On North Avenue, it's all about marketing
Alliance's first task is letting customers know what's there
Theo Tselentis kisses daughter Demetra, 9, at the Cosmos Café. Theo and his wife, Helen, opened the café at 7203 W. North Ave. in December. Ten new businesses opened on North Avenue between 60th and 76th streets last year. Photo By C.T. Kruger
Jan. 20, 2010 | 0 comments
Ten new businesses have opened in the past year along a 16-block stretch of North Avenue, a business corridor that also has witnessed several existing businesses expand.
The positive developments are welcome, but all the businesses in the North Avenue corridor between 60th and 76th streets still have to combat a persistent problem: Letting people know they exist.
The main reason people have for not shopping on North Avenue is that they aren't aware of what is offered there, a community survey taken by founding members of the North Avenue Alliance about 18 months ago indicated.
Those survey-takers coalesced into the alliance, and the wholly volunteer group has become the stores' cheerleaders, working to market the corridor - starting by spreading the word among residents of the surrounding Wauwatosa East Town Neighborhood.
Volunteers e-mail residents, visit the shops and talk with city officials about issues affecting the neighborhood.
"The success of North Avenue has a direct affect on our property values," alliance President Meg Miller said, explaining why promoting the corridor is important. Miller doesn't own a business there, but she lives in the area. "It's really an extension of our homes."
And she realizes that mom-and-pop shops often have little money or time to toot their own horns.
"As small business owners, you are opening, closing and everything in between," she said. "Getting the word out is something we can do for them."
It starts close to home
The area has a lot to offer, Miller said. There are places to go for a manicure or hairstyle, to do yoga, dine out or see a movie, among other businesses.
Eventually, the alliance would like to hire someone to handle marketing and communications and to represent the area's interests to the city, chamber of commerce, investors and property owners. That person could boost the group's credibility and work on establishing incentives for locating on North Avenue, she said.
Cities like West Allis, which can offer grants, city marketing expertise or tax-incremental financing, often beat out East Tosa when it comes to recruitment, Miller said.
But for now, the alliance board is concentrating on its first major challenge - letting the people nearby know they can dine, shop and take care of a variety of business without getting in a car.
Jessica Brittingham and Deb Kruse opened their upscale resale clothing boutique, U-Turn, in May, but customers still come in who say they just heard about the shop even though they live close by.
Those same customers say they're happy to see fewer empty storefronts, she said.
Businesses work together
Getting people in the door the first time is challenge enough, but North Avenue business owners now need to find ways to keep them coming back. That's where cooperation can pay off, Brittingham said.
U-Turn has rented its space for private shopping parties and brought in the owner of neighboring business, the Parlour, to perform chair massages. After making their purchases, attendees received two-for-one drink specials at Juniper 61.
The U-Turn owners know their success depends in part on the ability of others in East Tosa to thrive.
"We were aware of the push to bring businesses to North Avenue," Brittingham said. "We wanted to be part of the turnaround."
As word spreads, several existing businesses have reported increasing success and new establishments have opened their doors, a big surprise in the existing economy, she said.
Helen and Theo Tselentis, who opened Cosmos Café in December, wanted to create a hangout where neighbors could come to dine on Greek food and gab. The small space and reasonable rent was attractive for a start-up.
So far, most of their patrons come on foot, and they found enough early morning business demand that they've added breakfast service.
"We weren't planning on it, but the people said they wanted it and we wanted to make them happy," Theo Tselentis said. "We started serving even though we didn't even have a menu."
Daymaker Café owner David Lamb lives in Wauwatosa, and he said he "always saw potential in North Avenue." So when he decided to stop cooking for others and open his own restaurant - the doors opened in October - it was the small storefront in the 7200 block that caught his eye.
"It reminds me of being in a big city with all the traffic, but it's also got a family feel with all the people walking by," Lamb said.
Long-term plan needed
It's not just the new businesses working hard to attract customers, Miller said.
Juniper 61 has added outdoor seating, and Il Mito has the OK to create a backyard patio. Rosebud Cinema has added more showtimes to its schedule. Alfa Flowers had expanded its space for wedding-related services, and Aqua Terra has added a reptile room.
"So many long-standing businesses are showing they are committed," she said.
Each addition, expansion or façade improvement is welcome, but the alliance would like to have a long-term plan for decision-making and business recruitment.
Within the past year, the alliance took steps toward accomplishing that goal. They received a $40,000 grant from the city for strategic planning and have received 24 proposals from consultants wanting to take on the project.
A recommendation is expected to go before the Common Council in February.
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