HomeMy WebLinkAboutCEDOLINI, PETER 072920
Marie Sunseri
From:PETER CEDOLINI <cedolini@me.com>
Sent:Wednesday, July 29, 2020 3:59 PM
To:Marie Sunseri; Marie Sunseri
Subject:Meeting Note from Mangia Mi
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Town Council and Town Officials:
First off, I want to express appreciation for all the tough decisions you have to make. In these
uncertain times, it seems nearly impossible to make a choice that doesn’t impact a portion of our
business owners or constituents. I know each decision has an uncertain outcome, but I believe
the current goal should be to create a win-win. Your jobs are not easy, but your attention to
detail is what makes Danville a special community
With the respect to the road closures, I feel it is difficult to see the current impact for a few
reasons. Firstly, the road closures began on 4th of July weekend. I am a business that tracks sales
and guest counts on a daily comparison to the prior year. We have been in Danville for 12 years
and I can concretely say that our usual pattern is that after the July 4th parade, our business is
down by over 50% for the next 10 days. Many people stay for the parade and them leave for
Tahoe or another destination immediately following. This year was no different. We were busy
through the 3rd and then had a major slow down following the holiday for approximately 11
days. In essence, the historical pattern did not change during the pandemic. In my opinion, it
would be impossible to gauge the value of the street closures and their effects during this
time. Secondly, many of the restaurant owners would most likely have expanded their outdoor
areas if there were more of our staff willing to come off unemployment. We also some form of
physical assistance to move the barriers for ABC regulation. Fortunately, most of us now have our
staff back, so there is really only one factor left to make this easier on our setup. I think many of
us have been hesitant to do more because of the fear of another shutdown, but the more I reflect,
it is even more important for us to take advantage of the current dynamic the town is offering. I
reiterate that we do need some manpower to move the barricades to increase capacity.
In addition, we need to respect our retail neighbors and create a synergy for downtown activity. I
think the street doesn’t need to be closed on Friday at 2 AM. It can close at 3 PM on Friday to
allow traffic flow for most of the day, which provides some time to do setup for the evening. As
things progress with the pandemic, the additional space could be helpful to even further distance
tables and guests. Our highest priority should be the safety of our guests, which in turn helps us
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stay in business. The other option is to close it for Saturday and Sunday only, which impacts less
of the retail. Many are closed on Sunday, so this could give everyone a piece of the pie. I do think
the street closures could be fantastic for everyone. My retail neighbor told me that if we made it
a bit more inviting (e.g. dress up the streets like a downtown event), that it might just
help everyone. Honestly, I’m not sure which solution is best, but I felt this feedback would help
you make a proper decision to benefit our downtown businesses.
Lastly, I want to address an issue that is quite important to the welfare and safety during these
closures. It is imperative that my industry continues to be vigilant with respect to the safety of
our guests. I think the street closures have the potential for great success, however we need
to eliminate any outdoor street bars during these precarious times. It becomes a dangerous and
non-distanced environment and is of great concern. After all, we are all fighting for our livelihood
and we don’t need additional complications to exacerbate the tenuous situation.
Once again, thank you for your time and I look forward to a prosperous future, even if that
currently seems a world away.
Best,
Peter Cedolini
Owner
Mangia Mi
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