(06-05-2015, 10:24 AM)Spokes Wrote: [ -> ]There's something that's been on my mind this morning. What do you think it is that's made the Duke Street Food Block so popular? And is it something we can replicate elsewhere, specifically, would something like this work in the upstairs part of the Kitchener Market?
There are some interesting details in a Metro News story about the success of the Kitchener DFB, some of the businesses and why they chose this location.
Eateries lead the charge in downtown revitalization
"When he found out 12,461 people work in the core and another 42,300 live within a 20-minute walk, Snider decided to open Holy Guacamole."
Most of the eateries in this block now close at 3pm instead of 5 or 6pm as they used too. Sad, but downtown is still having a hard time staying alive after office hours. We need more people living there, and not until towers 2 and 3 of city centre open as well as 100 Vic will be close to getting there.
I can definitely recommend Indian Tree for dinner and it's open past 3pm.
We had some visitors at the office today, and as we walked to dinner around 5:30 PM, I was (quietly) observing how empty the downtown streets were.
Every new residential building will help some, and the LRT will help some, but we still need a lot more customers in order for all the restaurants to stay open for dinner. But at least now there is enough lunch business for them to keep the doors open, which is a start.
If I want a quick bite near Kaufman, I'm typically at Quick Sandwiches or Union Burger. But I often drift down to the Duke Food Block, hoping for Holy Guac to be open. I wonder if their efforts to animate the block every week for dinner, with live music in the parkette, had such poor attendance that they decided to close down evening hours?
I used to regularly grab food there for dinner until they started closing earlier. It's a shame because I'm not around to grab food at lunch hours. Breadhead has some fantastic pizzas.
Spotted on Twitter - a sign posted on the Breadheads storefront on Duke Street saying that due to the impact of LRT construction, they're closing up shop until October:
https://twitter.com/flying_squirrel/stat...4820114432 . Fortunately they have the food truck business to fall back on.
They've had limited summer hours in the past due to their taking the truck to festivals, etc so this should not be too much of a hit.
(05-30-2016, 07:42 PM)goggolor Wrote: [ -> ]Spotted on Twitter - a sign posted on the Breadheads storefront on Duke Street saying that due to the impact of LRT construction, they're closing up shop until October: https://twitter.com/flying_squirrel/stat...4820114432 . Fortunately they have the food truck business to fall back on.
Although sad, at least they're not closing up shop completely.
Heresy alert - I find Breadheads pizza too soggy. I need my thin crust to be crisp!
I found breadheads to be overly expensive and not a great attempt at what it was going for...
(10-05-2015, 07:34 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: [ -> ]I can definitely recommend Indian Tree for dinner and it's open past 3pm.
Spice tree is a good value for lunch, the buffet they have is a decent spread for the small amount of space they have. I go there for supper too, I really the cauliflower Manchurian they make. I usually walk there since I'm close enough but they seem to being doing decent take-away business still.
(05-31-2016, 10:03 AM)panamaniac Wrote: [ -> ]Heresy alert - I find Breadheads pizza too soggy. I need my thin crust to be crisp!
Same here ... it's tasty but needs to be eaten with a knife and fork. Would prefer crispier crust.
"Convenience @ Duke" sign up along the DFB. Looks like a convenience store. Sorry can't recall what it is replacing.
Plus the Hasty Market on Ontario across from the bus terminal.