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Another New Town Business ClosesSaturday, November 13, 2010 Families recently strolling down Main Street in New Town on the way to get ice cream at Maggie Moos would have been disappointed to find an empty, locked store with the lights out. The ice cream shop, which was right next door to the movie theater, closed November 2, after five years on Main Street. They follow the trend of other New Town Main Street businesses such as Cheeburger Cheeburger, PacSun, Old Navy, J. Jill, and Z Pizza (which closed and reopened under new ownership). Other New Town businesses outside Main Street have closed, too, among them Norwalk Furniture, Great Harvest Bread Company, New Town Coffee and Tea and Ben and Jerry’s.Maggie Moos owner Young Choi also owns the Maggie Moos in Newport News' City Center. Business in New Town was slow, she said. “April through September are okay, but other months are hard for me,” she said. “I tried to negotiate with the landlord but I was not successful.” In January, owner Steve Touchstone of the former Cheeburger Cheeburger across from Maggie Moos told WYDaily his business was sluggish and the inflexibility of the leasing agency for Main Street, which wouldn’t renegotiate his rent, either, was an additional burden. Main Street leasing agent Nathan Shor did not have a comment on the issue, aside from saying that rent negotiations are private. Operating two stores was difficult, Choi said, so she chose to keep the Newport News location because that landlord is “very flexible.” Also, she said, City Center has lots of events throughout the year that help draw customers.
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Comments
Tyler may I ask have you ever invested in and operated your own business? A great idea is only as great as someone that wants to risk everything on it
roberta,
I started my business from scratch here in williamsburg 10 years ago by myself. (i risk everything everyday) I now have eleven employees, and we have grown in this recession even with stiff competition locally, online, and from overseas. Reread my comment, as for the gym issue, a carpet bagger from richmond will not survive in this town without local support, let them spend their money. I have a competitor across the street, it has positively effected my business, by bringing all the business to my area.
2) Society, and "people", help to feed the Effect's unfair, negtive growth and add to the fuel heaped on New Town being labelled as a LOSER! This Econ teach shared this 'concept' in many classes, calling it Econ 102.
3) It's time for our local society, in general, to step far above this common practice of "LOSER" status and support a "LET'S all pitch in, positively and help", even demand, that those responsible take positive steps to bolster our New Town econmy/business es. not continually berate it.
4) THINK far above our New Town's horizon, "for our common good"...more viable businesses in New Town supports our local economy. Please don't feed that negative label......
To clarify, Developer's Realty is out of Connecticut, but the real estate company serving as the local representation, Shor Real Estate, is out of Richmond. Shops on Main, the part of New Town referenced is owned by Developer's Realty, but is backed financed by a bank, which, by the terms of their agreement, must approve all tenant leases in the center. It has been my experience that Developer's Realty is willing to negotiate leases and has, but tenants expect astronomical discounts that are unrealistic for Developer's Realty and the bank that finances them.
It is sad to see another business go. Hopefully a smart business person will see that value in the real estate next to the movie theater and open a business there soon. Even in this economy, businesses can thrive, but the old way of thinking must be done away with. Something different with a good marketing campaign will succeed.
In the mean time, shop local! $69 of every $100 spent locally will stay in the community and be spent again and again IN THE COMMUNITY while $72 of every $100 spent at Wal Mart goes to Arkansas. Not a single penny of every $100 spent online will stay in Williamsburg.
Tyler may I ask have you ever invested in and operated your own business? A great idea is only as great as someone that wants to risk everything on it.
The problem with NewTown is that the owners and managers spun a story about "community" and this along with the upcoming American Fitness debacle undermines the relationship that those willing to risk it all have with their landlords, who in effect have their fate in their own hands.....not good,,,without a good working relationship on both sides, success is alot more difficult despite a great idea.
is empty. Our town will become a ghost
town before you know it. I hope that
JCC will open their eyes & do some-
thing. What ever happen to Michaels
and Walmart coming to Settler's Market
& now we will have another shopping
center coming. Wake up people & let's
SHOP SHOP SHOP to save our town....
you are more right than you think....New Town Associates, (NTA), by approving the plan for AHF and the associated parking, changes has in effect supported "internal" competition for businesses like this.....agains t home grown efforts...whats next? New Town was sold as a place where there was supposed to be a more 'connected' feeling....NOT good. N
uhhhhh have you seen cheeburger cheeburger..... .....its still empty