Light Rail - Light Rail Blogger - Phoenix » Royal at the Market

Downtown coffeebar offers discount to people on bikes

Tony Arranaga — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:09:26 +0000

Royal at the Market has a deal for those who ride their bike to the downtown Phoenix coffeebar. Hayes the owner tells me he’ll give you a 50 percent discount on any coffee drink when you come to the store with your bike. What a great way to start the new year! Royal is located at the Phoenix Public Market on Central and Pierce. Riding the light rail? Deboard at Central station and head north on Central Avenue three blocks. The market will be on your right. The offer is good through January 31st.

10 easy ways to promote business along light rail

Jim McPherson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:02:14 +0000

I’ve been a light rail supporter for a long time. My job is one block from the Central and McDowell station, so I take light rail a lot to attend meetings or events in downtown Phoenix (and not have to worry about parking). Because of my uncanny ability to miss a train “by that much,” I sit down and catch up on e-mail at the station while thinking of what tasty Italian dishes are being whipped up at The Old Spaghetti Factory across the street. I then board and go on my merry way when the next train pulls up.

The facilities folks where I work are happy to include information about the nearby station in our promotional materials and website. And that got me to thinking: what can other establishments do to promote their products or services to light rail riders? Bing… Light Bulb… Top 10 List.

I ran the idea by two of my favorite light rail and downtown advocates, Tony Arranaga and Nick Bastian. (I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs of all the good that people like Tony and Nick are doing to benefit the community, but I’ll save that for a later day. Back to this Top 10 thing.)

Returning from some car-free adventure, Tony suggested, “Hey, why don’t you post your list on my blog.” I replied, “Okay, how do I do that?” He kindly offered up a lightrailblogger.com username and secret password, along with an enticing, free cuppa joe at Royal Coffee at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, and the rest is history. Well, not quite. It will be when you finish reading this. So without further ado, I bring you…

Jim’s Top 10 List of Free/Low-Cost Things Retailers Can Do Now To Promote Their Business to Light Rail Riders

Add nearest light rail stop and map on your website.
Add light rail stop on your menu or product card.
Add light rail stop on your business card.
Add light rail stop on any print ads you do.
Add light rail stop on any press release you issue.
Use social media to communicate to light rail fans and advocates.
Create a light rail special menu item, drink, product, or service.
Create visually-appealing signage for your business’s exterior.
Monitor light rail hours of operation versus your own.
Participate in the Metro Max shopping discount program.

Done! Now for that cup of coffee…

New Phoenix Public Market set to open

Tony Arranaga — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:08:07 +0000

The news in this blog post deserves one big YIPPEE!! There are signs the economy is coming back to life in our urban core. The latest buzz along the lightrail in Phoenix involves new businesses setting up shop in an area I refer to as Downtown North: Central Avenue from Fillmore to Roosevelt. First up is somewhat of a familiar face along the light rail with a brand new look. You’ve heard me mention the Phoenix Public Market here on the blog – which has operated underneath canopies in a parking lot for years. Later this month, the market will now have a permanent home:

I know this is an exciting time for the people who run the market, and it’s safe to say fans of twice weekly event are equally as stoked. And if this isn’t enough news to satisfy your hunger for a vibrant downtown district, there’s also a new coffeebar opening inside the market. Royal at the Market coffeebar is setting up a second downtown location, In fact, baristas are already servin’ up lattes and homemade baked goods. However, for right now, the coffeebar is just that. a coffee-bar. There’s no place to sit back or camp out on the wi-fi until the market opens for business later this month. No biggie. We’re (speaking on behalf of my fellow downtowners) are just happy to have y’all around!

Still not enough good news? There’s more! Click here to buy your ticket for the grand opening event and be sure to also get your raffle ticket for a chance to win a year of dining out! Two lucky winners will be announced at the grand opening on October 29th. Proceeds from the raffle will help support Community Food Connections which is the organization that helps run the market.

And in case you didn’t know, the market is light rail convenient from either Central Station to the south or the Roosevelt station to the north.