Mango Mango, 61 Main Street, Amherst
While food aficionados celebrated the opening of two new restaurants in the downtown -- El Rinconsito Cuscatleco (Salvadoran) and The Taste Thai Cuisine of Amherst -- those same foodies will probably miss Mango Mango located only a mango throw away.
The eclectic cozy lunch and dinner operation opened in the former location of Fresh Side five years ago and closed rather suddenly yesterday. The lack of a liquor license probably didn't help.
Restaurants have one of the highest failure rates of any business, with over half failing to celebrate their fifth birthday.
But chances are that location will be up and running again this fall ... as a restaurant.
3 comments:
Nor does the fact that Amherst is a ghost town this time of year.
Never did try the place although I watched it for years. It was somewhere else before wasn't it?
You mentioned location. That side of Main St is death. Just so unappealing. Downtown Amherst is like little islands in regards to how its set up with patches of places if interest seemingly far from anything else of interest. No continuity.
Sadly if Mango had more connection, it may have done better. But then again eventually it comes down to what you serve and how well you make it. And then of course location.
Walter,
Why do you say such inane things? Black Sheep Deli has been thriving on that side of the street for decades. Ever try to get into Lone Wolf on a Saturday or Sunday morning? It's packed. Try sticking to facts.
That side of the street but not where THAT store is located. Just 500 feet down Main St is quite different and more inviting an area. Amherst is like that. Like islands of welcoming areas, and those that are places people seem to avoid. Every town and city has the same problem, just more than some. Amherst is a mosh-posh of old and new construction that suffers for the incongruity.
Location is important but so is presentation. Since I've been here in 1999 that area has been a tough sell.
Then again Amherst has places like Pasta E Basta which serves worse tasting food than SpagettiOs and they are still around. As the late great Angela Fina used to say one night that she and I were treated to dinner there - "this place has the worst food I've ever tasted".
But as I said, I never ate in the place. It was unappealing from the front as was the fare. I did eat there before when it was the noodle place and then too it just looked like a dingy place to eat. No wonder why they moved to better digs.
Post a Comment