Lakewood business????????????????

Justine Cooper · Post by **Justine Cooper** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:49 pm

What is going on? I was waiting on the cereal restaurant to open and someone told me that they aren't going to open!! Does anyone know if this is true?? Also the second hand clothing shop for teens I heard isn't opening now. Is this true???

I really hope the city is NOT preventing new businesses from opening! I heard nightmare stories from other businesses that the city made it really really hard for them. This is an area that should be addressed with the new mayor and council. We should be doing everything we can to encourage new business here!!! I hope this is not true about the above businesses. Those were cute additions to downtown Lakewood!

Anyone know who is going into the old Class Act on Madison and Morrison?

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 4:38 pm

Justine,

how was your experience with the city when you opened your shop? Did they make it difficult for you?

Justine Cooper · Post by **Justine Cooper** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:58 pm

I have to say no, they didn't make it difficult at all. That was why I was surprised to hear some things that local places went through, especially food it seems. La Pita had to pay a $600 food permit and then a month later pay it again because it is due once a year and he opened a month before it was due! Does that make sense??? Why wouldn't it be $600 from the time you open each year? That is a lot of food to sell to make up for it. Dave's cosmic subs had a lot of problems that delayed their opening by a long time. That is why I am wondering about the Cereal Place. I hope that is not the case because we really want to fill the empty storefront, especially with cool and unique places! There were other businesses that told me stories but I won't name them all. It is sad. It should be a welcome wagon for businesses. Show them we appreciate them coming here to invest everything for the community. It is weird though. how so many cell phone places and staffing places opened up! Who allowed all that? That is not the best image for Lakewood, to have them on every corner.

Amy Dreger · Post by **Amy Dreger** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:54 am

I don't think the 360 Clothing Studio closed due to any fault of the city:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRel ... MW20071217

As for the cereal place, every time I drive by I keep seeing more progress inside?? I am not sure the status but it looks like it is moving along with people in there working and lights on.

Dee Krupp · Post by **Dee Krupp** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:54 am

The 360 Clothing Studios is gone and could have something to do with this:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRel ... MW20071217

I say good riddance to them!

LOL...I guess we were typing at the same time Amy!

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 11:56 am

http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5484

Justine Cooper · Post by **Justine Cooper** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:45 pm

I know I just saw that on the other thread after mine! How wild!

Justine Cooper · Post by **Justine Cooper** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:26 pm

I had a nice Valentine lunch with my daughter today at the Coffee Pot and asked the owner, JoAnne, if she had an experience like La Pita and she said YES! She applied for her permit in November but didn't open until Jan. Well the $600 permit is due in January so they collected in November AND January!!!!! They never told her that either until after she opened!!! So this January she paid for the THIRD time ($1800 total) and has been open exactly one year!! That is a lot of food to sell! Why would the city not prorate this for these small business owners who contribute so much to the town!

Some may think this is just complaining, but my passion and mission are for the small businesses. After safety, this city's priorities should be helping keep the housing market and businesses stable. The small businesses are what made Lakewood so different from other towns! Well that and many other things. But it saddens me deeply that our own city would make things more difficult on these small businesses with petty sign issues, extra food permits which is stealing from the business (and Cleveland does NOT do that). We should be finding creative ways to make it INVITING for businesses to want to be here, don't you think? Empty store fronts will look like Slavic Village which is now gone.

Dee Krupp · Post by **Dee Krupp** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:18 pm

Wow. That's a shame. Or really it's sham.

They should definitely prorate, but obviously it's all about how much more money the city can get.