104th Street: Marquee area, mismatched market
Garth Brooks was coming on stage in an hour, and all down 104th Street the businesses were packed – all the ones serving dinner and drinks, that is.
As a steady stream of concert patrons made their way from the LRT station on Jasper Avenue, most of the eateries filled to capacity. There were a few exceptions: Cavern had a couple tables open, Stage 104 was inexplicably closed, and the newly opened Bündok only had a few tables of diners. The lunchtime places and retail stores were either empty or closed.
As the concert time approached, Brooks fans began leaving just as quickly as they had arrived. An hour after show time, foot traffic on the street had diminished considerably. The fine dining restaurants (Rostizado, Baijiu, Tzin) maintained steady patronage – obviously not many Garth Brooks fans had stopped in there before the show. Kelly’s Pub, previously packed, was less than half full. Mercer’s Tavern, which had been wall-to-wall right up until the concert started, was nearly empty.
After the concert, Mercer and Kelly’s filled back up again. The fine dining restaurants were cleaning up and closing. The storefronts of the retail stores and lunch cafes had been dark for hours.
Events at Rogers Place certainly have a tangible impact on some of the businesses along 104th. But there’s a disconnect between the rent landlords expect on 104th Street and the money businesses can realistically make there, which has led many to close or move – despite the revitalization of the street and the opening of Rogers Place.
