After more than a year of renovations, some businesses on Hillsborough Street have not only survived, but flourished, while others have completely vanished—an issue continuing into this year.
According to Jeff Mursion , executive director at Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation, students and faculty make up one of the largest patron groups on Hillsborough Street, and their demand is a major factor in shaping what succeeds on the street.
“There’s no question that students are the foundation of the market, though there are a lot of places that cater to residents that live nearby,” Murison said. “We’ve got a wide variety, and there’s a very natural turnover that’s a part of any healthy marketplace—which is also a little bit driven by demand.”
But that demand may be changing again.
For Cherry Chan, a junior in accounting, the prices and convenience of food on Hillsborough Street make it a great place to grab a bite to eat, but not to do much else.
“The prices are okay in my opinion, and the restaurants are convenient too, because at places like Jimmy John’s we can order online,” Chan said. “But I’d really like for them to open more kinds of shops. Not just restaurants or bookstores, but shoes or clothes shops. We like shopping, too.”
While Ryan Lemelin, a sophomore in polymer and color chemistry, said he wouldn’t be opposed to changes on the street, and said he wonders if it would be possible for larger businesses to have space on the street.
“It’s kind of difficult for large chains to move into Hillsborough Street, so in that sense the possibilities are already limited to small take-out type eateries,” Lemelin said. “The places that choose to move in there are already at a disadvantage due to the size of the spaces available.”
According to Murison , lack of adequate space is a major problem when it comes to bringing in new businesses.
“[Space restrictions] are definitely part of the equation. We have a lot of old facilities designed and used for food-on-the-go establishments and are not really designed for modern retailers,” Murison said. “That makes it hard to attract new additions to the street. That’s also precisely why the street underwent renovations, and why we support newer renovations on the street—to get more facilities that are user-friendly to modern retailers.”
Chelsea Ciambrone, a sophomore in animal science, said she would like to see a wider range of shops on the street, but also admitted to initially not knowing about several businesses in the area.
“I know there’s a bowling alley there [on Hillsborough Street], but I never would have found that out if somebody didn’t ask me to go one day. I’d really like for there to be more things to do [on Hillsborough Street],” Ciambrone said. “I mean, the bowling alley is nice, but a small movie theater would be great. Granted, we have a movie theater right around here [at Mission Valley], but that’s a far walk.”
However, Lemelin said despite recent changes to the street, he hopes truly distinctive businesses will continue to thrive.
“There are a few places on Hillsborough Street that are unique to the street, and I think it would be a sad thing to see those places go,” Lemelin said. “Places like Global Village and Mitch’s Tavern. Sure there are other places to get coffee and bar food, but the atmospheres in these places are irreplaceable.”
According to Murison , the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation realizes the need for an increased variety in non-food related businesses, and will likely work to bring more of those businesses to the street in the future.
“More and more, people are on the street doing a whole range of things and are recognizing Hillsborough Street as a focal point of Pack pride,” Murison said. “There’s no question from my research that [students] would like a more diverse range of options on the street—not just food or shopping—but activities, and things to do and places to go meet their friends. We’ve got to build on the basics we already have, and help create more of a ‘destination’ feel for the street.”
