NEW CASTLE —
Running a restaurant is a tough business.
You have to know how to cater to customers. Creating a pleasant atmosphere helps to enhance the dining experience.
A successful restaurant operator knows how to manage inventory, to ensure there is enough of everything — but not so much that there’s waste.
Plus, it helps if the dishes that are served taste good.
Anyone who dines out regularly knows there are popular restaurants that survive, and even thrive, year after year. Others come and go with little fanfare.
Sometimes, the reasons for a restaurant’s failure are painfully obvious. At other times, it’s a mystery, as dining establishments can live or die on the changing tastes of a sometimes fickle clientele.
In short, putting together the right combination to create a long-standing restaurant is a challenge.
That’s why it should come as no great surprise that the Mill Street Grille in downtown New Castle is gone. It and a partner restaurant, The Basin, closed their doors last Thursday. They were the two main anchor businesses in Cascade Center at the Riverplex, a facility that’s struggled to find tenants.
Yet while restaurant openings and closings are relatively frequent occurrences, the news regarding the Mill Street Grille was more significant than usual. That’s because of what the restaurant had come to symbolize.
And by that, we refer to the notion of a revitalized downtown New Castle, a destination for people to find food, entertainment, shopping and the like. The improvements in the downtown, courtesy of considerable state financial support, have aided the area’s appearance immensely.
Unless the end result of these efforts is to attract new business, and support and expand existing ones, this type of public investment serves no constructive purpose. If an upscale restaurant such as the Mill Street Grille could not survive in the downtown, it’s a cause for concern.
But how much of a concern?
In recent years, various new businesses have opened in the downtown. Some have closed, while others remain.
That’s not an unexpected occurrence. There always is bound to be turnover and change in a downtown’s business makeup. And the reasons for that vary.
The good news, we suppose, is that the spaces being vacated by the Mill Street Grille and The Basin remain. For those who are enterprising, and have the resources to make a go of it, opportunity exists.
And we believe downtown New Castle has potential, despite this setback. With proper support from the city, and a sound customer base, good businesses can achieve success in the downtown.
Editorials
EDITORIAL: Closing chapter
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Congress acts to close information loophole, but is it enough?
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High court forces lawmakers back to drawing board
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to throw out a legislative redistricting plan exposes a fundamental truth: The mapping of House and Senate districts in the commonwealth have nothing to do with representation or serving the people.
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Our Opinion: City hurts businesses by ticketing during lunch hours
Most of the candidates running (and now elected) for New Castle City Council and mayor last year said they believed downtown redevelopment was important. This was a common theme during editorial board meetings at the New Castle News prior to last spring’s primary and before the general election.
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Citizens offer to take open seat on New Castle City Council
It’s good to see there is so much interest in serving on New Castle City Council. On Tuesday, council interviewed nine citizens who have expressed a desire to fill an existing vacancy. The only unfortunate part is that most of these people weren’t interested in the post last year, when it was on the ballot.
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Second thoughts
County commissioner decides to take charge of prison board
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Our Opinion, Part 2: Mayor’s hiring of his son raises more serious questions
If you ask New Castle residents to identify the biggest problem in local government, one word will stand out:
Nepotism. The term, of course, refers to the hiring of one’s relatives for positions, regardless of the fact others are equally — or more — deserving of available positions. -
Our Opinion: Why didn’t council keep Chief Tom Sansone?
Last week, a majority on city council refused to confirm Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo’s appointment of Tom Sansone to continue as police chief. For the moment, the city has no police chief, and city residents are left to wonder why.
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Writers reveal ignorance of school board politics
Editor, The News: In a recent edition of The News there was a letter by James Smith that caught my attention.
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Fairness is consideration in Jameson Hospital’s request to city
Jameson Hospital wants New Castle to give it a break. And it’s something city council should consider — if doing so makes sense, and if it is fair to all.
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Proposal to cut size of Legislature moves modestly ahead
Efforts to streamline Pennsylvania’s Legislature took a step forward this week. But plenty of additional steps remain in what promises to be a daunting process.
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Congress acts to close information loophole, but is it enough?
