Downtown Development News & Update

Like everybody else in Easton, we are anxiously waiting for COVID-19 to be a thing of the past so we can enjoy the company of our friends and family without social distancing and masks. Until that time comes, we have been working with our businesses, non-profits, and elected officials to make sure we have plans in place that support our business community. This week, we update our Downtown Easton Card marketing survey and ask for your feedback regarding 2021 parklets and outdoor dining. Next month we hope to have news on events and other programs we’re excited to introduce later this year.

 

DOWNTOWN EASTON CARD

Earlier this month, we reported that over 100 cards were purchased over the holiday season, totaling more than $7,000 (Learn More). We sent a survey to the first 100 customers asking them to rate their buying experience and help us understand how they learned about the new program.

Sixty-nine percent of our customers said purchasing the downtown card was extremely easy/convenient to buy. Sixty-two percent of our customers said they would absolutely purchase a downtown card again. None of our customers had a negative purchasing experience.

Here are a few testimonials we received from the survey:

“I live in NJ but bought this as a gift for someone who lives in Easton, and they seemed very excited to receive it!” 

“I love this idea so much and bought several cards. I’m really trying to shop small more than ever, and this makes it so easy and gives confidence that anyone would find something they love to buy with them.” 

“Such an awesome gift!”

 

OUTDOOR DINING & PARKLETS

Last year, Easton’s Town Council approved temporary parklets for outdoor dining on Washington Street in front of Scossa’s, Doc’s Downtown Grille, and Washington Street Pub. The program was beneficial to the three restaurants, and there were positive customer feedback and general support from nearby businesses.

Setting Up the Parklets:

Public Works set up barriers to block off parking every Friday morning, and restaurants moved their tables and chairs into the space before service. The structures and tables were then removed every Monday morning. This setup schedule allowed the parking spaces to be available Monday-Thursday in front of the restaurants but was costly for TOE and restaurant staff.  

New Proposal for Consideration:

Full-time parking lane closures during warm weather seasons have been proposed to cut costs and provide more outdoor dining opportunities. These parklets would remove approximately seven parking spaces directly in front of the restaurants.

Parking is a topic that is important to all downtown businesses. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us guide our recommendations. We ask that if you are a downtown business owner to please answer the survey below so we can provide town officials with information about how the business community feels regarding outdoor dining, parklets, and parking lane closures on Washington Street. Your responses will not be shared with any other business owners.

Click here to take the survey

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