The Cassidy
There are three Pizza-style restaurants in Maplewood village and they all are thriving.
In Millburn there are six or seven Italian Restaurants within a few blocks of each other. In fact there are two similar ones just a few doors from each other, Cara Mia and Il Pergola, and Basilica is just around the corner.
I really am puzzled by how this competition thing works.
Most of ny friends from SOMA and outside of SOMA stopped coming to Maplewood for dinner or drinks because Coda and the pub were too crowded and didn't have the capacity for the crowd. We are all looking forward to coming back. The parking issue is real though. Just trying to park at Staynd yesterday around 5 was a problem. Can't imagine a Thurs or Fri night around 7.
LOST said:
There are three Pizza-style restaurants in Maplewood village and they all are thriving.
In Millburn there are six or seven Italian Restaurants within a few blocks of each other. In fact there are two similar ones just a few doors from each other, Cara Mia and Il Pergola, and Basilica is just around the corner.
I really am puzzled by how this competition thing works.
Jersey/ New York style pizza is signature and unique. Try going outside the area and finding a Pizza that satisfies you. With the exception of San Francisco, a real difficulty. Pizza is addictive, relatively inexpensive and fills the bill.................thus a money maker and starts the game one step ahead
ml1 said:
author said:
ml1 said:
the village is adding one restaurant to the total it had before Highland Place closed. And HP closed for a multitude of reasons, none of which were over saturation of restaurants in the village
Highland Place closed for a number of reasons............having too much revenue was not one of them
the lack of revenue was the result of bad food and poor service. I went to the bar at HP at least a couple of nights a week. But I wouldn't have dinner there. And getting a drink at the bar took forever. A recipe for failure.
I knew a guy once who was quite the magician. Every night after work he would walk down the street and turn into a tavern
boomie said:
Most of ny friends from SOMA and outside of SOMA stopped coming to Maplewood for dinner or drinks because Coda and the pub were too crowded and didn't have the capacity for the crowd. We are all looking forward to coming back. The parking issue is real though. Just trying to park at Staynd yesterday around 5 was a problem. Can't imagine a Thurs or Fri night around 7.
in the age of Uber and Lyft, this will be less of an issue than it used to be. There are people who actually prefer to be driven if they're going to be having wine and/or cocktails with dinner.
Now I know this is not a popular subject or conclusion.............but when did that ever stop Author. The Village is now adding Cassidy to the mix and soon the new Highland Place. Cassidy...110 seating.
How many vehicles a few times a night plus whatever number of Highland Pl diners again a few times a night. Parking problems are another point of saturation to be factored. Now there are those who would call that negativity...........but why do we put locks on our doors? Is that thinking negatively?
The main issue with HP was service as well.
I think The Cassidy is off to a good start and it shows a lot of promise. They need to work on the noise level though, way too loud.
Perseverance said:
Most of the reasons why restaurants don't do well is because they're inconsistent in terms of either food, service or both. The owner of South Mountain Tavern (formerly Ricalton's) reached out to Facebook SOMA Lounge for customer input and most of the complaints were poor service, inconsistent meals and a high price point at that. However, I really admire that he would ask for input and he seemed to take it very seriously. The Belmont always had issues because the food was either hit or miss. HP was also inconsistent and the ambiance with the 80s design left something to be desired.
Places like the Gate or Arturos are still in business because the service is friendly and the food is consistent. If The Cassidy and new Lorena's (sorry I can't remember the name off the top of my head) provide consistent service and food, they will do very well. And I feel pretty confident they will provide both given that both owners run other very successful restaurants. For better or worse, M/SO has grown increasingly affluent and I see a need for something that's in between casual like Cactus Charley's and formal like Lorena's.
boomie said:
Just trying to park at Staynd yesterday around 5 was a problem. Can't imagine a Thurs or Fri night around 7.
I wonder if reversing the direction of traffic on Dunnell would encourage people using town businesses in the evening or on weekends to use the parking spots there. As it is, you have to drive pretty far out of town to loop back to Dunnell. If you could make a turn from Baker Street, you could use either of the underpasses to easily walk to town.
author said:
Now I know this is not a popular subject or conclusion.............but when did that ever stop Author. The Village is now adding Cassidy to the mix and soon the new Highland Place. Cassidy...110 seating.
How many vehicles a few times a night plus whatever number of Highland Pl diners again a few times a night. Parking problems are another point of saturation to be factored. Now there are those who would call that negativity...........but why do we put locks on our doors? Is that thinking negatively?
congratulations. overnight you've gone from predicting that the new restaurants wouldn't have enough customers to support themselves, to speculating that they'll be so popular that they'll be filled a few times a night.
see above. If parking really gets to be an issue, people can take an Uber or Lyft out to dinner, with the added benefit of not having to worry about a potential DUI.
j_r said:
boomie said:
Just trying to park at Staynd yesterday around 5 was a problem. Can't imagine a Thurs or Fri night around 7.
I wonder if reversing the direction of traffic on Dunnell would encourage people using town businesses in the evening or on weekends to use the parking spots there. As it is, you have to drive pretty far out of town to loop back to Dunnell. If you could make a turn from Baker Street, you could use either of the underpasses to easily walk to town.
people from the east side of town could just straight to the Dunnell side of the station for parking. If The Cassidy turns out to be really popular, I'd guess a lot of people will figure out that side is a good place to park when dining there.
Ml1...........you really need to read for content better. What I said and it was more than overnite past was there is a point where too many restaurants are dividing the dining dollar in the Village. Add the additional diners drawn to the Cassidy and the new Highland Park and an already dicey situation becomes worse. I think It was a mistake but I was looking at Trip Advisor.........they cite 42 restaurants in Maplewood. A bad parking situation will be made more difficult also
I write for them. 40% of my readers are European asking for restaurant and hotel advice about their own country....OK it is my country too.
Is there enough train service to make it a viable option for people from Millburn, Short Hills. Summit, etc. who might want to dine at a really special place in Maplewood?
Forgot to mention............there is another new restaurant being considered for the Village
However since start up costs are pretty high it will probably not fly with the current potential owner
j_r said:
boomie said:
Just trying to park at Staynd yesterday around 5 was a problem. Can't imagine a Thurs or Fri night around 7.
I wonder if reversing the direction of traffic on Dunnell would encourage people using town businesses in the evening or on weekends to use the parking spots there. As it is, you have to drive pretty far out of town to loop back to Dunnell. If you could make a turn from Baker Street, you could use either of the underpasses to easily walk to town.
Considering that the parking is angled and there really isn't enough room to change that, I'm doubtful that this could work.
author said:
One Uncle owned the largest restaurant in Wilmington Delaware. Called the New Yorker it was the place to be on the weekends.......... and every other day of the week.
I asked my dad about the New Yorker at Thanksgiving. He agreed it was very popular and remembers it for the magnificent pies, saying they were displayed in the window to draw customers — almost helpless to resist — inside.
I actually read for content a lot better than you write. That's how I can spot inherent contradictions in a series of posts.
author said:
Ml1...........you really need to read for content better.
I'd take a new restaurant over a useless gift shop that I shop in once a year or another hair salon any day. I'd guess that most people eat out at least once a week if not more while you might use a book store or a gift shop or a salon only a few times a year.
sac said:
Considering that the parking is angled and there really isn't enough room to change that, I'm doubtful that this could work.
Repainting stripes to angle the spaces in the other direction seems like a fairly simple solution that would require no additional room and very little money. (But then I live in a neighboring town that now boasts parking right on the sidewalk.)
That would require rerouting the jitneys and bring more commuter traffic past the middle school during morning rush. It would be a poor response to a so far non-existent problem. Even on a Friday or Saturday night there are parking spaces. If there's a problem it's the people who think they're entitled to a parking spot within 50 yards of where they're going.
ml1 said:
That would require rerouting the jitneys and bring more commuter traffic past the middle school during morning rush. It would be a poor response to a so far non-existent problem. Even on a Friday or Saturday night there are parking spaces. If there's a problem it's the people who think they're entitled to a parking spot within 50 yards of where they're going.
I don’t find parking to be a problem, either. The other day around lunchtime — when I assumed chances of finding a midday space on the other side of the tracks was very low — I roamed Maplewood Ave and its side streets for 10 to 15 minutes before finding a spot, but that was a rarity for me (and I got used to trolling a hundred-square-block area for a half-hour or more to park at my previous home, so it doesn’t trouble me anyway).
Two howevers, however: As others have mentioned, it’s one thing to invest time and distance in finding a spot before a movie or dinner; it’s another when you just want to pop into Kings or grab an anniversary card or see what looks good for dessert at a bakery.
And if I’m a merchant, and it’s a problem for those other people who aren’t like ml1 or DaveSchmidt, then it’s my problem, too.
DaveSchmidt said:
ml1 said:
That would require rerouting the jitneys and bring more commuter traffic past the middle school during morning rush. It would be a poor response to a so far non-existent problem. Even on a Friday or Saturday night there are parking spaces. If there's a problem it's the people who think they're entitled to a parking spot within 50 yards of where they're going.
I don’t find parking to be a problem, either. The other day around lunchtime — when I assumed chances of finding a midday space on the other side of the tracks was very low — I roamed Maplewood Ave and its side streets for 10 to 15 minutes before finding a spot, but that was a rarity for me (and I got used to trolling a hundred-square-block area for a half-hour or more to park at my previous home, so it doesn’t trouble me anyway).
Two howevers, however: As others have mentioned, it’s one thing to invest time and distance in finding a spot before a movie or dinner; it’s another when you just want to pop into Kings or grab an anniversary card or see what looks good for dessert at a bakery.
And if I’m a merchant, and it’s a problem for those other people who aren’t like ml1 or DaveSchmidt, then it’s my problem, too.
And in the near future there will be fewer autos seeking parking spaces when the Cassidy and new Highland Place are open
j_r said:
sac said:
Considering that the parking is angled and there really isn't enough room to change that, I'm doubtful that this could work.
Repainting stripes to angle the spaces in the other direction seems like a fairly simple solution that would require no additional room and very little money. (But then I live in a neighboring town that now boasts parking right on the sidewalk.)
I thought you meant reversing it at different times of day - evenings and weekends.
DaveSchmidt said:
Two howevers, however: As others have mentioned, it’s one thing to invest time and distance in finding a spot before a movie or dinner; it’s another when you just want to pop into Kings or grab an anniversary card or see what looks good for dessert at a bakery.
And if I’m a merchant, and it’s a problem for those other people who aren’t like ml1 or DaveSchmidt, then it’s my problem, too.
there are people now who won't do what I do and park at the Woodland to stop in Kings. and there are only so many rare parking spaces right in front of any of the shops in town now. The addition of a couple of new establishments isn't going to affect those people who already refuse to walk 100 or 200 yards. They're already not popping into the stationery store for a card. On balance, I would think that shops like Perch, Tenth Muse, Kimaya Kama, Kokoro, etc. will benefit from people walking past their shops on the way to or from dinner, provided they match their hours to the foot traffic.
Every case study of how to keep downtown areas of towns vital would suggest adding businesses like popular restaurants is a good thing. Trying to preserve the village as it exists is not a viable plan to keep businesses going.
In the age of Uber and Lyft (maybe I should write this in every post), parking for restaurants and bars doesn't have to be an issue. And yes, it's being negative for people to keep harping on the supposed lack of parking for new restaurants. If a friend says he/she is thinking of going to The Cassidy but is afraid they're won't be parking, the positive person thinks of ways to get to yes, and says -- "why don't you Uber? It will probably cost less than your tip at dinner." The negative person says -- "you're right. don't go to Maplewood, the parking's a *****." Those people are doing potential damage to business owners in the village, even as they express concern for them.
Would it be viable to have some "short term" parking spaces along Maplewood Avenue with 30 minute limits during peak hours? That would make it easier for people to "pop in" to the various shops. People who are in the Village to eat dinner or see a movie would then walk past more businesses on their way from parking at the Woodland or the residential part of Maplewood Avenue.
I notice that a number of people waiting for tables at Arturo's wander across the street into Words. I hope they have seen an increase in sales. Staying open later on Saturdays has certainly increased their foot traffic. And I have no doubt that the ice cream shop benefits from the fact that Arturo's does not serve dessert.
ml1 said:
DaveSchmidt said:
Two howevers, however: As others have mentioned, it’s one thing to invest time and distance in finding a spot before a movie or dinner; it’s another when you just want to pop into Kings or grab an anniversary card or see what looks good for dessert at a bakery.
And if I’m a merchant, and it’s a problem for those other people who aren’t like ml1 or DaveSchmidt, then it’s my problem, too.
there are people now who won't do what I do and park at the Woodland to stop in Kings. and there are only so many rare parking spaces right in front of any of the shops in town now. The addition of a couple of new establishments isn't going to affect those people who already refuse to walk 100 or 200 yards. They're already not popping into the stationery store for a card. On balance, I would think that shops like Perch, Tenth Muse, Kimaya Kama, Kokoro, etc. will benefit from people walking past their shops on the way to or from dinner, provided they match their hours to the foot traffic.
Every case study of how to keep downtown areas of towns vital would suggest adding businesses like popular restaurants is a good thing. Trying to preserve the village as it exists is not a viable plan to keep businesses going.
In the age of Uber and Lyft (maybe I should write this in every post), parking for restaurants and bars doesn't have to be an issue. And yes, it's being negative for people to keep harping on the supposed lack of parking for new restaurants. If a friend says he/she is thinking of going to The Cassidy but is afraid they're won't be parking, the positive person thinks of ways to get to yes, and says -- "why don't you Uber? It will probably cost less than your tip at dinner." The negative person says -- "you're right. don't go to Maplewood, the parking's a *****." Those people are doing potential damage to business owners in the village, even as they express concern for them.
Studies belong on the shelves. Ask the Village merchants or residents of the Village what they think of the parking siuation
The jitneys already go past the middle school after they leave the station, and permit spots on Dunnell typically fill up before school starts, so I don't see either as an obstacle. I'm just trying to think creatively about parking that is underused at times of peak demand, and ways to encourage people to walk a little farther. (For the record, in 20 years of living here, I've never thought there was a parking problem, but I am fortunate that I don't have limited mobility, or small children buckled into my car.)
I support the idea of short-term parking in the angled spots in town, as @EBennet suggests. If that could be enforced it would probably reduce the number of people who pull into crosswalks and nonexistent spots "just for a minute," and could potentially cut down on the number of frantic drivers who make illegal lefts there.
ml1 said:
That would require rerouting the jitneys and bring more commuter traffic past the middle school during morning rush.
j_r said:
I'm just trying to think creatively about parking that is underused at times of peak demand, and ways to encourage people to walk a little farther.
I think the easiest solution is signage and other educational efforts to remind drivers that they can park on that side of the tracks in the evening. Those kind of things should be a priority of the Village Alliance.
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