Voilà Restaurant- Be a Good Neighbor…Now!

If you've driven down Brambleton recently, you can’t help but notice that the bordering York Street is a complete, chaotic mess. I worry about how it is affecting the business of one of my favorite lunch spots, Machismo. York Street no longer has any available parking. Street parking on the neighboring side street, Botetourt, is also non existent as all the businesses and tenants of York struggle to find a place nearby. Lucky for me, I prefer walking there on my lunch hour, so it hasn’t affected me personally, but I know they have got to be feeling the pinch as other diners drive to a more accessible establishment.

Last Friday I walked there with a group of work buddies. Taped on the side door (the best one to use now due to construction) was a note letting patrons know that if they chance parking in the neighboring Voilà Restaurant parking lot they will be towed. GASP! Say it ain’t so!! Is this the proper way for merchants and neighbors to work together and help each other during Norfolk’s implementation of Light Rail?

Let me preface this by saying that I am a firm believer in capitalism. Further, I have a pretty good understanding of competition and what it takes to operate a successful business. But here’s by problem with Voilà Restaurant. Have you ever eaten at Voilà? Do you know anyone who has? Have you ever walked by or driven past the building at lunchtime and seen a light on? Or seen anyone inside, much less anyone inside seated and actually eating? Hmm… me either. What I see is perfectly good parking spaces, sitting empty day after day, hour after hour. I can only assume that they have at least one person working. He’s the guy that calls the tow company when someone with a burrito craving dares to occupy one of their empty spaces for 10-20 minutes.

So I say, “Shame on you, Voilà!” Go next door and work something out to with your neighbors. Even if you only give them one or two designated spaces, it could be the helping hand that they need right now. Show the world (or at least the city of Norfolk) that even a capitalist can be a good guy!

_Laine