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Old 09-06-2011, 10:51 AM
 
Location: Philly
10,220 posts, read 16,734,236 times
Reputation: 2971

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Quote:
Originally Posted by nuwaver88 View Post
I know we have talked ad nauseum on these pages about how Downtown restaurants need to stay open later on both evenings and weekends. I fully expect someone who either may or may not have owned a restaurant suggest that it makes no financial sense from a restaurant owners standpoint to do so, blah blah blah. That is with all due respect.
I headed to Market Square yesterday for dinner. I was dying for a burger and a beer. I headed to Wingharts. They had already put the stools up and were cleaning up by 5:15 pm. I decided upon Moe's. They were cleaning up also. There were literally dozens of people trying to get into these places. Some commented "Closed at 5pm?! It' not even dinner time yet" These businesses are losing a lot of money. Not to mention that it is a major turnoff and bad PR for the city. I decided upon Las Velas, where I had a great meal. I came out around 7:30 pm and found a $55.00 parking ticket on my windshield and noticed everbody esle on the square did too, despite blocking no fire hydrants or intertsections, and no parking meters, just vague signage. Anyway, the ticket was my fault. I just think that maybe the restaurants and the city itself could be a bit more visitor friendly on a Saturday Night if they want to attract visitors who spend money. There is a demand to stay open. Maybe some of the young professionals who will be in over their heads when they rent these new $1,000 plus per month apts. will find the need to turn tables a few nights a week to help staff the new demand. The time to change is upon us.
he was full to close friday night and still closed at 10 pm. closed at 5 on saturday, yet nola was full and people were out and about. hopefully diamond will have better hours and also serve good food. the square really needs another anchor business or two, chipotle and moe's don't cut it for destinations. I still believe they are both poor fits for the sq, being better suited for convenient lunches than destination dining or socializing.
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Old 09-06-2011, 11:00 AM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,877,652 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pman View Post
I still believe they are both poor fits for the sq, being better suited for convenient lunches than destination dining or socializing.
To play Devil's Advocate, one of the many different functions served by the Square is to be a place for people to gather on nice workdays for lunch. I'd personally suggest this is a pretty important function--although we are trying to build up other aspects of Downtown, we shouldn't neglect the importance of it being a great place to work.

Accordingly, I don't have an inherent problem with there being a mix of more "destination" places and also "convenient lunch" places in and around the Square. That said, I'd agree the mix is a little too much in favor of "convenient lunch" right now, but that is gradually changing.
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Old 09-06-2011, 05:08 PM
 
Location: Philly
10,220 posts, read 16,734,236 times
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Thats just it...the mix is still wrong. Whether it be dnd, pnc, moes, or chipotle thay goes matters little. There are too many ho hum places that cant attract people at night. Theres no reason places cant appeal to the lunch and evening crowds successfully.
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Old 09-06-2011, 05:14 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
7,541 posts, read 10,203,280 times
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There are no entertainment venues in Market Square in 2011, no real shopping at night either and few residents.

Not suprising that what fine restaurants that are in town are closer to Heinz Hall, the Benedum, the Edison and the numerous residences near the banks of the Allegheny.
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Old 09-06-2011, 08:15 PM
 
Location: Philly
10,220 posts, read 16,734,236 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam View Post
There are no entertainment venues in Market Square in 2011, no real shopping at night either and few residents.

Not suprising that what fine restaurants that are in town are closer to Heinz Hall, the Benedum, the Edison and the numerous residences near the banks of the Allegheny.
except that nola seems to be doing good business, it's the less fine restaurants that seem to be empty at night
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Old 09-07-2011, 07:39 AM
 
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Market Square does have Nola, Wingharts, Las Velas, Bella Sera, and the Original Oyster House, plus Penn Avenue Fish Company and Tavern 245 nearby. At least a few more restaurants are in the works--it is just taking some time (after all, this is still a recent development by Pittsburgh standards).
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Old 09-07-2011, 08:23 AM
 
Location: Philly
10,220 posts, read 16,734,236 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianTH View Post
Market Square does have Nola, Wingharts, Las Velas, Bella Sera, and the Original Oyster House, plus Penn Avenue Fish Company and Tavern 245 nearby. At least a few more restaurants are in the works--it is just taking some time (after all, this is still a recent development by Pittsburgh standards).
And the op was pointing out that wingharts inexplicably closes at five and isnt open sunday. As my wife likes to say...it seems like businesses here dont want to make money.
Im not arguing it wont change but iam.agreeing with the op it isnt there now but the people are there.
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Old 09-07-2011, 08:56 AM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,877,652 times
Reputation: 2910
Yeah, I was more pointing out there is obviously a lot of potential demand in the market for non-chain places. I fully agree that demand is not yet being met in its totality, but I do expect the area to keep getting closer to that point over the next few years.

In fact, I'm not sure there is a hard distinction between Market Square and the closer parts of the Cultural District, and you could make an argument that places like Taste of Dahntahn are contributing to the general dining scene in that part of Downtown. I'd suggest the same thing about Elements.
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Old 09-07-2011, 09:48 AM
 
Location: Philly
10,220 posts, read 16,734,236 times
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absolutely, taste of dahntahn has much better hours than most places downtown ( I tasted East End's brown ale for the first time there, very tasty)...esp once they add breakfast. still, without a doubt, the sq, at least in nicer months, has something others do not. msq has the ability to offer something somewhat unique. depending on how diamond cafe works, that could be the tipping point. then there's the florist space which is big. I assume the building finally sold.
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Old 09-07-2011, 01:05 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh area
9,912 posts, read 24,543,247 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pman View Post
And the op was pointing out that wingharts inexplicably closes at five and isnt open sunday. As my wife likes to say...it seems like businesses here dont want to make money.
Im not arguing it wont change but iam.agreeing with the op it isnt there now but the people are there.
They close at 5 on Saturday. Otherwise food until 10 and booze until midnight.

Can't say if they've tried being open Saturday night yet. You might ask them that. They may have tried and found not enough people want their environment for Saturday night. Wouldn't surprise me.

I don't begrudge anyone for being closed one day a week. Sometimes I wish it wasn't Sunday, but whatever.
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