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JGSC Group News
A Model for Main Streets Everywhere
06/28/2022
Our visit to SocialLifeProject.org found a fascinating series of articles about how to help public spaces thrive. Founded by Fred Kent and Kathy Madden, Social Life Project publishes articles and presentations related to sidewalks and streets, architecture, amenities and more.
Recently, Fred and Kathy, along with Katherine Peinhardt and Madeley Rodriquez published an article about the emergence of social hubs and the role they play in reactivating communities with life. The article discusses how this trend is emerging in the Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
Noting the loss of several anchor stores, including pharmacies and bookstores, the article discusses how the replacement buildings contributed little to the historic street life or the sense of place for the communities. The authors examined emerging social hubs, such as the Foster Building, Court Street Tavern, and MozzLab.
Congratulations to Social Life Project. They’re doing important work to revitalize our communities and this latest article is no exception. “Emerging Social Hubs in Brooklyn” is an important read for all of us that are working to rebuild and recreate Main Streets in a post-pandemic world.
We encourage you to visit sociallifeproject.org to learn more, and make sure you subscribe to their website to keep informed of their good works.
JGSC Recruits A Business That A Town Wanted But Couldn’t Get
05/12/2022
The Borough of Roselle, NJ knew what they wanted on their highway commercial district: a great family-oriented sit-down restaurant. Ideally, they wanted an iHOP restaurant. They had done research to prove that there was adequate demand to support the category, and a consumer preferences survey proved that this type of restaurant was on the top of the residents’ list of desired businesses for the town. They also owned a desirable lot on the highway that would work for such a business. But they didn’t know how to convert the supportive data, their lot, and their desire into action. Several years passed without an offer being made on the property.
Enter JGSC Group: we crafted a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process that proactively targeted over 100 restaurateurs and developers in the area with a successful track record in nationally branded family restaurant development. The RFQ process enabled us to determine from these experts what would be required for a qualified bidder to take interest in development on the Borough’s site. Within three months we completed a subsequent RFP and received 7 competitive proposals from bidders competing to develop a family restaurant. Roselle chose a vendor, Foya Group, that had successfully developed, owned, and operated other iHOP restaurants in the area. Foya has secured a franchise from iHOP for the Roselle site, and the restaurant is currently under development.
An interesting, interactive and tasty storefront that draws crowds.
04/25/2022
Many of us recently celebrated Easter with their families. With food manufacturing on the rise and more shared kitchen incubators, we are seeing many more entrepreneurs in the business of making chocolates.
In my weekly segment on 1010 WINS radio, I suggested a memorable trip to Li-Lac Chocolates – one of our City’s oldest small businesses that has many signature recipes dating back nearly a hundred years.
In 2014, Li-Lac built a new factory at Industry City in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park – where customers can look in through the large windows and watch the chocolate-making in action – old-world chocolates made in small batches using time-honored techniques. It is a show that always stops me right in my tracks and also draws a good crowd.
And when you walk in the store, you can enjoy the smell of fresh chocolate and see a very large selection of goodies in all shapes and sizes – all made in Brooklyn, New York.
This whole experience made me think about how some retailers have totally abandoned the use of their visible storefronts on Main Streets. Perhaps the best example of this point is some of the large drugstore/food markets who have surrendered making any attempt of adding interesting and creative windows to showcase their products.
Not all small businesses with retail shops can put on the remarkable show that Li Lac Chocolate provides. However, small businesses should be doing all they can to put best forward in presenting their products and the front window should be welcoming. Visit the Li-Lac websites at www.li-lacchocolates.com
Rob Walsh is a Principal with JGSC Group. The Bottom Line for Small Business with Rob Walsh can be heard every Monday and Friday at 8:56 AM and 5:56 PM on 1010 WINS.
Helping Business Districts Handle NJ’s Bag Ban
04/21/2022
Beginning in May, a NJ law will ban the distribution of single-use plastic bags, polystyrene food containers, plastic straws, and even most paper bags to customers. Most small businesses in the Garden State are not prepared for the impact of the law, yet it will apply to all retail stores, food service businesses, and most grocery stores (those over 2,500 sq ft).
The bill is a measure designed to reduce the environmental burden of excess waste—particularly plastic waste that doesn’t biodegrade. It promotes the use of reusable shopping bags and the elimination of single use items like plastic bags and drinking straws. Even paper bags will be outlawed for grocery stores (other retailers can continue to use them).
JGSC Group is encouraging the business districts that we represent to help their merchants prepare for the shift now. Towns might even view this measure as a promotional opportunity by ordering reusable shopping bags with their district logos imprinted that could be sold at cost or freely distributed to district customers in downtown stores. District managers should also be alerting their food service businesses of the need to stock paper drinking straws and cardboard or hemp food containers. Visit www.BagUpNJ.com to learn more.
Public Markets Serving as Community’s Civic Center
04/20/2022
We have all seen the very powerful positive impact that open-air, bustling public markets have had in shaping neighborhoods and our cities. I certainly saw this firsthand during my years at Union Square with the great success of the Greenmarket. And when I was President of Charlotte Center City Partners, I created a public market that in many ways served as the neighborhood civic center – a great gathering place on Saturday mornings.
On Saturday April 30th at 1:00 PM, the Bronx Night Market returns to Fordham Plaza in the Bronx – bigger and better than ever with more than 50 food and crafts vendors.
At this free monthly open-air market, you can indulge in some of the city’s tastiest bites including fan-favorites Perros Locos, The Bronx Burger Company; Cupcake Me!, Twister Cakes, and Sam’s Fried Ice Cream (Hungry yet?).
Patrons can also find jewelry, arts & crafts vendors. And you can listen to live music performances and watching dancers take center stage at this all-encompassing event.
So spread the word, let everyone know – The Bronx Night Market is back starting Saturday, April 30th beginning at 1:00 PM. For more information, go to, www.theBronxNightMarket.com
The Changing Face of Main Street Storefronts
03/11/2022
One of the many ways that the Covid pandemic has changed our world is through the impact it is having on traditional downtown main streets. Commercial corridors once lined with small mom-and-pop stores are now seeing an influx of medical-related businesses, in a trend called “medtail.”
Jane Margolis discussed the trend in a recent article she wrote for the New York Times. Her article is informative and a must-read for anyone that manages commercial districts. Downtown organizations would also be wise to recognize the trend and begin planning to incorporate it into their future business recruitment strategies.