking is always such a hassle in the Grove!!! Berries always has a good crowd, because they have a free parking lot.
I have no problem grabbing lunch in many, many places available, on foot or on the bike. If in a hurry, you can call first, they have your lunch ready, save gas, burn a few calories, relax and enjoy a few minutes outside of the car, Grovites.. otherwise you're stuck with fast-food drive throughs..
Yeah I agree with the above comment. When analyzing myself the times that I have brown bagged (note I live but no not work in the Grove) it's because I'm controlling expenses or trying to eat healthier.
Having said that, if one of these places comes up with a very reasonable menu, that is half/healthy, they'll probably do really well.
The parking comments are fair - although I thought the article was regarding people who work in the Grove and are within walking distance?
DKF
I want to add a recent experience. I rode my bike about 6 blocks into center Grove looking for a lunch. I ended up trying out the Thai place inside the Stop and Go food mart on Grand (next to Last Carrot).
They gave me a container full of great looking food but there was nowhere to eat it. I looked out side and there was a picnic bench turned upside down. I asked the manager (not the owner) and they said a local official told them they couldn't use it, because it was attracting loiterers. I let him know that if there was a casual place to sit he might see a big spike in sales.
I thought this was totally asinine. The manager didn't know who the official was, but I'm guessing BID person....?
I ended up biking another 2-3 blocks to one of the parks. Had a nice lunch but the bike ride with a container full of food wasn't very pleasant.
DKF
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