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| John McCain visiting Dunn Bros in Racine in 2008. |
Downtown lost a major attraction Monday when Dunn Bros, located at the corner of Main and Third streets, failed to open. A sign outside the door said the owners were closing the business for good. Dunn Bros, a Midwest chain, had been open in Racine for four years.
This is the second downtown coffee shop to close in a month. On Jan. 7, the Grounds Keeper, at 327 Main St., closed after 15 years of operation. Ironically, owner Cindy Gross blamed part of her store's closure on the competition from Dunn Bros.
Update: The Dunn Bros on Highway 100 in Kenosha is also closed. Not sure when that happened. The only one left in SE Wisconsin is in Pewaukee. Just checked and they're open for business and, apparently, doing fine.
Update 2: Cathy Allison, co-owner of Racine Dunn Bros, said work on the State Street bridge hurt the business. She tells Mick Burke at the JT that the construction project cut off Dunn Bros from CNH, which provided a steady stream of customers for coffee and lunch.
Sidenote: And, just because Ald. Greg Helding called me out on Facebook, I think this shows a need for the city to reconsider its Downtown parking meters. Parking is a major problem for any Downtown business that wants people to visit during the day. The $15 tickets are too expensive and almost certainly scare people away from shopping or dining. City officials should at least create a free parking lot somewhere Downtown to allow people to park and walk to where they're going.
Ben, owner of Circa Celeste (which routinely loses business to parking meters), had a good suggestion: Create free parking on streets along the Root River to highlight the river Downtown while giving customers a chance to avoid fines.
Ald. Helding disagrees, saying people should be responsible for plugging their meters and avoiding tickets. But in a time where major retailers offer better prices and free parking, is it really good business to charge people for supporting local businesses?
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What is the revenue generated from the meters Downtown? If it's a small amount, no big deal. If it's a lot we may not be able to lose that revenue.
ReplyDeleteAnother business that is closing or moving out of Racine since Dickert became mayor.
ReplyDeleteIts all about the $$ for the City. Free Parking in Downtown Kenosia.
ReplyDeleteYes another business loss sorry to say but with Dickert as Mayor no surprise
I guess he did not drink enough coffee. I guess you can blame this whole ecomony on Dickert. C'mon it will make you feel better. Since you have time to sit in your underwear and blog all day it must be Dickert's fault
ReplyDeleteI worked at Dunn Brothers for the past couple of years and I can personally testify that Mayor Dickert has actually helped this business to grow and succeed.
ReplyDeleteThe owners of Dunn Brothers are the ones who informed their employees that they had to close their business because of the franchise itself.
Learn the facts before you place blame on the wrong people
12:21 How much did John pay you or are you even who you say you are? After all some of Dickert's friends I understand are real good at making up names.
ReplyDeleteI take offense to you claiming that I would have to be bribed to speak the truth. I know what I received in my email last night from my boss and I know what I saw as far as customers who came in to support our business while we were open
ReplyDeleteDon't get too upset 12:43. These guys never let the facts get in the way of trashing public figures they hate.
ReplyDeleteThe one closing in Kenosha must also be Dickert's fault too, right? It couldn't possibly be a larger problem with the company...
ReplyDeleteMeters -- It's a pain to see shop owners out there feeding the meters. If it was free they'd park in front of their store free everyday. Not to bright!
ReplyDelete12:43 so your not real or you would have posted the email. Dickert being a fool is real. As is his curse on Racine.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Mayor John Dickert at Dunn Brothers and at Wilson's saCoff and Tea Shop many times - he truly cares about Racine and supports business. If you want to blame someone on the economic problems - blame George W Bush and how he put the economy in the dumpster. I'm sorry about Dunn Brothers, but there is still a special spot to drin great coffee and tea, and to meet a cross section of Racine folks in a super environment - Wilson's Coff Shop in West Racine.
ReplyDeleteAnon 12:33 - Is that you Eric Marcus?
ReplyDelete---
"The one closing in Kenosha must also be Dickert's fault too, right?"
No, somehow that is Becker's fault. {grin}
A Dunn Bros. closed in San Antonio too! Dickert did it, he even ruins things in Texas...except for the Super Bowl which Eric Marcus won single handed!
ReplyDeleteDickert = Failure
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:50 you are so clever. Did you come up with that all by yourself?
ReplyDeleteDickert has NOT created the conditions for which businesses in Racine can thrive. Instead chooses to put restrictions and regulations on new and existing businesses to make it next to impossible for businesses to exist here. So YES, I put the rash of businesses closing in Racine on DIckert's shoulders. He promised jobs and the reality is jobs are leaving!! Just the truth!
ReplyDeleteWho needs Obama we have Eric Marcus savior to us all.
ReplyDeleteDickert = Failure
ReplyDeleteMarcus = corruption
ReplyDeleteI am so happy Eric Marcus has time to post
ReplyDeleteDickert = Kringle
ReplyDeleteDickert = Kringle
ReplyDeleteLooks like Tim the Shrubber should be spending more time studying for his real estate exams instead of trying to explain away Dickert's failure to bring jobs to Racine. Maybe you can give him a job after being fired again.
ReplyDeletefrom google:
ReplyDeleteCoffee shops are undoubtedly one of the more popular small businesses in America, and the failure rate is staggering
It might be big enough for another unemployment office.
ReplyDeleteEric Marcus will save racine. Then he will run for president
ReplyDeleteDickert my A** the man has truly failed us, Just look at the NSP Program and all the disgruntled contractors and even the public sector he has pissed off. I bet this is going to cost a midas fortune to resolve real soon.
ReplyDelete"The Dunn Bros on Highway 100 in Kenosha is also closed."
ReplyDeleteHuh ? There is no highway 100 in Kenosha. Writer must be referring to the one on Ryan Road just west of I-94 and east of 27th st.