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Bah! Humbug!
That was the message operators of Round Table Pizza Restaurant left on the windshields of cars parked in its lot on Main Street when shoppers at downtown stores, diners at (presumably other) nearby restaurants and pedestrians parked their cars in the spacious Round Table Pizza parking lot this weekend. Round Table Pizza owns most of the lot and wants only those using its restaurant to park there.
Even so, hundreds turned out Saturday for Farmers Market, which on the last Saturday before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of its best days of the year, and then to shop and dine downtown. The crowds made up for a smaller group of shoppers and diners the night before at the annual Magical Holiday Evening event as strong winds and rain moved into Pleasanton.
Yesterday, shoppers walked downtown streets, visited neighborhood shopping centers and filled Stoneridge Shopping Center to check out the scores of decorated stores aglow with twinkle lights, decorative displays and holiday specials.
Downtown, a highlight of the weekend has been the opening of Thriving Ink, a clothing store that has moved from its East Angela Street location to a larger building at 520 Main St., with its historic and distinctive raised wood sidewalk in front.
Also today and in the coming weekends, free horse-drawn carriage rides are being offered at the Museum On Main to carry families back and forth to Pleasanton’s new outdoor ice skating rink, which is located between the Civic Center and public library on Old Bernal Avenue.
Also today, patrons of downtown restaurants and stores are also being offered chances to win holiday gift cards.
Why is Round Table the villian for wanting to protect what they own? They pay the costs of ownership for that lot so that their customers have a place to park but the rest of Pleasanton should be albe to park there and not patronize Round Table? The “entitlement gene” is alive and well in local Pleasantonyites. Jeb, you should be ashamed for your selfish attitude and for printing this.
Agreed.
If Round Table Pizza owns the lot then it should be theirs to do with as they please. Starting an article off with “Bah Humbug” is in bad taste. Just because that particular saturday is a huge day for farmer’s market doesn’t mean that Round Table is being a grinch. They are probably expecting a lot of patrons that day – many of whom might have no place to park because of others who drop their cars there only to disappear for most of the day.
Whether this article was written by Jeb or Emily, it is a true example of the ongoing “slanted” reporting that happens at Pleasanton Weekly.
Pathetic is the only word that comes to mind.
One other thought that Qwerty’s post brought to mind. Closing the lot is better than having every single car that did not patronize Round Table towed. If I’d been the manager on duty, that’s the first place I’d have gone. “Hello? First Street Tow? I have a bustling day of business for you. Bring the big flat bed….”
Is there any liability if a crime occurs in the parking lot, even if it happens to somebody who is using the parking lot but not patronizing RTP?
During holidays, parking lots are the scene of multiple crimes. Maybe RTP is trying to protect the public from itself.
bah humbug doesn’t bother me…
Speaking of the horse drawn carriage rides…They need to put lights on the horse or the carriage, preferably not the poor horse, driving downtown friday night and it was dark and one was headed the other direction, and it was hard to see…oh and whoever wrote this article there is a typo in the first sentence. Proofreaders? Should be “spacious”, not “specious”…
Yes it should be left up to the owners of the lot to decide on who’s able to park, but come on! The owners of that pizza establishment more than likely know that parking in downtown Pleasanton isn’t all that great, especially if it’s an eventful day.
So lack of downtown parking means that a business that owns the property should not be able to control who uses it? Parking is awful near the park on Friday nights during the summer concerts. I came home to a car parked IN MY DRIVEWAY because they could not find street parking within a few steps of the park. I suddenly became the evil homeower when these idiots saw the police car responding to my request to tow them. I guess you think I should just let them keep me from my own driveway because “it’s an eventful day”. Where does your sense of entitlement end? I can tell you that if it extends onto my property you should be prepared to be towed.
People will park and walk to shop. Most people want to park directly in front of an eating establishment.
I’ll occassionally park in their lot at 9:00 am on Saturday morning for the market when I know they don’t need the parking for customers. But like all businesses, Round Table is trying to keep customers coming in the door….and that means having their parking lot available for their customers.
Foul goes to Pleasanton Weekly.
Looks like someone is just mad that they lost their parking spot and wants to take it out on Roundtable. This is a busy time of year for them, too, and they deserve to allow their own patrons to park in the lot they pay for.
I’ve rarely found that there is *no* parking downtown. It may not be in a spot that the person wanted it to be and you may have to walk a bit but there is almost always parking.
It is highly irresponsible for an editorial to print anything without the proper research or confirmation of the facts. Round Table has always supported the Downtown by allowing visitors and guests to use it’s parking lot, when visiting the Round Table or Not. Recently after receiving some complaints from our customers, we restriped and marked only a small percentage of the overall parking for customers using the Restaurant Only. Round Table only leaves warning notices on the vehicles parking in the Round Table Only Spaces and welcomes Downtown guest to use any of the other spaces open throughout the lot. We pride ourselves on supporting the Downtown and will continue to work with the Downtown Association, City and Visitors by making our parking lot available. Sincerely, Round Table Management.
This is the place many said the ice rink should have gone. Do those people still think that was possible? Let me answer that…no.
Good for you Round Table! If you own the lot you should be able to designate any spaces you want for your business! Thank you for leaving some spaces for non-RT customers to use.
The Bank Of America on main street has done this for years. Try to park in that lot if you are not going into the bank and you will be told to move. Not being able to park in the round table lot will cost them business, if I plan to eat there I want to park there.
This article really is rediculous but at least everyone recognizes that Round Table is within their right to close their lot to non-patrons and who can blame them. Maybe the City should make an offer to Round Table to buy or lease the parking lot to use for public parking.
To whomever wrote this article, how would you like it if your neighbor’s friends parked in your driveway when visiting your neighbors?
When I’m picking up a pizza from Round Table, I appreciate the fact that there’s parking right outside the door.
My guess…a PW editor who thinks PW staff should get treated differently than other citizens, got a warning notice to not use the RT parking lot and that’s the basis of the story.
Of course with so many posters supporting RT, whoever wrote the story isn’t going to admit to it now.
RTP is right. It’s their parking lot and they have the right to do whatever they please with it.
And, if they clean up their establishment and start making good pizza, I’ll even come over and eat there.
Livermore’s got us beat … they’re kicking Pleasanton’s butt with restaurants, night life, theaters, public parking. The city should take note and look toward the future before local residents drive the short 7 miles for a better overall experience.
Round Table Management,
Thank you for your post. PW should identify the editor and what prompted the editor to write this “article”. They owe you an apology, but don’t hold your breath. They have a habit of writing editorials as if they are news stories when they are nothing but one editor’s opinion. Too bad that editor didn’t show the class in their article that you did in your response. Please consider not giving them any of your advertising dollars.