some cursory impressions from tonight's World of Beer meeting

[ron_newman]

I went to most of tonight's community meeting about World of Beer and the Social Security Buliding. My impressions follow. If you also attended, please add your comments to this post.

- The landlord wants to subdivide the space into three stores. The front would become a Petco, with entrance on Elm Street. The middle would become World of Beer, with entrance on Chester Street. He has no definite plans or tenant for the back, which presumably would also be entered from Chester Street.

- The prospective franchisee is from Florida. He wants to open 11 Worlds of Beer throughout eastern Massachusetts, but he evidences little understanding of our local area. He said his tavern would differentiate from other local bars because it would not serve Bud and Miller macrobrews .... but he doesn't realize that people here are much more likely to order Sam or Harpoon by default rather than any macrobrew. He had never heard of local brewers Slumbrew or Pretty Things. He said that his tavern would be run better than "99%" of the local places, not understanding that he was insulting local business people.

- Earlier Worlds of Beer served no food and allowed people to bring their own food, but the franchise no longer works that way. This one would sell food, but the menus he passed around were pretty unimpressive.

Most of the meeting attendees had a mildly negative reaction to the presentation. Several people said that Davis Square has enough places already that serve beer, including craft beers; they mentioned Redbones, Foundry, and Five Horses, among others. One person suggested Assembly Row as a better place to locate this franchise. Another said that she knew some people in Maine who would like to rent the same space for a 'high-end' tea parlor.

I sensed a general unease with the idea of a national franchise from the South coming into the square, and a preference for retail shops over more alcohol-serving bars and restaurants.

[Earlier posts about this: one, two]

Comments

[enhf94.livejournal.com]

Any chance for a scan of the sample menu?

[vonelftinhaus.livejournal.com]

ummm a petco; so he rents the whole space and rent all the other sections to who ever or what ever he wants?

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Tea parlor? Yes, please!

[mytheria.livejournal.com]

I'd be all for a place that serves an afternoon tea on weekdays that isn't all the way into boston!

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Wow, has he researched the market *at all*? I agree that it sounds like a place better-suited for a mall-type environment like Assembly Row, or someplace more suburban.

[antimony.livejournal.com]

A pet store would be super-useful. Granted, if it's going to be a chain, Pet Supplies Plus >>> Petco, IMHO, but still, it'd be a good addition to the square.

World of Beer, on the other hand, LOL.

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

I"m curious: I get a good sense from your report or the franchiser and of the general crowd. Did you get a sense at all of how the Aldermen or zoning or whatever boards are thinking?

[contradictacat.livejournal.com]

some people in Maine who would like to rent the same space for a 'high-end' tea parlor.\

Dude dude dude do you know what this MEANS? There might be a DOBRA TEA (http://www.dobrateame.com/) in Somerville. *damn near hyperventilates* It's not really "lace doilies and crumpets", but it's very very definitely Davis Square. Also, pffft to any dude who thinks he can open up a business anywhere without doing what appears to be even basic local market research. I mean, how hard is it to look up the menus of even a fraction of the bars in the area?

But seriously. Dobra tea is awesome. I've been to both their Burlington and Portland branches, and if one wants to open in Somerville, even though I'm halfway around the world, I want it to happen so goddamn much, it almost hurts.

[pch1.livejournal.com]

I'm still trying to figure out where the license is coming from. Is it a full liquor license or just beer and wine?

[daviscubed.livejournal.com]

From the SOUTH? [clutches pearls]

[wintahill.livejournal.com]

While I do agree that it sounds as if this potential business owner did not do adequate research for his proposal, I am still disappointed by the anti-business impression I get from many of the other commenters on this topic. It would have certainly been in this gentleman's best interests to better prepare for this type of hostile questioning with more informed answers.

I just want to make sure I have everything clear though as it is getting a bit confusing.

Somerville approves of a third frozen yogurt shop in Davis Sq, even though it is another national chain and it would directly compete with an existing locally owned frozen yogurt shop.

Somerville does not approve of another bar opening in Davis Sq, because it is a national chain and it would directly compete with existing locally owned bars and restaurants already in the square.

Nobody seems too upset about the possibility of a Petco, another national chain, going into the former social security building, but a bar would be bad in that location. Well first it was bad because it wouldn't serve food, but now that they propose to serve food also it is just bad because it is a chain.

If people are so against having another bar in Davis Square they should just come out and say it. At least I can respect that even though I don't agree, but all this coded talk about "chains" and arbitrary distinctions between national, regional, and local chains is just ridiculous.