UNION STREET SCOOP
On the up and up
La la la la la … I have my hands over my ears and I can’t hear you.
Not to be an ostrich in the sand, but sometimes it’s simply necessary to turn it all off, at least long enough to absorb any of the real or faux info (infaux?). As a self-proclaimed optimist, here’s what I say to all of it: No, reading isn’t dead, it’s changed. E-books, Amazon, Harry Potter, and great independent and small bookstores like Books Inc. and City Lights Bookstore are thriving.
As for texting? Though some say it’s an insult to the Queen’s English, others find it to be pure communication, “quick, inventive, and utilitarian.”
And on the subject of the death of brick-and-mortar retailing? Crazy … not gonna happen. Just ask Apple. The value of real store presence, the experience of touching, feeling and looking at a product is invaluable. It’s not one versus another anymore, it’s how they meet and merge to drive the business to our websites or to our stores. Sure, these last few years we’ve all reevaluated to incorporate an Internet presence, but that doesn’t mean the death of anything. Rather, it’s a great opportunity for our business as a whole. When asked what the internet or social media has done for some merchants on Union Street, and nearly all the answers were the same: It’s immeasurable.
“We wouldn’t even think of doing without it,” said the group at Brixton (2140 Union Street). Have you checked out the tweets? All of our promos, special Sunday night dinners, or happenings are regularly posted on the website, but it’s the tweeting that gets the word across.”
I asked one of the more seasoned retailers on the street, Peter from Fog City Leather (2060 Union Street), his thoughts. “You just can’t depend on street traffic alone anymore. I get tourists and people calling on a daily basis because of our site. I wouldn’t be in business without it.”
Hope Schaffer-Colling from Marmalade at 2059 Union is super savvy at social networking. She skillfully integrates her adorable store with a number of communication options such as Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook, and Yelp. Ditto for us at Jest Jewels. We oh so love the street traffic and what all the new restaurants are bringing to our table, but we also realize that the ever-changing face of business requires reaching out in several directions.
Reaching out is exactly what all the new additions on the street will be doing. One of the most exciting of the new is Alan Fleishman’s Umami Burger, whose five fab locations in L.A. have garnered him some fantastic reviews including “burger of the year” in GQ, and “incredible” from Ashton Kutcher in People Magazine. Fleishman and his savory griddle burgers have taken over the Jovino spot at 2184 Union and are due to open soon. The menu alone is a mouthwatering romp through the taste buds.
“We grind our own meat, process our own cheese, and pickle our own veggies,” says their tagline, and I, for one, can’t wait to try it.
Also new to the street is newcomer Julie Maurange, a young French woman who just signed the lease at 2215 Union and will be opening in October. From Bordeaux, Julie will import the wine from her family’s vineyard along with a variety of artisan food products from France. “I am very excited to come to this street,” she says in her heavy French accent. “It will truly be a family business.”
Unique Bistro at 1849 Union Street, also French based, is due to open at the same time. Construction has been arduous in the long-empty space that was once solely retail, but by the looks of it, the work will be worth the effort. The restaurant seems warm and inviting, as if it’s been on the block for years, with a menu that promises typical French fare that is both classic in style and distinctive in flavorings. Bon appétit.
And to all the others working hard to realize their dreams in their new spaces on Union, either in the old school face-to-face way or the Facebook way, bonne chance, bon courage, and rotsa ruck.
Leslie Drapkin is a co-owner of Jest Jewels on Union Street. E-mail: [email protected]
