Pearl's Deluxe Burgers at the Alameda South Shore Center closed its doors on Jan. 27, leaving behind quite a few disappointed fans of its burgers.
"They're always so busy – I can't believe they're closed," said Briona James, who works at nearby Massage Envy. "A lot of us eat here a lot, so they'll be disappointed."
The closure came less than two weeks after owner Young Han Yi complained to the Planning Commission that the Saturday food trucks were killing his business, according to the Bay Area News Group.
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What would you like to see as a replacement for Pearl's? Please tell us in the comments.
Pearl's could have run Saturday specials that competed with the trucks, but it also sounds like the rent at South Shore might be redonkulously high and if so, that's a whole other problem and maybe that's why we have mostly chain establishments with deep pockets that can afford it. Not an easy problem that can be fixed with just one approach.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/central-vegetarian-cuisine-alameda
If you're not already, I'd recommend you get your cafe a presence on Twitter and Facebook and start guerrilla marketing - that's exactly how the food trucks got started. Before that, you had to know someone who knew (somehow) where they were going to be. Once the trucks got onto Twitter/Facebook, it was easy to follow them and find out where they're going to be, links to their website & menus, etc. Then you can promote Saturday specials that compete with the trucks. You gotta give customers a reason to come to you - just being there isn't enough. For e.g., Hob Nob runs great food specials during the week - not just discounted happy hour booze. Once you're up & pushing content, have your friends, family (everyone you know) follow you and spread the word to their network - post pictures of your food, too - that's a huge plus. Bacon Bacon (truck and store) do this very well as do many of the successful trucks.
Men's Shoe Store Apple Pod store (mini Apple Store) Farmer's Market spot (rent space for local merchants to sell their produce different days of the week)
1. Bakery, bakery, bakery 2. In N Out (could they do w/out a drive-thru?) or Five Guys 3. Too small a space for this, but I have to drive out from the island to get a decent steak.
I'm curious since you seem to be personally impacted by the food trucks; what steps have you taken to better compete with them? Anything?
The food trucks do make a difference to the local restaurants on Saturday's for lunch. It is a shame that Pearl's was running so close to the wire that it was the final straw that broke them. Any one know of a good veggie burger on the island? Especially one that is open on the weekend? (Burgermiester is ok, but not great). We gave the food trucks a try when they first came. Expensive, long lines, longer wait, and not as great a selection as one would think with all those different trucks. Maybe they help the dieing mall maybe not.
the food trucks bring a lot of foot traffic to the mall, this is probably the most important reason the SS mall wants the trucks. However, I do agree, it will take away from Brick and Mortar restaurants, how can it not? It's like extra "temporary" restaurants without the overhead of a restaurant. Restaurants costs hundred(s) of thousands of dollars to just open, not only do you have to pay for the rent, but you'd have to literally pay for everything that's inside a restaurant. Some become establishments and support teams, etc in the city. My one gripe about food trucks is indeed their prices are REALLY HIGH for a type of truck that is relatively suppose to be cheap to get off the ground, like say $50k instead of $100k that is what the minimal investment for a restaurant now is. Food trucks do impact all the restaurants in Alameda. Yes, you may not patronage a restaurant at all and rather eat at the food trucks anyday, but some other customer going to the food trucks may have gone to one of the B&M stores instead. The cost is so low to the food trucks. Why bother keeping a restaurant open then? Ken, if you can't beat them, why not join them? Just close your shop, buy a food truck and park it on the street 24/7. (i'm being slightly sarcastic)