Copyright syracuse.com
In Downtown Syracuse, national food chains aren’t gone for good, but they’re dying a slow death. Have you noticed? National food and drink chains used to be far more prominent a decade ago. Now Crooked Cattle stands where Starbucks once stood. Milano Bean (the second location for a Long Island-based cafe) took over the Jimmy John’s. Local shopping hub Wildflowers Armory replaced Dunkin’. This is a shift I can get behind. Something worth celebrating. I’ve lived and worked in downtown Syracuse for 12 years, and our city’s upward trajectory has been on my mind more than usual, as the Downtown Committee Fall Progress Breakfast approaches. Man, if we were ever to celebrate a stride forward in downtown progress... This is it. The slow death of downtown chains didn’t happen overnight. It’s reflective of a nationwide trend as Americans lose their appetite for casual dining chains. It’s also the culmination of hard work from small business owners, forward-thinking developers and good city planning. What a thing of beauty for newcomers and visitors, to cruise around downtown Syracuse, and see businesses they’ve never heard of, bars they’ve never explored, and local restaurants with menus they’ve never perused. Yes, barcades exist in other cities. But can they offer a midnight Smash Bowl like the crew behind Three Lives? Yes, other cities have food halls, but there’s nothing like watching college freshmen discover Salt City Market for the first time. And pizza exists in every city on the planet, but I have had better slices at Apizza Regionale than on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Armory Square anchors like Pastabilities, Lemongrass and Kitty Hoynes remain popular as ever, and they’re good neighbors to the newer kids on the block like Mr. Pho, Nobody’s Wine Bar, Touché and Dakshin Indian Cuisine. Whenever I visit another major city, it bums me out to see their downtown areas overrun with McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Applebee’s, etc. Thankfully, you won’t find those in Downtown Syracuse. (In the ‘80s and ‘90s, there was a McDonalds where Oh My Darling is now. Can you imagine?) Only four national food chains remain downtown. One’s the Subway on Warren Street. Next door, a Krispy Krunchy Chicken booth holds down the back of a convenience store. Gong Cha has a spot on Walton Street. And D.P. Dough still occupies the spot between Al’s and Funk ‘n Waffles on South Clinton. Bless them all for hanging on. Great downtown areas should be hubs of original business. If chains must exist downtown, let them be local or regional chains, not faceless mega corporations. Thriving Syracuse chains like Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Cake Bar, Salt City Coffee, Recess and Cafe Kubal all grew enough to expand around or beyond the downtown area. It’s a triumph worth supporting. Don’t forget how The Hops Spot owner Cheryl Chaif doubled down on her investment in Walton Street. Her 2024 opening of The Whiskey Coop, a fried chicken and bourbon joint, in the old Empire space? A brilliant move. Downtown Syracuse still has chains for hotels, recreation, banks and gas stations. DGX (of the Dollar General universe) replaced Walgreens Pharmacy in the city center, and Far Shot (axe-throwing) has four locations around the Northeast. But otherwise? Downtown remains blissfully free from the hellish sameness of everywhere else. Let’s keep it that way. Even local retail is turning a corner. Original Wildflowers aside, a new Whispering Wildflower Co. opened last month in Hanover Square. Kara Anne and Miss Daisy’s recently filled in empty storefronts. Parthenon Books answered downtown’s need for a local bookstore. The longtime Urban Outfitters is now Flynnstoned Cannabis Company. And The Sound Garden has held strong for 30 years. And when it comes to local dining, Syracuse punches above its weight class. There are so many great Syracuse restaurants that casual chains have been rendered useless. Who would choose Arby’s over Crooked Cattle? Who would choose Bruegger’s over Water Street Bagel? Who would choose Red Lobster over The Fish Friar? Who would choose Dunkin’ over Salt City Coffee, Recess, Skytop, Sweet Praxis, Sugar Grove, Kubal, Milano Bean or Pausa? Who would choose Texas Roadhouse over Eden’s award-winning steaks? Price is a factor, especially in this economy. But I would trade three meals at chain restaurants if it meant splurging on one special date night at Eden, Inka’s or Lemongrass. Perhaps this shift stems from our better collective understanding that when we spend money at local restaurants, that money stays in our community. As for the food chains? McDonald’s, Popeyes, Olive Garden and plenty more still exist on Erie Boulevard, in the mall and out in the suburbs. That’s exactly where they belong — in places of family convenience, not where people search for the true character of a city. Suburbia, you can keep ‘em! Not that anyone really wants downtown’s last Subway to fail. I’ve certainly had a $5 Footlong in my day.
