Rivertowns Real Estate News

There is currently a proposal before the Dobbs Ferry Board of Trustees regarding a Peddlers Permit for the operation of a “pizza truck” from The Cookery Restaurant in the village. At Tuesday nights BOT meeting, concerns were raised by two village pizzeria owners as to whether the village really needed another pizzeria to compete with the existing businesses and whether, if it did, a mobile truck parked at the Farmers Market, across the street from existing pizzerias, seemingly capitalizing on their location, at little or no comparable cost to the truck owner, was really the way to go. Other options included parking the truck at the waterfront.
The larger question is whether, in these tough economic times, it makes sense for the village of Dobbs Ferry to be looking for ways to make it even more difficult for existing village businesses to survive and flourish. Given that the village already has three pizzerias within one block who either pay high rents, high taxes, or both, the addition of a mobile pizza truck would seem to be an affront to those businesses.
There can be no doubt that the Farmers Market already competes with other brick and mortar village businesses in the selling of produce and other foods. Village residents have recently lamented the loss of Brothers Market, a local produce purveyor which left because it couldn’t afford to pay its rent. Providing alternative places to purchase the same products (pizza, produce, wine, baked goods etc.), from outside vendors, who don’t have the same level of investment in the village downtown, would seem to be an odd choice in this economy.

Filed under: Dining and Entertainment, Local News, Real Estate | Tagged: Board of Trustees, Dobbs Ferry Pizza, Dobbs Ferry Real Estate, Farmers Market, Scott Rosasco, The Cookery | Leave a comment »