When the city of Bloomington announced its plan to close sections of Kirkwood Avenue on weekends to allow business more space for outdoor dining, Nick’s English Hut placed rickety, wooden furniture on the street for its customers.
For about six weeks, employees hauled tables, chairs and benches from the restaurant’s Hoosier Room to the front of the building. But it was better than being completely shut down.
“It wasn’t super lucrative,” Nick’s general manager Pete Mikolaitus said. “But it was good just to be able to get the Nick’s food out to people that were wanting it.”
On March 16, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced the closure of all indoor dining to combat the spread of COVID-19. Nick’s was closed for about a month, and the business was forced to furlough nearly 95% of its staff.
However, as closures on Kirkwood Avenue continue through the end of 2020, businesses are gaining more revenue.
Nick’s now has more than a dozen tables that line the street for families to enjoy fresh air and food while abiding by social distancing guidelines.
“It helped us immensely,” Mikolaitus said. “Because, in terms of sales, most people don’t feel comfortable dining indoors yet. So that allowed us to cater to the people that were wanting to go out but were only willing to sit outdoors as opposed to indoors.”
Pete Mikolaitis is the general manager of Nick’s English Hut on Kirkwood Avenue.
As businesses continue to see economic growth as a direct result of pedestrian foot traffic and commerce, Alex Crowley, the Bloomington Director of Economic and Sustainable Development, said long-term closures are still a possibility.
“It’s not the end all be all,” he said. “But it was a way to try to help and create some opportunities for businesses to maintain some economic vibrancy during a time when people were not walking inside.”
Crowley is working directly under Bloomington mayor John Hamilton to oversee the sustained growth of businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. He, along with other city officials, have worked together to develop a plan that stimulates the flow of revenue.
One of the first decisions in that plan was to provide Bloomington businesses with space for outdoor dining and curbside pickup.
As the community shares the space, Kirkwood Avenue has become similar to a plaza. Sidewalks aren’t packed during the weekends, and there’s more space to enjoy the company in a safe environment.
“I’ve seen more people downtown,” Mikolaitis said. “Whether it be college kids or families coming down, riding their bikes up and down Kirkwood. So I think it’s a draw to come to downtown Kirkwood, whereas we didn’t really see that when vehicles were allowed.”
Yet, despite the opportunity to adapt, some businesses are pushing back against the decision. They may not have the funds to utilize resources and are falling behind as a result.
“And sometimes they don’t have the time, right, and sometimes they don’t have the skills,” Crowley said. “And those are the ones that aren’t gonna make it, you know, honestly. Unless they can get their act together.”
Alex Crowley is the Bloomington Director of Economic and Sustainable Development.
There are negative aspects that come from closing Kirkwood Avenue. The city loses parking revenue that would usually be distributed back to the community, and individuals are needed to open and close the street during the week.
As the city continues to discuss the future of business Kirkwood Avenue, it will be imperative to balance the positives and negatives. And as the colder months approach, Crowley said there will be about three months to look ahead.
Long-term seasonal closures could be on the horizon.
“I’d like to see it because I think it makes the street look more pleasant,” Crowley said. “I like outdoor eating, I like outdoor commerce and that sort of thing. And when you walk down the street and all of that is happening, it just has a little bit more of a friendly vibe.”
But as students return home for online classes, businesses will lose a big portion of their revenue. Nick’s owner Susan Bright said students on Kirkwood are vital to the community.
“It’s the red carpet, I believe,” she said. “IU campus life to city life, and I think of it as a red carpet from the sample gates to the courthouse. And I think a lot of political leaders think the same, so it’s a win-win situation.”
