Parking isn't as important for restaurants as the owners think it is

Closed streets = street seating and walkable communities. Who'd expect those advantages to get people to stop for dinner when walking by.

The mark up on drinks, especially alcohol is where a lot of profit is. If people don’t need to drive, they probably drink more too.

When restaurants complain about a lack of parking, they really mean a lack of access. Make them accessible and they’re happy.

A lot of previous footpaths and parking spots have been repurposed as dining areas here in Sydney. I don’t think the restaurants are complaining about that and it adds vibrancy to the area that makes them more attractive too.

When restaurants complain about a lack of parking, they really mean a lack of access
The real problem is that they grossly overestimate how much of their patronage comes via driving currently. So they actively fight against improved access in the form of things like bus lanes, light rail, and bike paths.
The data says that restaurant owners think over half their patrons currently drive, but that in reality it's less than one in five.
There was a similar article about store owners last year (or maybe early this year) that said they make the same mistake. That was specifically done in the context of the installation of some fairly mediocre bike paths in the Brisbane CBD (the "CityLink Cycleway"). Many had petitioned against the cycleway at first because of their misunderstanding.
Educating business owners, or disregarding their feedback entirely when they're stubbornly arguing against their own best interest, is the direction we need to be moving in.
- The owners also think that people who drive spend more per person than those who walk or take public transit, but the reality is reversed.
Ah, I found the CityLink Cycleway feedback source. It wasn't an article, it was mentioned in a Brisbane City Council meeting YouTube link with timestamp (roughly 1:32:00). Businesses on the relevant streets in the Brisbane CBD estimated 43% of their customers arrived by car, when it was actually only 19%.
Council meeting minutes (warning, Microsoft Office Online link) has slightly different figures of 44% and 19%, respectively.
Incidentally, then-Councillor Sriranganathan's speech immediately after Cr Murphy shares his figures gives a pretty good explanation of some of the reasons I described the CityLink Cycleway as "mediocre".

mk4 supra 👍

"In this case, Eagle Street scored highly. This was mainly due to it having the highest parking fee (A$30-$75 for three hours) of the three restaurant precincts. Even in Caxton Street, which has the cheapest parking ($11 for three hours), more than one in three customers travelled by public transport."

Also, water is wet.

Lovely unbiased article

That was really interesting - thanks for sharing!

I fucking hate the complete lack of parking anywhere that doesnt cost an arm and a leg. Not to mention car parks are getting smaller. Thry claim its to help discorage car usage to help global warming but in reality its just greedy fuckers.

The reason cities are so spread out is because roads and parking lower density. It's the solution to its own problem.
We cannot continue car dependency if we want to continue existing and restructuring our cities to suit other modes of transportation will take a lot of time and effort. There will be growing pains but I think success stories like Norway show it is possible.
Skill issue. Ride a damn bike.
- I just did the maths that will only take me 2hours 3minutes each direction. Ohh and i really think its a good way to earn a darwin award riding a bike on a road with no curb and people going 80km/hr.
Just walk you lazy fuck.
- ...said someone who lives less than an hour's walk away from anything worth walking to
buy a smaller and more efficient car.
- A small car takes up just as many parking spaces (i.e., one) as a big car does (i.e., also one). If the problem is parking -- and boy howdy, it is! -- then the only solution is to show up in a not-car (e.g. riding a bike or on foot), not a small car.
- First thats fucking expensive. Second i like my car. Third the best thing u can do for the enviroment with a car is buy a second hand one drive it forever. Forth fuck anyone who talks about carbon footprint it was a term invented by bp to pass the blame to the consumer for the enviroment.
  And if anyone suggests public transport, yeah thats a great idea i love the concept unfortunatly we dont live in europe and to hell with waiting 40 fucking minutes for a bus when i can drive in 10.
  That concludes my rant wasnt directed at u just the state of the system as it stands.

What? No mention of Ubereats, Doordash or the like? You'd think parking is damn important for them....

@No1 @Zagorath Especially in inner-city areas, many of those deliveries are done by bike.
And because most suburbs lack proper Dutch-style protected bike lanes, those riders either have to try to avoid getting hit by cars if they cycle on the road, or dodge pedestrians on the footpath.
Fewer parking spots and more protected bike lanes would help, rather than hinder, many food deliveries.
- Tru dat. And the article was really about inner city. I was still surprised that there wasn't any mention of the delivery services at all. They should include your comment in their article!
  Out in the 'burbs, though, drivers won't pickup from some restaurants/etc because it's too hard or takes too long to find somewhere to park...