Quote:
Originally Posted by The Buckeyes
I read somewhere in that Forbes story on business that we now have a population of 114k+. If that number is true I find it hard to believe The villages cannot sustain a very good bakery or a butcher shop. With people traveling to St Pete for bakery I see no reason why Villagers would not drive from 1 end of the Villages to the other to get great bakery and meats. I grew up in the Cleveland area and we had 2 great bakery chains (Hough Bakery and Kaase's Bakery) They are both gone now and replaced by big box grocery chains like publix (Sorry their bakery is only good if you have nothing to compare it too!) . I would gladly pass up Winn-Dixie or Publix to go into a bakery for a hot loaf of Jewish rye (you know...the smell that knocks you off your feet) or fresh kalachi's that melt in your mouth. Or how about Fat Tuesday, there is no grocery chain that can compare to a local bakery for paczki (pronounced puunch-ki). Don't get me started on butcher shops. I travel 45 minutes to Peter's meat market just for heir homemade polish kielbasa with garlic when I'm at our home in Ohio. To our wonderful developer's that gave us a great place to be....These are the things that Villagers really want!!!
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But....they would still be considered "niche" businesses. Wanting them and sustaining them are two different issues. Ah...I am so glad I don't have to explain that to potential accounts anymore. The simple answer lies in WHAT PERCENT of the over 50K HOMES are willing to pay a considerable amount MORE for baked goods on a REGULAR basis.