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With all the bellyaching over liquor licenses and talk of moratoria, you’d think that Barracks Row residents didn’t want any more dining establishments on their little commercial corridor. That’s mostly not the case, according to a survey of 728 nearby residents—70 percent of whom would like to see more restaurants on the strip, not fewer.
Sure, the survey was funded by a prolific Barracks Row restauranteur who recently battled with ANC 6B to get a liquor license for his next project. But it was overseen by Barracks Row Main Street and conducted by an independent urban planning firm, so it’s probably sound.
The survey also included a market analysis of the city’s other neighborhood commercial areas, looking at restaurant saturation and the various forms of legal restrictions. Barracks Row is the fourth smallest, and also has a comparatively low proportion of its street frontage taken up by restaurants, at 21 percent.
Although most Barracks Row shoppers come from within walking distance, the survey concluded that “the best way to promote a healthy relationship between residents and restaurants” was to expand parking options, especially in the little-used lot underneath the freeway.
Lesson learned: Before concluding that a “community” wants anything, get a professional to ask people who wouldn’t necessarily show up to an ANC meeting.