Date: Tue, 4 Oct 2011 11:54:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Linda Bienvenue
Subject: businesses in Pittsboro
Several posts have been made to the Chatlist regarding local businesses surviving/not surviving in Chatham County. The majority of these business lie within the limits of the Town of Pittsboro. There really is no way to say this, but to be perfectly blunt …… Pittsboro is NOT a business- friendly town.
One only has to use a bit of common sense (as one Chatlist poster mentioned) to see that there really isn’t anything in Pittsboro for potential consumers/customers to come into Pittsboro for. I have repeatedly mentioned this to residents that I have spoken with, that Pittsboro must be made into a “destination point” in order to attract shoppers. There is nothing here. The traffic going through Pittsboro is either going to/from Sanford – Chapel Hill and beyond.
Quite frankly, I feel badly that another business has failed, but perhaps that failure was due to the fact that there were already at least 4 other “coffee shops” in the immediate vicinity. A prospective business owner MUST do their homework to see if what they are offering is exclusive to what other businesses are offering, or at least has something that will draw a customer base there. Here’s a shout-out to the new Chatham County Commissioners and the EDC and Planning Board for instituting “Pre-App” into the county, so a prospective entrepreneur can scope out the area for their business. Once that business draws a customer into their shop, the business owner is the one who bears the primary responsibility of keeping that customer coming back. So, if your food is mediocre, your service sub-par, your hours of operation not in keeping with your customer base, you will FAIL!!! Period. Stop blaming the people of Pittsboro and Chatham County. If you are not offering what people want to shop for (or eat), you will not succeed. I can’t quite understand how the GSC is still being propped up, but that is not my concern, as I do not frequent that establishment because of their poor service, mediocre food, etc.
Now, we have the new Japanese restaurant in Pittsboro. Yay, just what we need – another fast-food restaurant. Now, I don’t have a problem with a fast-food restaurant being there, just that I won’t be one of their returning customer base . Once was enough for me. The food is extremely expensive for what they are serving, the food quality is passable, and the restaurant facilities were not all that clean. This was on their second day of operation. I won’t even get into what dimwit designed the parking area and entrances.
Lastly, we have a wonderful business “Shot of Spro” run by highly competent, friendly individuals, who cater to their customer base by serving high quality products, and diligently trying to respond to their customers’ needs and wants. In spite of that, these two people have been attacked by others with baseless accusations of taking business away from a “bricks and mortar” establishment. Really??
Tom and Tina pay their taxes to the same county and state as the rest of the businesses. However, who is trying to shut them down by going after their “signs”? Pittsboro and its Town Manager. Businesses need signage to let potential customers know where they are. Tasteful signs that are brought in nightly are a nuisance? Has anyone taken a look at the crappy signage hung all over the fencing around the old courthouse? Now — that IS a nuisance.
Pittsboro needs to wake up and smell the coffee (pun). We need to bring ourselves into the 21st century.
Consider this when November comes, because if it continues this way, we will become a ghost town as there will be no reason to come into downtown Pittsboro once the 15/501 bypass is built. We need the bypass, but we also need to make Pittsboro into a destination town that people will WANT to get off the bypass to come and visit. Beads, antiques, and fast food ain’t gonna cut it.
Linda Bienvenue
Pittsboro