A proposed downtown bistro could get a huge helping hand from the city.
Officials have agreed to provide $27,800 to help Blondie’s Grill and Patio Sidewalk Café open a new restaurant at the corner of Race and North Main streets.
“The people who come in first are the pioneers and get rewarded,” said Jonathan Rosenthal, the city’s economic development director.
The two women who are trying to open the bistro, Sarah Vickers and Roberta Costante, told the Bristol Development Authority it will take more than $40,000 to renovate the 80-year-old building for a restaurant that could sit about 30 people, most of them outside.
“We have our hearts and our hard-earned money pledged to this goal,” they said, as well as a commitment to a 15-year lease on the property.
“The cost is tremendous,” Vickers said. “We’re ready to use all of our money.”
Vickers said that the pair “believe in Bristol and believe in downtown revitalization” and want to be leaders in creating a destination that will draw people to the city center.
Vickers said that Blondie's should be open by April.
“You’re ahead of the curve,” responded Mickey Goldwasser, a BDA commissioner.
The development agency said the proposed bistro doesn’t qualify for matching funding under the five-year-old but never used downtown restaurant attraction program.
But, officials said, they would pay up to 80 percent of the renovation tab for the building using façade improvement funds.
“They’re coming in early and they’re taking a huge risk,” Goldwasser said.
The two Bristol women, operating under the name Tambo Enterprises, said they are aiming to create something like “the sidewalk cafes that you see in New York City” with “a beautiful garden sidewalk patio atmosphere.”
The menu would offer charbroiled hotdogs, French fries and the like.
The 375 North Main Street location has most recently housed Razzleberries.
It would have seating for six to 10 inside, Vickers said, and up to 35 when outside seating is counted.
“These are the kind of people who are trying to make a difference,” Rosenthal said.
“Bristol’s leaders have realized that our city needs something different and unique to attract people to the downtown area,” Vickers and Costante said in a letter to the BDA.
“As such, we feel that Blondie’s will greatly enhance the heart of downtown,” they said.
“It’s going to be a destination,” Vickers said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
30 comments:
I like the idea of a sidewalk cafe downtown, but I would probably try to come with a more classy-type name for the new venture. "Blondies" seems too blue collar and not very upscale. I am not complaining or being ungrateful, it is just a suggestion.
...These are exactly the kind of people Bristol needs more of. I wish these ladies the best of luck!
Wait, where's Bob Merrick with his rah-rah rhetoric? I'm sure he'll be there for a burger in between his next campaign stops.
I don't think the area is vey up-scale to begin with. Unfortunately the place is bound to be frequented by the usual characters that I personally try to stay away from (as does mostly everyone else who doesn't care about getting elected, appointed or selling something).
Perhaps you would prefer the body piercing/tatoo parlor that was in the building previously?A LITTLE more optimism might be in order,yes?
I agree with the 8:01 Post and Tim Gamache...Let's Wish These Ladie's The Best of Luck and More Optimism Please!
well good luck to the ladies, lets hope the overflow from the dump next door doesnt keep people away
I wish them luck. I work around the corner from where they are going in and I can say that there is a lot of foot traffic in that area during the week from the office managers and factory workers around the corner on Valley Street. Unfortunately I don't believe they will have much successes on the weekends until more is done with the down town area. I also hope they are not too optimistic with the natives in the area not destroying any of the niceness they add to the outside of their property.
I have personally meet these two ladies. They are very excited and putting 100% into making this place a success. I wish them the best and look foward to them opening.
I wish them the best of luck but I hope they dont get too ahead of themselves especially with the 15 year lease with Carpenter.
1.Cigna will be dried up soon making the population of workers in the area alot less.
2.Most of the cliental around that area are on fixed incomes and only can spend a small amount on lunch. So anything UPSCALE is a bust BIGTIME.
3.Weekends on North Main st is basically a ghost town so another thing to think about.
4.The size of the building is too small also. If they do well which I hope they will, they will out grow that property in a year.
5.Banking on outside seating is tuff seeing the weather predicts your total for the day. Not to mention 5 months of Winter.
IMHO Bristol wont support it to the extent where they can pay their bills and make a decent living. I'm willing to bet it wont last 2 years. Prove me wrong.
Sure Bob
OLD NEWS ON YAHOO LOCAL AGAIN. BRISTOL PRESS AND THIS BLOG ARE A JOKE.
I'm not sure what connection there is between this blog and Yahoo Local. I don't think Yahoo Local even uses the feed from this blog, which is clearly the reason that Yahoo as a company is struggling a wee bit nowadays.
Enough with the Bob Merrick rants. This is a forum for people to openly, and, if they so choose, anonymously, exchange ideas in a somewhat intelligent way. If your only ideas are that you've given up on Bristol and that you don't like Bob Merrick, then please refrain from commenting until Steve opens up those topics for discussion.
This is a step in the right direction for Bristol and its business owners. The BDA made the right decision to award this grant, and Mr. Goldwasser is correct in saying that these ladies are "ahead of the curve."
Ladies and gentlemen of this blog, development needs to start somewhere. We're not just going to wake up one morning and have trendy boutiques, chic restaurants and cobblestone sidewalks lining North Main Street.
Additionally, we're not just going to wake up one morning and find that a new parking deck, municipal building, mixed use retail center and planned open space has sprung up on the mall property.
Why is this? This is because things take time. You need to spend money to make money, and all of these improvements, from streetscapes to new facades to small business grants help lure larger developers into town.
Negativity, cutting remarks, and cynicism do nothing to improve our town.
All we hear these days is "move forward," "look to the future," and "change is coming." Well friends, looking to the future and hoping for the best, while magical, does not constitute strategy. Leaders like Bob Merrick are smart enough to realize that we must work in the present, lead in the present and address our most pressing, current issues, and that in so doing, we secure our future.
I seem to recall a place on the avenue that tried outdoor seating until the city sent in the cops to shut it down .
Maybe downtown will be different .
... Why don't we just applaud these two very determined young ladies for putting their faith and their business in Bristol. Let's hope their optimism is infectious...enough of the negativity already!
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We're not just going to wake up one morning and have trendy boutiques, chic restaurants and cobblestone sidewalks lining North Main Street.
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No one actually believes that day will ever occur in Bristol . At least nobody that isn't influenced by drugs/alcohol or a serious mental disorder.
Sane folks are posting in this blog in an attempt to get a message thru to the city
leadership , but apparently , w/o much success :-(
3:28 poster..
What is your plan. Please share with us your wisdom. Let us in on the details of your plan to revitalize the downtown.
Well we are waiting.....
If you do not have anything constructive to say shut the hell up. we are all tired of the negitivity spewing from you.
If your want to discuss your plan then let's hear it.
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shut the hell up.
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it's good to see someone w/ an open mind ..... NOT !!!!!! :-(
3:28...Please do not presume to speak for the "sane folks." I'd hate to think that your incredibly pessimistic, negative attitude is in any way representative of the "sane folks." But cheer up! Your sad, depressed outlook definitely qualifies you as a spokesperson for the folks with "drug/alcohol or serious mental disorder."
open yes
negitive no
How are they going to be successful seating 6-10 people 6 months of the year???
Or, will Johnson award another drive thru?
Not good for pedestrian friendly.
Online fist fights. Great Steve - now your posters are telling each other to go to hell.
Real productive.
It sure would be nice if people could simply state their positions in a respectful, decent way and accept that not everyone will agree with them.
1-30-08
Your post should have read:
Johnson A-Ward another drive thru.
..."Johnson A-Ward another drive thru" ...3:45, what is it exactly that you're so unhappy about? Is it the fact that downtown Bristol is starting to come back to life...or is it because it's happening under Mayor Ward's watch?
Where are all the fine reastraunts the Dawn Ledger was suppose to entice to come to Bristol. Good money again paid to a looser.
Poster at 5:10
I hope that our standard for downtown isn't this type of retaurant.
But then, maybe it is.
And I do belive that was under consideration even before the primary.
...8:05, You hope that "our standard for downtown isn't THAT type of restaurant"? Well, aren't you special! This is not exactly a burger doodle we're talking about here, and it's definitely a move in the right direction. It may have been consideration before the primary, but I do know that the mayor has been encouraging these ladies and supporting them in their endeavor, so lets give them all a big hand instead of a slap in the face.
You got to be kidding. This is the best Bristol can come up with for a restaurant? Wow I guess people will come from far and wide to visit this place. We already got two hot dog stands on North Main Street. We don't need a third. The building alone isn't big enough for a restroom. Who wants to eat out on the side of the dirty street anyway? For scenery you get to watch the druggies go by. And on top of this Bristol is going to waste money on this project. We need to get professional restaurant people involved not novices.
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