By all measures, 2018 was a very successful year for the Beaumont Business Association. There are a lot of “thanks” to hand out. Thank you to our small business owners, who continue to join our association and participate in record numbers. Thank you to Amy Hamdan, our district coordinator, for the added value she has brought to our organization and neighborhood. And thank you to our cadre of dedicated board members.
Most importantly, THANK YOU to all of the neighborhood residents who support our small businesses and district events. Our patrons mean everything to us.
The Beaumont Business Association is responsible for five main events: Hip Hop Into the Shops, Dash to Doughnuts, Fremont Fest, Fright Night, and Holiday Fest. We also provide the décor and hanging flowers on the power poles and have begun to add kiosk display cases (the first one in front of Batter). The goal moving forward is to add a little something to the business district each year.
NE Fremont Street continues to be a desirable place for businesses of all kinds, although recently we have seen a number of changes, specifically with our restaurant businesses. But not to worry. While we hate to see businesses leave, we delight in welcoming the new businesses opening up here. Recent examples include Fire & Stone, who closed their doors, but Tacovore has moved in; Cha Cha Cha closed their doors, but Bang Bang has expanded into that space; Thrive closed their doors and Anchor End Pretzel Shoppe is making its debut; and Alameda Brew Pub closed their doors and so far has no replacement, but there’s been a lot of interest in that space (although the bigger space takes a little longer to fill). The bottom line is that the current and new restaurants in our district represent a very important sector in the Beaumont Village business ecosystem and warrant support from our B-W community.
I have also had questions regarding Beaumont Market and the office space next door. The information I have received is that Beaumont Market is not going away, that ownership will stay the same, and they are just going through a face lift (which I think looks great!) and working to improve their offerings to the neighborhood. The iconic (B-W landmark) office space nearby remains vacant, but not for lack of interest. The owners are being selective and taking their time to fill the space.
All in all, the state of the BBA district is healthy and vibrant. We have seen far more businesses move in than we have seen leave, and I suspect this will continue.
Thank you all. Please shop, eat, and drink local (and often!), and come to our events. We all love what we do, and we all love doing what we do on NE Fremont Street for the enjoyment of our patrons—both within the neighborhood and without. Together we make this neighborhood great!
Editor’s note: We thank Andy (owner of Frazier Wealth Management, longtime B-W resident, and newsletter advertiser) for graciously responding to our inquiry with these candid insights.