Sip and Stroll in Hamilton's CED and DORA Areas

SIP AND STROLL IN "CED" AND "DORA" AREAS

Outdoor refreshment areas are bringing vibrant new businesses to town

Downtown Hamilton has flourished during a time when restaurants and bars have had an unprecedented number of challenges.

One of the ways that the City has helped to attract new businesses and sustain existing ones has been through the Community Entertainment Districts (CEDs) and the Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA).

REINVESTMENT ATTRACTS FURTHER BUSINESSES Community Entertainment Districts are a state designation that is associated with a certain amount of investment in a revitalization area of a City and also are tied to population. They allow additional liquor licenses for the City compared to areas without these districts, which makes bringing a new restaurant to Hamilton a more attractive business opportunity.

“Those bars and restaurants are anchors that bring foot traffic for the whole area,” explains Mallory Greenham, small business development specialist for the City of Hamilton. “Restaurants need the liquor license to offset cost per plate, and they really help the profitability of the restaurant.”

As a result, getting enough liquor licenses for the burgeoning restaurant and bar properties in downtown along High Street and Main Street has been more possible. The revitalization investments in the Spooky Nook complex helped to qualify Hamilton for these designations.

DORA SUCCESSES In a separate move, the City has established and recently expanded the DORA zone. This area allows individuals to purchase an alcoholic beverage in a special DORA cup from a DORA participating business and carry it while walking around outdoors.

As a result, visitors to the City continue to enjoy the parks, the shopping, and local music after they finish eating a meal or attending an event because they are encouraged to take a drink “to go.” The costs of the cups provide additional trash collection services to keep the DORA district well maintained and allow for some marketing and management of the DORA program.

Efforts like the Hamilton Craft and Cocktail Quest, which offers discounts and a scavenger hunt through DORA establishments, bring tourism even during times when specifically taking the DORA cups outside are less likely, such as cold days.

While the program was popular before COVID-19, it became even more valuable when many downtown restaurants and bars couldn’t have customers in their dining rooms.

“During COVID, when people couldn’t be inside, we provided free cups, so that people could still support downtown businesses while walking around Marcum Park or elsewhere,” says Greenham. “Multiple businesses said that the DORA saved jobs last year.”

In 2020, 55,000 DORA cups were distributed, and in the first seven months of 2021, 45,000 were distributed. The original seven DORA serving businesses have grown to 22, with 11 more pending and likely to open in the next year. Many other businesses are designated as open to DORA cups being brought inside, allowing people to continue sipping while they shop.

More choices downtown keeps more visitors enjoying the City and spending money in other kinds of businesses, such as gift shops or service providing companies.

Expanding the DORA in specific areas allows businesses who were drawn to Hamilton by the thriving DORA to participate even though their properties were initially outside the boundaries. These businesses include a future tavern and a microbrewery.

Promoting a vibrant and thriving downtown radiates economic impact around Hamilton’s many other business clusters and residential areas. Making downtown Hamilton a destination for entertainment and dining has been a successful initiative that will only grow as more visitors begin to spend time in Hamilton with the opening of Spooky Nook’s facilities. ❑

The DORA zones in downtown Hamilton.

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