03-06-2015, 07:28 AM
(03-05-2015, 11:18 AM)panamaniac Wrote:(03-04-2015, 08:34 PM)Drake Wrote: The Tim's on Borden is essentially in the core. It appears to be highly patronized by prostitutes however, so it isn't classy.
I have to say that I've been in there on several occasions (during the day) and haven't noticed that. Whenever I drive by and see the Ion sign out front, I think the franchise holder must be the luckiest guy ever!
First let me get this out of my head and onto paper/the web:
Timmies is a $2 coffee crowd (seems to be the Ottawa/Borden crowd) and Starbucks is the $5+ crowd ... you get my stereotype analysis ... but the "hooker coffee" place is true.
As for other Timmies, the whole block of land between King and Weber (northside of Ottawa Street) will be razed and new residences and businesses will occupy this mostly parking lot land that Timmies now occupies. My crystal ball also says no Timmies will remain in these locations.
There is nothing wrong with local businesses versus franchises and I am in favour of local but these new developments will be about deeper pockets and proven businesses. Until the new developments and more to come into the Downtown, attract real foot traffic and the new younger residents, franchises are the businesses that won't be out of business two years after opening and lease costs rise which could leave property owners/managers struggling to fill “losing” store front business legacies which is not want you want in a new, future growth business area that will become more high end than other areas in the 7/8/70 area.
I agree that there will be a Starbucks at 1 Victoria (evolving foot traffic) and also inside the transit hub (evolving transit use). Watch for more Starbucks to arrive in Kitchener as the Downtown grows into a new Downtown. Don’t expect dollar stores or the “buck a beer” sites to remain. In the next ten years probably 90% of the downtown businesses will be new to Kitchener and the current business models will be gone.
The Transit Hub is still at the concept stage in my mind as to the interior and it isn't about street/foot traffic. The businesses in the transit area will be like the Union Station type shops ... quick acces/service businesses and not necessarily fancy service.
Let's face it… the whole of the Downtown will evolve based on the coming LRT into something that we as long term residents really can't envision today because the residents/workers and businesses will be seeing significant changing to more upscale businesses and customers (aka Uptown “Waterlooesque”) over the next decade.