[Winona Online Democracy] I attended my first GRSF play last evening. What a spectacular performance! Winona now has a unique opportunity to "get it right" with respect to tourism. I hope the community does not let this spectacular opportunity slide out of reach. If we are to be successful at transitioning from an academic view of tourism to the reality that tourism is a business then we must stay on target.
Recent posts regarding high-quality dining opportunities in Winona began as a meaningful discussion but it seems people got distracted. Harbor View, Traditions, Currents, and the St. James Hotel are all excellent places to dine but they aren't worth a penny to Winona, to people who travel to Winona to attend a GRSF event, or to people who come here for other reasons. We don't have fine dining opportunities in Winona and we need to encourage the development of such opportunities. Even Victoria's Restaurant, nice as it was, was not what I would call "fine dining." I have heard several reasons why they didn't stay in Winona ranging from a family quarrel to lack of business. We probably will never know. I don't subscribe to statements to the effect that Winonans don't dine out. I believe they do. We travel to LaCrosse (Onalaska actually) to Traditions, to Alma (Currents) and other places. We nearly always see other Winonans. We dine out frequently in Winona at the "family" restaurants and they are crowded. What then prevents "fine dining" from being successful in Winona? For one thing, I think the Minnesota dram law makes it difficult to compete with businesses on the other side of the river. That being the case, perhaps we need to look at "fine dining" like they do at Traditions - Wine and beer and other alcohol served at the table as part of the dining experience. No bar. No focus on alcohol-only business. How much overhead could be saved through reduced insurance rates to cover alcohol-related liabilities? I wonder... As noted by Phil Carlson any dining establishment needs year-long continuing business. A hotel like the Holiday Inn can rely on their room clients to patronize an eating establishment like the Green Mill. Local people then sweeten the pot. What can an eating-only establishment do to ensure its survival? I believe that "fine dining" cannot come in isolation. The GRSF must not be the only show in town. Winona has to make a real committment to the tourist industry. We have to learn how to do it right. The last week of June, my wife and I rode our tandem bicycle from Rock Island, Illinois to St. Paul, Minnesota as part of the Grand Excursion 2004. In so doing, we had the opportunity to participate in 16 Grand Excursion events. An event in our noon-time stopovers and an event in our evening layovers for each of eight days on the bike. Some of these communities did it right. Some did not. Winona was one of our noon-time stopovers. The route into Winona took us down Mankato Avenue to Second Street. We then were directed westword past Center Street where it was reported there would be food booths. Next we were directed out past the commercial harbor to Prairie Island and then back on to US 61 at Minnesota City. I presume that some city officials were involved in the routing of the bicyclists through Winona. Let's see. What did our fellow riders discover about Winona from this route? 1. We saw Target, Mugby Junction, and some businesses along Mankato Avenue including a Schwinn Bicycle store. We discovered that the city had a hospital and a couple of motels. We saw Fleet Farm and a sign for Menards. 2. When we got to Second Street, we discovered Winona Heating and Ventilating, Schwab, a lumber company, the back lot of a bank, a dyecasting plant and an eye clinic. We saw Acoustic Cafe (Thank heavens) and a movie theater. We nearly road past the food booths (They were a half block North of Second Street on Center.) We convinced the people who were in charge to move their food booth closer to Second Street - where it would be noticed by the passing bikers. 3. After eating, cyclists were directed along the river to Prairie Island where we had the opportunity to ride on one of the most boaring stretches of roadway in the city. What did we miss? 1. We missed Watkins! One of the big sponsors of the Grand Excursion 2004. We missed their museum! We missed the opportunity to purchase Watkins Products (I bet they ship!) 2. We missed Soda Jerk! We missed Blooming Grounds! We missed the front of the beautiful Merchants Bank. We missed Winona National Bank. 3. We missed many great businesses on Third Street! Did any of them have Grand Excursion 2004 items for sale? Who knows. Jo and I purchased a Grand Excursion 2004 print in Belleview Iowa. We saw these prints in Dubuque as well. They sold anywhere from $ 160 to $250. Little Belleview Iowa sold at least two of these prints to bicycle riders (They shipped!) Were these prints available in Winona? I bet that if they were, it was not at Winona Heating and Ventilating! Most riders spent money in the communities they visited and they spent that money in business they encountered. 4. But we missed even more! We missed the great Victorian homes. We missed the Visitor Center on Huff Street. We didn't see the WSU campus. We didn't know about the Historical Society Museum on Johnson Street. Some of us didn't see the Wilke. Many didn't know about the River Island Cafe. Whether they ride bicycles, motorcycles, cars, or boats tourists spend money. This community (all of us collectively) must decide what kinds of tourists we want and then we must work to provide incentives (like GRSF) for them to come to Winona. Then we must provide opportunities for them to spend money. Lastly, we must learn how to expose those tourists to the opportunities we offer. If we do that, fine dining will have no problem in Winona. -Leslie Hittner _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. 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