Five Businesses Doylestown Could Use
Doylestown has a lot to offer the consumer, both in terms of goods and food, from chains, franchises, and our beloved locals. But there’s always room for improvement and variety to add to what’s here. Here are a few places that would really help make Doylestown the best it can be.
- Chipotle Grill or Taco Bell — If you want Mexican and want it quickly, you’d have to go to Montgomeryville, but that’s too far for take-out if you’d like to eat at home. Based on the restaurants I see wished for in my Tweetdeck Doylestown search column, these are numbers one and two in terms of most-requested eateries, and I agree. (Sonic is number three.)
- Five Below — The dollar store, all grown up, a little classier, and without all the chintz. Art supplies for pre-schoolers? Check! Movie boxes of candy regularly priced at the “on sale” price of supermarkets? Check! A wide variety of clever/retro t-shirts, books, and small games? Check! It’s worth the drive to Airport Square to go there, and even the lofty King of Prussia mall now has one; surely we could, too.
- KFC — We had one at the Acme shopping center (it's now the Starbucks), and before that you could get it at the old Gino’s (that became Roy Rogers, then Boston Market, and now a CVS stands there), but for now we have the holy trinity of burger franchises within a quarter-mile of Main and Old Dublin/East, but no quick chicken. Please, find a way to bring the Double Down and eleven herbs and spices to Doylestown.
- Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s — Honestly, I couldn’t care less about either of these, but I feel like I’m the only one. Anytime a decently sized storefront becomes vacant, you can be sure a chorus of residents will pipe up, singing their praises and begging for one of these upscale grocery chains to come to town. (by the way, when people mocked Occupy Doylestown, it’s things like people asking for “Whole Paycheck” that was partly why).
- Red Robin — It fits that little niche between fast food burger joints like McDonald’s and casual liquor-licensed eateries with no real specialty like T.G.I. Friday’s that you didn’t know was there until they came along. A superb selection of burgers, a fun setting, beer and cocktails for the adults, and great milkshakes for the kids make this a fantastic place to unwind, but the closest one is in Quakertown. Can we please fix that?
So that’s my take on some places town could use. And if an enterprising person can find a way to do a “small business” equivalent, that works, too Happy shopping and eating!
leslie bilotta
6:20 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
Gross gourmet foods put KFC out if biz! I would hope people knew better food was avail than KFC! Really!
It would be fun to have a sonic but we already had something like ghat where Dairy Queen is now and THAT didn't work! Trader joes was rumored to be moving to Chalfont, but said they cannot have another so close to mont.5 below and chipolte are in Montgomeryville already! As is Taco Bell!
Kelcey Meadows Lucas
11:18 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
There is a 5 Below right down 611 where the Wegman's is... Also, Cafe America in Doylestown has AWESOME mexican food!
Nadia
6:22 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
sounds good. Especially Whole Foods. They tried getting into Doylestown but some narrow minded zoning held them back.
that guy
9:24 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
California Tortilla is in Doylestown near Wawa and is MUCH better than Chipotle. I wouldn't mind a Qdoba, though; that queso dip/sauce is where it's at! Taco Bell wouldn't be bad, but I could easily see it becoming the new high school hangout instead of Wendy's.
Jeff Lugar
7:21 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
And I wracked my brain thinking if there was quick Mexican in town. I'd never remember CalTort in a million years. They really need a sign perpendicular to traffic. I drive down S. Main several times a week and completely forget they're there.
leslie bilotta
9:46 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012
Gross gourmet is right next to California Tortilla-and Dunkin Donuts! We ALL work together! One stop shop for small shop local companies- Mexican food, 50 yr old mom and pop chicken recipes, and grab a coffee! Gross has great chicken -- stop in Christina- ill buy you lunch. Doylestown supports our local people!
Jeff Lugar
7:32 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
Any simple take-out meals? Like a breast, thigh, and small side portion?
Bob
6:56 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Good suggestions, but im not craving a kfc or taco bell in town, rather have the red robin, a brewpub, or some other type of family ish type of bar/pub (if that makes sense) in town. I agree that people have been wanting a whole foods type place per other posts in the past. But with a big space, I would prefer to have a type of upscale bowling alley or some other entertainment place in town for adults. Or maybe another mom/pop movie theatre with couches/chairs that serve food/drinks. Something else to do at night beyond typical restaurant or bar
Bob
6:58 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
If any fast food is to come into town, chic-fil-a is my vote
kevin
8:35 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
KFC is one of those horrible companies that is so badly run i can't stand to go to them any more, and based on the number of KFC's i've seen die in the past few years i would say most people agree. they seemed surprised every time we order chicken! "oh that'll take 15 minutes to cook"
Jenc
8:42 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Great ideas except for KFC.The last one was disgusting. We need a chic fil a. The idea about the upscale bowling alley is grt, just needs to be set up so it doesn't become a teen hangout. Lucky strike for the burbs? The movie/ dinner/lounge thing in collegeville is interesting.
Jane
8:51 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
Who needs more fast food bringing low-quality jobs and low-quality food to town? We have great southern food. We have great mexican food. We have more than enough bars and restaurants in general. Subway and Starbucks in downtown Doylestown are bad enough, let's not add to it.
Kelcey Meadows Lucas
11:18 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
yes!
leslie bilotta
12:25 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012
I KNEW Doylestown had better taste than a KFC- we're too SMART for that junk! A movie theater would be AWESOME! Chick filet is in warrington!
Some great ideas. Trader Joes was "supposed" to come to NBT but will NOT as too close to montgomeryville. BIG Box stores will not come to D-town for lack of parking. Gross' Gourmet 's new location has parking in FRONT AND BACK! Who can say that? QUICK in and out!!!
Mark Miscovich
12:43 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012
I'd have no problem with a combo KFC/Taco Bell at either the south end of Doylestown or Warrington along Rt 611 or in the north end in Cross Keys. Having a Whole Foods would have been awesome at the old Genardis, but instead we get another regular supermarket. As far as the courthouse 'district' of Doylestown goes, I agree with Jane, there's already a great variety of eateries in the area without need for franchise-type places. Quizno's didn't last too long, eh?
Jeff Lugar
7:34 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
Great idea! I forgot all about those combo stores, like the KFC at Airport Square that used to be half A&W Burgers.
Becky
2:40 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012
There are enough Dollar stores, car dealers, banks and storage facilities in our Doylestown area. I've heard an overwhelming amount of peope talk about Bowing, Movie theatre, Whole Foods, Indoor Sports, Chipolte, Chik Fil A - the higher quality "fast" foods would be welcome.
Beebs
7:49 pm on Sunday, December 16, 2012
We also need a good deli /diner in this area. Anybody here heard of Pumpernicks in Montgomeryville? What we have currently here now, although there are a few, while local, survive primarily because there isn't a good alternative. Also, how about a good sports bar? And seriously, does anyone think the current Chinese food options would survive if they had any competition?
Jules
8:15 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
Yes! Please, a good chinese restaurant!
Jeff Lugar
9:26 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
There is fantastic Chinese food in Doylestown at Chin's Kitchen, where the Larder is.
Kelcey Meadows Lucas
9:34 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
Gross! What is wrong wih you all? Is this a joke?? You really want to ruin our local, unique small business based town with a bunch of crappy chain restaurants??? Disgusting! Ug, move to warminster or any other lame, cookie cutter suburb if you want that crap! Here are some business Doylestown could use IMHO: family owned hardware store, family owned Mexican restaurant like cocina del sol in Frenchtown or Rey Azteca on York!), any other ethnic restaurant besides Italian bc there's way too much of that, a locally owned all night diner for all of the high school and college kids, a music venue like the Keswick, an organic juice bar, restaurants that stay open past 11 pm for the bar crowd (only baked on main and steak and hoagie now), a kareoke bar like they have in NYC with private rooms, and most importantly- the Doylestown Food Coop!
Jeff Lugar
8:45 am on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Calm down, Kelcey, no one's suggesting dropping all of these within a block or two of Starbucks and ruining downtown (and I did specifically say at the end that a small business equivalent of any of these would be great, too). But there's lots of potential space for my ideas in the borough and township that would do no worse than maintain the status quo.
If an existing chain like Radio Shack or Payless closed in the Acme shopping center, a Taco Bell or KFC could be dropped in with little ill effect. A Red Robin could go on the parcel where the abandoned Friendly's is in Barn Plaza. The old Chico's could be a Five Below; it's really nothing more than the modern take on the Woolworth's that sat for decades where The Gap is now, and everyone liked that.
As to your organic juice bar idea, we are getting one; that's the construction in the right side of the old Doylestown Inn, I think where the bar was. Chris at Nonno's told me about that.
But in terms of a family hardware store, talk to Ed Levenson about that and why it won't work. At a Patch gathering a while back he told us how he wrote the article for The Intelligencer when Cross Keys Hardware closed and was told, 'you can't stay in business selling boxes of nails.' People would only go there for small things; for things that actually make meaningful profit, like power tools, they went to Home Depot where it was significantly cheaper.
Kevin Campbell
10:13 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
I agree with Kelcey. Keep Doylestown local! Although larger chains can bring lower prices, quality is typically also lowered. And there is no need to travel all the way to Montgomeryville. A short trip down 611 will have most of these. There is a Chipotle Grill in Valley Square, 611 and Street Rd, and a Moe's right across the street.
Jeff Lugar
8:49 am on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
I don't know what Moe's is, but I'd never remember there's a Chipotle there. I don't think it can be seen from the road. And it's at the far extreme for getting take-out, especially if you live in the north parts of the borough or township.
Kelcey Meadows Lucas
11:24 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
But Jeff, don't you see how bringing chains in close to Doylestown would hurt local businesses and be a detriment to Doylestown? Not to mention add to the major childhood and adult obesity problem.... I worry what effect Panera will have on Crossroads Bake Shop. I think the most important thing for Doylestown is to encourage local businesses, not big chains. You can go 10 minutes away and fine all the crappy same old chains, let's keep Doylestown unique and special, not overrun with junk. I'm beyond excited about the organic juice bar- can't wait for that! yum!!! I can't wait for the Doylestown Food Co-op, the grocery stores here are terrible. Now that they parkway is open, WF is just 10-15 minutes away so that's where we'll be shopping. I am shocked that Whole Foods is less expensive than the organic section at Wegmans!
gomgimgom
12:25 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
http://www.buy3buy.nl.ae
Christmas gift here!!
we will give you a big surprise
never miss it
cheap and value
all brand name fashion online
all style air J0rdan sh0es33$,air F0rce 1 33$, duks SB sh0e30-35$, Sh0x sh0e30-35$. disc0unt jersxy, High quality T-
shirts20$,ED hardit-shirts20$,ED Hardi h00dies,Ev1su
sh0es,GUCC1 sh0es,1V H andBag36$,Chane1 H andbag36$,men,women fashi0n,aG,CL,aF,DG…… ch1apest (TOP) N1ke a1r , J0rdan (1-24)
sh0es $ 31 etc...
UG~G $ 50 N1ke sh0x (R4, NZ, 0Z, TL1, TL2, TL3) $ 31
*****
Fashion shoe and fashion clothes.
I advise everyone to look
It has the latest fashion!You can find many cheap stuff in it!
I believe you will love it.