When most people think of Beverly Hills, they think of the Golden Triangle. South Beverly Drive can sometimes get overshadowed by the glitz north of Wilshire Boulevard, but with the South Beverly Merchants Association, a group of retailers are banding together to boost the shopping street’s profile.
During a Small Business Task Force Committee meeting on Sept. 3, Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce officials, business owners and staff discussed the association’s goals for a revitalized South Beverly Drive.
“The vision is a village known for our selection of restaurants representing different cultures, mixed with retail that offers affordable, creative and distinctive items for everyday residents, shoppers and tourists alike,” said Bobbe Joy Dawson, chair of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
When Dawson was elected chair last month, she said that giving South Beverly businesses a stronger voice in city government was one of her biggest priorities. After opening a beauty salon on South Beverly years ago, Dawson created a previous iteration of the association, after feeling that the street was considered “the poor stepchild” of the business community.
Similar concerns resurfaced during the Sept. 3 meeting, as the retailers spoke of unkempt storefronts and vacant windows, but the committee members were optimistic that the association will help attract new customers.
“There’s a lot of amazing ideas that are coming forth and support is gaining so I’m feeling very optimistic about where this is headed,” said Sherry Andrus, owner of Epiphany Boutique.
Dawson urged city officials to implement fines for retailers who allow their storefronts to fall into disrepair and to streamline some of the permitting processes for new businesses to open. She also encouraged the business owners to develop a “unique brand identity,” and said fresh marketing schemes like creating a map of the street’s offerings could help drum up new business.
Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian suggested that the Love Beverly Hills App, managed by the Conference and Visitors Bureau, place a special emphasis on events and businesses on South Beverly.
Assistant City Manager Ryan Gohlich added that staff had previously considered installing informational kiosks in the area. However, the brand they consulted insisted that the kiosks advertise for national chains, which violates city policy, he said.
“[There was] also an aesthetic aspect to it,” Dawson said. “We didn’t want … to look like we were in the mall.”
The business leaders agreed that the street needed to be beautified to attract new customers. Former City Council candidate and event planner Tiffany Davis said that she is discouraged by the “eyesores” she sees while regularly patronizing South Beverly businesses, and she pressed the city to take special preparation ahead of the NEXT Night Street Festival on Sept. 28.
“The whole goal of that festival is to bring people to that block to promote business on that block,” Davis said. “So, if I could ask one thing of the city between now and then … could we clean up that block as much as humanly possible?”
The association is still in the early stages, Dawson said. It has not yet met, and the list of members is not yet final. Dawson anticipates 10 small business representatives, five landlord representatives, and she hopes to involve other chamber officials as well.
Beverly Hills Cookies owner Barry Axelrod said that while the association is independent from the city, elected officials and staff have been thoroughly supportive, and he looks forward to working closely as the association gets moving.
And with the holidays just around the corner, Axelrod wants to move as quickly as possible to capitalize on the year’s busiest shopping season.
“It’s not going to be an easy task, but I think we need it,” Axelrod said.
During the Sept. 3 meeting, staff also updated the committee on the Open-Air Dining program. Open Air Management Analyst Angelina Ramirez said the city has received about 60 total applications, only 10 of which are for parklets, while the rest are for sidewalk dining.
Community Outreach Manager Magdalena Davis asked the committee members to encourage other business owners to apply before the Oct. 1 deadline, even if they still have questions.
“We really do appreciate you working with us and sharing the good word with your neighbors, because we all know you are de facto ambassadors for your neighbors and your different neighborhoods,” Davis said.
Recreation and Parks Commissioner and Tesoro owner Tara Riceberg also asked how the city can prevent unruly passersby from disturbing patrons on the sidewalk, and Gohlich said that while the staff do try to regulate this behavior, they must be careful not to infringe on people’s First Amendment rights.
“It’s a really difficult issue that there are not great solutions for,” he said.
