Pandora’s Pies and Acorn Coffee Shop are the only restaurants left standing on Williamson Avenue where Elon University students, as well as the local community, can enjoy a meal. Not long ago, the community had a third dining option, but the university did little to keep that restaurant in business. The result of Elon’s inaction is an empty shell of a restaurant.
Since Town Table shut its doors August 16, 2013, there has been little attempt by the university to fill the space. Almost eight months removed from that date, the empty space leaves a void not only on the main road of Elon’s campus but also in the options available to students to eat off campus on any given night.
The closing of Town Table combined with the closing of the popular College Street Taphouse was a one-two punch for the students of Elon. Since Elon sits away from the majority of the local businesses in Burlington, the proximity of these local restaurants provided a welcomed change in palate for students. With no real city surrounding the university, students are hard-pressed for off-campus dining options.
Elon administrators cited economic reasons for the closing of Town Table. The owner of Town Table signed a 10-year lease with the university back in 2010. Not only was the owner an Elon alumnus, but the restaurant also provided students, faculty and prospective students with a place to relax and unwind. If Town Table truly closed for economic reasons, the university should be ashamed.
It is in the university’s best interests to have an active and bustling “Main Street.” Williamson Avenue is one of the first sights of Elon’s campus new students and their families see when they visit. The Town Table space is now dark and neglected, which reflects poorly on Elon, since it owns the space.
Over the past few months, little has changed in regards to the plans for filling the space. Possibilities include expanding Acorn Coffee shop, creating a new venue such as a tapas meal/wine bar and numerous local restaurants. Many restaurant owners have expressed interest in the space, including a noodle shop, an Irish pub and a Mexican restaurant.
Despite local interest in the space, the lack of action on behalf of the university is troubling. If there is as much interest in the space as the university tell the public, then it is on the university to step forward and make a deal.
According to administrators at Elon, the space can be rented or leased at a “market rate” price. The lack of clarity in the listing price is evidence that filling the space is not a priority for the university. Elon is always striving to expand its campus with the hope of being more student-friendly. Its lack of action is confusing.
Another glaring concern is that, throughout the process of seeking a new owner for the space, the university hasn’t shown interest in offering a discount price to help local businesses occupy the space.
The former site of Town Table is a scar on the face of Elon’s campus. University administrators have always prided themselves on listening to the needs and wants of their students, yet, for some reason, student’s requests for a new restaurant or bar in the spot have fallen on deaf ears.
Although Elon has made significant strides in expanding the campus in recent years, it must not forget about the area just beyond the walls of the university.
Members of the Editorial Board are Nick Foley, Jonathan Black, Katy Canada, Alex Francis and Lauren Phillips.