what’s wrong with channelside
permalink | categories: bar, business, channelside, marketing, restaurant, retail, service, tampa, tourismby tommy @ 11:15 am
Channelside Bay Plaza (formerly known as the “Shoppes at Channelside,” which was formerly known as “Channelside at Garrison Seaport”) is seven years old. The St. Pete Times says Channelside businesses are struggling, mainly because locals don’t frequent the place.
Nope - locals don’t go. But that is not the only thing - Channelside Bay Plaza has all sorts of problems.
First of all, Channelside businesses don’t really get along.
Remember, Hooters paid for a trolley to get downtown workers over to Channelside during weekday lunchtime. But after four years, and with trolley visitors spending money at several Channelside stores, none of the other businesses wanted to help with the cost, and so the trolley no longer runs.
Guy Revelle has an ownership stake in Stump’s, Howl at the Moon, Splitsville, and Tinatapas - four places that serve alcohol. When other drinking-only establishments attempted to open, Revelle, who never misses an opportunity to be quoted, whined about Channelside becoming a mini Ybor City.
Next on the list is Channelside’s terrible marketing. I only hear about Channelside around major events, and they seem to want to capture only downtown visitors (not locals). In fact, we don’t hear much of anything since Channelside marketing director Susan Martin over two years ago (found in a July 2006 tbt* column spelling out Channelside’s marketing problems).
But even worse than just limited advertising, are the individual businesses failure to provide any consistency. Unless there is something big going on nearby, many of the businesses don’t bother keeping their places open. Back to the Times article:
Business people walk over from their hotels only to find the complex half-closed.
“We get a lot of tourists who are in their hotels looking for something to do. They come down here during the day and say, ‘This is it?’” - Tinatapas bartender Jason Lewis
Area residents have all been there at least once. But not many are going back. Besides the fact that parking is expensive AND a pain in the ass, Channelside Bay Plaza is so visitor-oriented that it comes off as some lame-ass tourist trap:
“There’s nothing down there to draw you. It’s over-rated.” - Channel District resident Denise Becknell
“I really don’t go over there.” “It’s so young. It’s all clubs.” “I don’t think it’s high quality.” “It’s kind of cheesy.” - 36 year old Victory Lofts resdident Jill Lifsey
“It’s pretty plastic.” - Channel District dance studio owner Luisa Meshekoff
Yeah - Channelside residential buildings are full of empty space. But if the shopping center wants to thrive, they are still going to need local support. Tampa Bay residents need a good reason to go though the hassles of parking, and Channelside simply doesn’t offer much to fight that perception.
Tags: channelside, development, marketing, neighborhood, restaurant
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August 22nd, 2008 at 11:26 am
This is the result of handing out liquor permits and calling it economic development.
Did you know the vision plan for Channelside was finished after the construction was in place, lack of planning and control and lack of leadership as always from the city?
We need real urban planning done by professional civil servants not by politicians on the city council.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:31 am
I agree. I never go over there unless I have visitors in town, or I want to see something at the iMax. It just isn’t worth it.
I’d love to see it suck less. Until that happens, there are so many other options that Channelside ends up near the bottom of the list.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:42 am
“Lame ass tourist trap”
The Pier, anyone?
Seriously… You want locals to keep coming back? Offer something that the rest of downtown doesn’t have… Like regular businesses that cater to residential needs. You’ve got bars and eateries all over, what you don’t have are businesses catering to the new residents of channelside and downtown (hello Skypoint!)
Imax is the only reason I hear about people going to channelside… That’s a consistent draw. Now throw in something distinctly non-tourist and you’ll find more locals turning up more often and frequenting the complex.
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 pm
As mentioned above, the only reason I go there is for the IMAX.
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
channelside appears to be packed fri and sat nights with 20 somethings at the various bars. in fact, they have ditched the far more realistic ybor for this plastic creation.
on the other hand, i wont got there for lack of free parking. there is nothing there to justify paying to park, then hoofing half a mile from the garage to the interior.
most of the venues are just too big to be inviting. the whole place is overscaled, including the vacant space which is yawning. also, the entire design is a disaster, ignoring the waterfront its built on, then enclosing itself to force patrons to walk all around to get inside.
yet, the streetfront spaces have seemed to fill up, though i never go to any of them. until its free to park, i just cant bother with the place, when i can park for free in ybor, soho or any mall w the same plastic dining options. pay to park to eat at hooters? i think not!
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:40 pm
IM only there when visitirs are in town, catch a movie at the IMAX, or just a different dining experince(Thai place is good, Splitsville is entertaiing), other than that, everyone I take down there keeps stating(they took a great piece of property and enclosed it..you cant enjoy any water views)..the Bennigans is not very enjoyable, and im looking so forward to Margarita Mama’s closing…
Put in some live music venues(Jazz?, Martini Bar), and some shops that can be utilized by the locals in the channelside area…and WHY is the coffee shop closed in the evenings and sundays??? The stores and establishments do not have consistent hours…
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Worst. Place. Ever.
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm
There is a lot of ignorance here regarding the place.
“pay to park to eat at hooters? i think not!”
I’m sorry that you have been paying to park when you eat there. I get my parking ticket validated and park for free.
“We need real urban planning done by professional civil servants not by politicians on the city council.”
Yup, governments are extremely qualified to dictate what businesses will succeed and what will fail.
August 22nd, 2008 at 3:58 pm
You can get your parking ticket at the garage validated at any eating establishment (don’t know about bars) but I think parking is $1, not free. Still sucks to pay anything to park. The privately owned parking lot people gouge you too and assume ZERO responsibility if your vehicle is broken into or damaged.
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Business are struggling everywhere. Not just Channelside. Also, if anything is to be learned from this comment thread is that Tampan’s are a bunch of whiny, lazy people. LOL at the guy who complains about the “long” walk from the parking lot.
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
This article has perfect timing for me. I was just discussing where to send some friends of a friend, who is visiting, for a good time. After a discussion, we all decided that Channelside had gone the way of a tourist trap where the only locals who spend money there are disgruntled and looking for a fight. Several instances of trouble came up in the discussion so we wound up sending them to Orlando. What a shame that we had to send friends away because the party part of our city is lame.
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Tampa is a rough, behind-the-times-town that will never appeal to the bright and up-and-coming.
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:29 pm
The shops are way overpriced.
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
please unsubscribe me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cannot locate any other way to do this. Don’t want this in my email
thank you.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Jose -
If you knew the history of Channelisde you would know it has always been doing badly, so there goes that argument of yours.
Add to the conversation, if all you can bring to the table is ignorance and insults stay away.
August 23rd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I agree with Ed, the place is not REAL, it’s only appeal is for out of towners. It was designed by developers as a way to make a quick buck, not add to the city fabric, and I’m glad a couple developers have lost their asses.
Tampa needs to be much more proactive regarding what gets built in the urban core, “someone” needs to insure that there a is a good plan in place created by experts (and not just local yokels) that connects to the rest of downtown. These experts may cost $$$$ but it will be worth it. It’s time Tampa took the destiny of our city planning out of the hands of the short sighted land development industry, likewise for our county.
August 24th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
every time i try to get there i take a wrong turn downtown and end up facing some one way concrete wall and having to try 3 more times to find the damn place. you’d think they could put it on a sign somewhere.
also i had to tip a guy to use the bathroom at stumps. give me a break. i thought i was getting mugged.
August 24th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Hey dinklyme, If you have been there more than once and still can’t find the place maybe you should get a GPS. Another thing, I am sure the valet in the bathroom didn’t pull out a gun and force you to tip him!
August 25th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Anonymous - a coawrd and a name caller. Go away.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:51 am
No, Channelside isn’t a very inviting place. There isn’t anything there (outside of IMAX) that you can’t find at Ybor City, and Ybor has much better parking. It’s also much more pedestrian-friendly, and you can get around in it without driving to hell and gone if you miss your turn.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:52 am
We went by once…took a good look…found nothing new, unique or interesting…promptly left…
On a related note, have you seen this?
http://www.recreatingtampa.com/2008/08/24/splitsville-you-suck/
If that’s typical customer realtions at Channelside no wonder it’s dying
August 25th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Hey Ed put a link to your site, if that is your real name.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
my real name is Anonymous!
August 26th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Beedancer -
One (slanted) side of a story and a disgruntled patron’s refusal to accept an apology and offer of retribution is not bad customer service.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
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