The things you guys are listing are supposed to be downtown? I'm curious how you guys think any of these things will cash flow, and where you are going to find someone willing to take the huge risks that pretty much each of these is. Of all the $$$ people in and around Ruston, I know none that would fund any of these downtown.
starbucks rarely puts others out of business because they have about the cheapest beans available. Go taste Crescent City Coffee and its night and day. Frothy Monkee's problem was their culture/personnel, and poor financial management. Starbucks wins on convenience and name gimmicks. If you have a great product and great service, they aren't a threat. If you have a drive thru, you will make more money than they will.
Try Crescent City. Pay for quality, not a name...and CC costs less. (Shameless plug)
In the bigger picture Ruston and Tech need to connect more. It's my understanding that's part of the master plan with Tech's campus growing toward downtown. It's the right strategic move. Around that theme it's up to entrepreneurs, working together with the Ruston Chamber and Tech, to coordinate the effort. Otherwise we will see "hit and miss" efforts when a small business (an "eatery", a retail store selling Tech garb, etc..) opens but is all alone and there is not enough consumer traffic to sustain it. By the time another business joins the effort and is set to open, the first business shutters, and now the second business is left to go it alone. It's called "clustering" in marketing. Businesses, even competitors (i.e. McDonalds and Burger King), benefit from being near each other. And complimentary businesses, such as retail clothing and an "eatery", draw customers to each other.
see Dawg80's post right after mine. And I didn't mean to sound so pessimistic. It is from frustration about how the business and political mindset in Ruston work and have worked for decades. It makes 1) most of these ideas unrealistic and 2) it very frustrating to watch Ruston not move forward. Many of these ideas are good, but a whole bunch of culture change would have to happen for them to be real possibilities. We don't work together in Lincoln Parish to accomplish anything...in any industry.
Some of us are working hard to fix this...others stand in the way.
And FWIW, there are PLENTY of businesses who come to Ruston excited about possibly opening up in Ruston. They see the couple spots right on I20, don't like the fact that they are in holes under the interstate, so they want to look at other site ready space...and when they get 1/2 mile from I20 to go downtown or to Karl's place they say take me back. It's too far from I20.
Private local business is about the only business that will ever open downtown.
The other problem is, who will support them? Ruston is very finicky. Just look at whataburger. They set a national record the week they opened, sustained for a month, and now their breakfast business is dead. Their weekly revenue numbers are 20% below their initial weekly budgeted projection. Some of the businesses suggested would do great when we have home games...but that's about it.
How do we get people outside of Ruston to come to Ruston instead of Monroe or Shreveport? It can be done BTW.
Live music would be awesome. Ruston has live music now...but businesses a very reluctant to pay for good live music. When they do, live music doesn't bring people out and they lose that money. I've had three friends/business owners in Ruston tell me people will not come out for live music.
Here is my contribution to the initial question:
We need a nice place to sit down with family and order breakfast.
We need a coffee, bakery, breakfast, sandwich and soup place on 33 with a drivethru...and I am currently working on this one. The #1 item on a similar survey a few years ago was Panera Bread.
Remember this, anything you want to put in downtown has to be approved by the city and the stupid Ruston 21 deal. They want merchants and restaurants, and they have final say on whether you are allowed in or not. Downtown may die because of all the improvements they want to make to it.
Here is another question...
How do we get people to shop downtown? A hip women's clothing store opened and closed in 6 months because "no one shops downtown." Bath Junkie made just enough money during their only month of business in railroad park to pay their rent...and nothing else...so they closed. There are other examples.
A old-time themed drugstore with a long counter and stools that serves up malts and fountain drinks maybe even burgers and fries. Similar to the one Ellie Walker ran in Mayberry. It could even sell Tech attire in an area that had a bit of old general store feel about it. Just a little remodeling for RXDAWG and I think it would be a big hit.