Alpha Pizza Pi, 356 College St, Amherst RIP
We don't call Amherst a "college town" for nothing. Obviously our #1 industry is education and along with that all the accessory commercial activity: rental housing, food and alcohol being at the top of the short list.
And of course "food" usually means pizza or Chinese.
While proven pizza veterans Antonio's, Sibies, and Bruno's continue to thrive, and downtown newbie Arise Farm to Table Pub & Pizzeria seems to be packing them in, this location at 356 College Street has now had the second failure in four years as a pizza storefront.
But that will not stop a young entrepreneur with more passion than sense from opening up a business here in the near future. Pizza anyone?
Think they were jinxing themselves?
ReplyDeleteFor free delivery call 4-CLOSE
Problem with that location was parking and getting in and out of that lot. It's a kamakazi missing at time getting in and out. Plus it is off the beaten path, Sibies has Hamshire and Amherst College for deliveries, Bruno's has UMass and Antionio's is well a institution.
ReplyDeleteUh, Larry. They've been closed for several months now. Are you just noticing?
ReplyDeleteIf a tree falls in the forest and a digital journo is not there to record it, it does not make a sound.
ReplyDeleteIt is a lousy location. No foot traffic, too much street traffic, too close to intersection, poor parking, and too far from anyone to notice it let alone they never had any advertizing. Plus a pizza place across the street that has better access. That little strip is the equivalent of the strip in town where the new Oriental place is opening. In town but 'miles' from where you want such an establishment. Location, location location. Outside of that seems with the lousy food found in most places in town they will still come.
ReplyDeleteTheir pizza was expensive and not that good, especially compared to Bruno's which delivers all over Amherst.
ReplyDeleteI actually loved their pizza. Not as good as Antonios (who is) but MUCH better than brunos. I only by Antonios now that alpha has closed. Was really sad to see them close.
ReplyDeletePizza sucked. End of story. Except that the prior owner went out of business unrelated to the pizza business. Pizza was actually good. He just ran his family's business into the ground due to his lifestyle. Sad, because this place had the same "bad" parking when it thrived for years. Guess cars were smaller then.
ReplyDelete"Sad, because this place had the same "bad" parking when it thrived for years. Guess cars were smaller then."
ReplyDeleteNope, that's called quality product. If you can't make a quality product, location and atmosphere becomes so much more important. Think Judy's or Pasta Y Basta.
As for the last owner, a classic reason why (and happens more than bad food) he went out of business. Most restaurant businesses go out of business for more reasons other than the actual food. Mostly family related problems, and or poor money management are top reasons food serves don't make it, good or not.
Mostly family related problems, and or poor money management are top reasons food serves don't make it...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, Walter. Could you tell me where I can find the stats about reasons for restaurant closures? It is a topic I am interested in, and I'd like some more factual data beyond what you provided.
Thanks in advance! Keep up the good work!
There are plenty of industry articles on the subject that I've read over the years. The National Restaurant Association has numerous studies but I think you need membership to access.
ReplyDeleteJust did a quick search and found this study in Dallas:
http://www.restaurantowner.com/downloads/failure_rate_study.pdf
And this:
http://www.whitehutchinson.com/blog/2011/02/the-truth-about-restaurant-failure-rates/
And this from Cornell:
http://www.econ.ucsb.edu/~tedb/Courses/Ec1F07/restaurantsfail.pdf
I remember business week did story on restaurants a while back that summed up some of the research and a quick search found it; you can still read it here:
http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-04-16/the-restaurant-failure-mythbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice
Try a search on the web. I'm sure there are plenty of articles and more of the same research on the subject available.
The person who ran the restaurant had already gone bankrupt with his restaurant in S. Hadley and didn't have the money for advertising and promotion, among other things, that a successful restaurant needs. A nice guy but clearly drowning from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest problems in the restaurant business and one of the downfalls of many restaurants is no plan. People think that if you make a pizza, they will come. But like any business a successful road comes from a successful road map. Many who have a history working in the restaurant industry open a restaurant but fail to have a key ingredient, a solid business plan. They see the success in places they have worked but don't see that a big part of that success is in planning, goals, and a method to get to those goals. Often for first timers, if they get business, they watch the bank account grow and think it's that easy and say, hey let's open another place. Again no plan for the first, and no thought about the second and in a short time both fail. Very common in the business.
ReplyDeleteKind of Like why you're here and not in New York anymore, right Walter. Another expert on everything else but there own lives. LOSER.....
ReplyDeleteHow's your business doing, Walter? I mean, it's Tuesday morning and you weren't concerned about getting a good night's rest last night when you posted after midnight, and you're obviously not working this morning, and you seem to have lots of time most days to occupy yourself with whatever subject Larry brings up that day...
ReplyDeleteBut I only bring up subjects worth discussing. Alas, I only have a Front Page.
ReplyDeleteWow Larry, you sure have some anonymous cretins here. So angry and full of hate. They have little to add to a conversation other than their disdain for anything and everything. And for what. Very insecure people. Imbeciles should replace the word Anonymous when they post. Sad actually.
ReplyDeleteI live in this area for my children. Other than that you can find me in NY numerous days a week or anywhere else in the world my various forms of work take me including my business in the pioneer valley which will be kicking up as soon as it gets a bit warmer. And great thing working for yourself is, you can be up past midnight working as I was till 2 am or find yourself relaxing in the AM before you get down to more work. Isn't technology great. So are breaks.
You should see the Comments I don't publish.
ReplyDeleteBut ɹǝʇlɐʍ, you've been "relaxing..before you get down to work" all day. And every day. And you blog while you're working at 2am? Do your (potential) clients know? Are you having trouble keeping focused?
ReplyDeleteAnd you don't respond to Cowardly Anon Nitwits.
And the schools here SUCK... but you're here for your kids?
Furthermore, I've done a small analysis of your comments over the last month, the word usage is overwhelmingly negative and you express discontent with almost everyone and everything that goes on in Amherst. You are CLEARLY the most discontented of the blog comment-ers. Go ahead, see for yourself. (There are programs that can list all the words you used and the frequency of each word.) I think your (potential) clients should take a look, too.
Walter, I'll tell you who I am if you come out and meet me in town one day.
ReplyDeleteWe could have a little boy's night out in the middle of the day.
Walter...?
ReplyDeleteNow don't tell me it's 'cause you don't respond to anons, I've seen you respond many times to anons.
Come on. How about a boy's night out in the middle of the day. Whaddya say.
Is Walter really on here taking shots at Judie's and Pasta y Basta? What a chronic malcontent.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else find it funny thar Walter of all people us chastising someone for being angry and full of hate?
ReplyDeleteever read this one walt? a local gal wrote it:
ReplyDeleteI HAD no time to hate, because
The grave would hinder me,
And life was not so ample I
Could finish enmity.
walt, do you understand how dreary it is to tell your name the livelong day to a non-admiring blog?