Palisades Village: Thoughts From the Middle
Expensive restaurants will succeed if (a) the food, drink, service warrants, (b) the restaurant is uniquely positioned, and (c) the restaurant is a destination.
You need (a) for certainty. Then if you pair (b) and/or (c), you have a real shot for longevity.
Expensive restaurants will fail or simply just survive if the reliance is primarily on ambiance. Ambiance alone isn’t going to do it. We have other great options.
Middle range restaurants will succeed. Tocaya Organica is a great example. It will crush. Well positioned. Healthy, price/value is reasonable, chill environment. More of this. Edo Little Bites also a genius concept. Small store footprint, high productivity, known concept but not chain.
We need a highly productive, small footprint breakfast joint … like Eggslut. And don’t judge me. I didn’t name the place. Don’t need a lot of square footage.
Ice cream, coffee, chocolates and other delectable areas are up in the air. It’s all about linear productivity. The more mid-range, highly productive space; the more family oriented offerings; the more experiential offerings in the green, the more productive these sweet spaces will be.
Family of four, under $100 in the middle range versus $75 at Vida or Kayndaves … and you’ve found a sweet spot.
The movie theater is going to succeed. Yes I get it. It’s not the $15 offering many of you would have desired. But, nevertheless, $100 for a family of four for movie plus another $50-100 for dinner and you have a winner. Don’t be shocked. The average home in the area is $3.5 million with more than 50 percent selling all cash. This movie theater is so well positioned to succeed.
Amazon Books …. listen to me… you MUST be experiential and KID friendly. What I mean is, post haste create a kid environment with a long list of reading and educational activities.
We’re a town of families—lots of kids, lots of parents and grandparents. We have gadgets but we’re inundated with the needs of our children and grandchildren. This isn’t Brentwood with hordes of successful, young singles without children. We have those folks (and we’re thrilled they are here), but we are defined by our familial, multigenerational and active lifestyle. More activities. Reading hours. Kid-focused during kid-friendly hours and perhaps pivot to those who have kids who have left the nest in other times. Seniors have purchasing power.
Expensive dress shops. Again, this is about the (a), (b) and (c). Does it warrant the price/value? Is it uniquely positioned? Is it a destination? As a city, we have money but we’re not Beverly Hills in that the mentality is less flash and more substance.
Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing the Ferraris. It reminds me that I lucked out buying a sweet house with a big yard. My mom and pop are astonished. Yeah, I’m proud to live here. But my wealthiest friends—and they are flat-out California rich—that live in the Palisades are still more family oriented than flash.
I do love a little flash … even if I’m just appreciating it in someone else’s personality. In the end, the expensive dress shops are in the greatest peril.
Where is my James Perse or Aviator Nation option? I’ll pay $75 for a nice T-shirt and $150-200 for a hoodie. $150-200 for chill pants. No problem. And, that defines most of us mid-lifers in the Palisades. We have money and willing to buy clothing every year, but the $350 T-shirt is a rare occurrence. (For those of you who are up for that, RESPECT, but it is unusual.)
We are an active community. We are a chill community. We are a familial community. We are a wealthy community. And, no this doesn’t describe everyone here so if you don’t fit that description, there is no judgment from me. I like you, too! It just is what it is. It’s what we are in proximity to …
The Village will evolve. And, hopefully my 2 cents is of some value to one of you influential Village folks.
Jeremy Padawer
Wicked Cool Toys
A Vote for Pali High
There has been considerable discussion on Nextdoor and other sites about the merits of returning the Pacific Palisades Farmers Market to Swarthmore or to let it remain at Palisades Charter High School.
Some recall the convenience of having it in the Village, but don’t remember the food mess on the street, the disruption experienced by the neighbors and the expansive foot traffic around it.
That Village is no more. The Swarthmore we now have is confined between beautiful flower-filled planters. The sidewalks are brick with spaces that will not clean easily. The walkways were designed for access to the businesses, not the roadway.
Pali High provides multiple benefits, including free parking, space to move around in a green environment, and vendors can come and go without burdening those nearby. In addition, there is the revenue that accrues to the high school. Certainly a good thing.
Leaving the market at Pali High has my vote. Having everything piled on top of everything else does not enhance any experience.
Trish Sobul
33-year resident of Pacific Palisades
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