Laserfiche WebLink
Recommendations <br />Overall, our findings suggest that the Ramsey CDA is currently underserved in <br />terms of full -service restaurants. However, we also found that it is difficult to make profit <br />for a food incubator. We think it is very likely that a restaurant incubator in Ramsey will <br />not make profit in operation. However, we also recommend the city to consider the <br />societal impact of the restaurant incubator, for example, empowering small -businesses <br />owned by women, minority or low-income groups as well as serving the needs of local <br />residents. <br />Additionally, high median income is a huge asset for Ramsey that shows the <br />economic stability of the current residents. It should also be viewed as a great attraction <br />for potential tenants at the restaurant incubator and other related developments. Finally, <br />a huge amount of available land is also an asset for Ramsey. The government should <br />couple this with appropriate policies that smoothen the business development initiatives <br />on these tracts of land. The city should also leverage the current attraction points <br />around the COR to attract new tenants. <br />During our research, we found several caterers and home -based food <br />businesses located in Ramsey. We think if the city can consolidate these businesses <br />into one incubator space and provide training and supportive services listed in Local <br />restaurant incubators section, it will likely to help this business to save on cost and <br />expand beyond their current capacity. <br />Pricing of the incubator should be in -line with local competitions. This will ensure <br />a steady revenue for the incubator, whether it is non-profit or for -profit. A detailed "price - <br />benefit map" analysis can be very helpful for determining a sustainable price model for <br />the incubator. It is also very important to factor in the services that are being offered in <br />the incubator to cater the needs of the tenants. <br />Finally, decision -makers need also consider the funding source of the incubator. <br />We think it is unlikely that a private for -profit company will be very interested in <br />operating such incubator, due to low -profit margin. From our survey of nationwide <br />incubators, it appears several incubators located in rural regions are supported by state <br />or federal grants. Additional efforts are needed to identify additional funding sources. <br />Long-term recommendations <br />The population and number of households in Ramsey are going to increase in <br />short and long-term and so will the opportunity/gap in retail and food and dining <br />services. Careful strategic planning is needed to meet the demand of the residents to <br />retain food -related spending within the city. A way to that would be to complement the <br />services offered at the other nearby retail nodes by providing a novel development in <br />the city such as a food incubator. In the long-term, when the COR is fully built and when <br />more retail spaces become available, the city should provide additional support, such as <br />licensing process and business classes, to the incubator tenant to encourage <br />19 <br />