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Business News

Dojo Gelato business exceeding expectations, production increased 32%

[This story was originally published in the Cincinnati Business Courier on July 19, 2010. Visit the original story for more comments, thoughts and opinions on Dojo Gelato’s success at Findlay Market – Randy.]


Michael Christner moved to Cincinnati from Austin, TX last year and opened Dojo Gelato at Cincinnati’s historic Findlay Market. Christner expected business might be good due to the limited amount of competition in Cincinnati relative to Austin, but so far business has exceeded expectations for local entrepreneur.

Christner follows a few basic principles in his gelato prep kitchen which he refers to as a “laboratory.” He makes the gelato and sorbetto fresh and in small runs with no artificial ingredients. Milk, pure cane sugar, and cream is all that is used to create their gelatos, while the sorbettos only contain fruit, pure cane sugar, and water. Customers will also find a product free of artificial preservatives, unnatural stabilizers, powders or gels, or hormone dairy products.

“I’ve been like wow, this is working…it’s really working,” Christner said about Dojo Gelato’s success thus far. “When I opened, the Dojo Cart wasn’t even budgeted into the business plan, but we always thought it would be great to do five or six special events a year. With business being so good, the cart has become reality much quicker.”

The quicker arrival of the DojoCart now serving people at special events throughout Cincinnati is not the only mark of success for the Italian-style ice cream maker. Christner says that Dojo Gelato has also increased production, grown its staff, while also increasing sales.

So far sales at Dojo Gelato’s store at Findlay Market and the new DojoCart are 16% higher than what was originally forecasted, and in May, Dojo Gelato set two consecutive sales records at Findlay Market. The business growth has also accelerated plans for increased production. In March, Dojo Gelato purchased an additional gelato batch freezer from Italy that allows Christner to now produce 52 gallons of gelati an hour which represents a 32% increase in production since the business opened in August 2009. During that same time the staff has increased from one employee in last summer, to five employees today.

“It’s been a gradual incline, with every month being a little better than the month before,” Christner explained. “I take my product very seriously, but at the end of the day it’s just food and it’s more about bringing people together.”

According to Christner, Dojo Gelato customers represent a wide variety of people together that includes a business and neighborhood crowd during the week at lunch; older individuals, tourists, and suburbanites on the weekends; and lots of families on Sundays. Young adults between the ages of 20 to 40 are also a big part of Dojo Gelato’s daily business.

“I wanted to do this since I was 20 years old, and I’m 34 now. This is not just some hobby, I live, eat, and breathe everything Dojo Gelato,” Christner emphasized. “I’ve realized that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and everything needs to fall into place for future expansion efforts.”

Dojo Gelato is open at Findlay Market (map) Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 6pm, Saturday from 8am to 6pm, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Those out and about can find the DojoCart at the Wyoming Farmers Market on Tuesdays, Wednesdays at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center for their summer concert series through July, Saturdays on Fountain Square for movie nights, and at the Hyde Park Farmers Market every Sunday.

Categories
Business Development News

Former Boss Cox home to become new Clifton Library Branch

The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County will move its Clifton Branch from Ludlow Avenue to Parkview Manor nearby.  The $3.5 million project will require a full renovation of the 1895 home for notorious Cincinnati politician George Barnsdale “Boss” Cox.

Once the home of arguably Cincinnati’s most influential politician, the 10,000 square-foot Parkview Manor was designed by the famed Samuel Hannaford and is located directly across from Burnet Woods near the intersection of Brookline, Wentworth and Jefferson avenues (map).  Hannaford’s trademark use of limestone coursing and geometrically shaped rooms are visible here.  The architect’s firm, Hannaford and Sons, completed over 300 buildings in the Cincinnati area, including both Music Hall and City Hall.

Boss Cox meanwhile was known for controlling the goings on in Cincinnati through the Reform movement of the late 1800s. While his methods of governance were dictatorial and corrupt, Cox also made contributions to the city, including street cleaning and developing the plan for the ill-fated subway system.

The existing Clifton Branch of the Public Library is currently one of the busiest, and smallest, in the entire county-wide system. Its location on Ludlow Avenue does not have a dedicated meeting space, yet last year the branch presented 232 programs which were attended by 5,281 people.  The programs included a wide variety of topics including a weekly preschool story time and an English as a second language conversation group.

Circulation at the Clifton Branch has increased more than 12 percent over the past four years, which library officials believe is evidence that demand for the library is far exceeding the current capacity. The new location would be four times the size of the current building on Ludlow Avenue.  The new facility would also allow for a larger material collection space, more computer space, a dedicated children’s area, program room, teen area, and an easily accessible location with 16 parking spots in an extremely walkable neighborhood.

In order to make this dream a reality, library officials need to raise $3.5 million to renovate Parkview Manor and complete the move.  The library is actively seeking contributions for this project, and those interested in helping can contact development director John Reusing at (513) 369-4591 or through the project’s web page.

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Development News Politics

Fort Washington Way caps to provide valuable real estate

A illustration of the Banks Master Plan with Highway Decks

Each Wednesday in July, UrbanCincy has highlighted Fort Washington Way (FWW), the I-71/US-50 trench bisecting the Cincinnati’s central riverfront from its central business district. Part one of the series discussed what the area looked like prior to reconstruction a decade ago, and how that reconstruction made way for the development along Cincinnati’s central riverfront. Part two discussed some of the unseen assets included in the project that are saving taxpayers millions of dollars. Last week’s article highlighted even more of the unique features that contributing many societal benefits to the region. To conclude the series, this week will feature ideas for future development around Fort Washington Way.

When the stretch of highway was redesigned a decade ago, the better design allowed for several acres of space to be reclaimed for uses that are more productive than a highway. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center was located on land that was once a highway, as are portions of The Banks development which is currently under construction. Plans for the second phase of The Banks also will make use of the reclaimed land from the redesign. The Banks, bookended by our major league stadia and highlighted by the Freedom Center, is a development project that will fundamentally transform this city’s urban core. It was only made possible through redesigning the stretch of highway and reclaiming under-utilized land on Cincinnati’s urban riverfront.

When the Federal government chose to build I-71 through downtown Cincinnati, they chose to do so in an area that already had a major roadway on it. As a result, local authorities were allowed to maintain the rights to the space directly above the federal highway. Generally, when the Federal government builds highways, they maintain the air rights so that they can better control the factors that impact the highway’s utility. In this case, Cincinnati’s ability to maintain control over these rights ensures that the area can be used to its maximum local utility.

To maximize the utility of the space, officials could choose to install 600 feet-long caps over the highway. As has been discussed previously in this series, the reconstruction of Fort Washington Way ten years ago included building infrastructure necessary to support such caps. Structurally, these caps could support several feet of dirt, allowing the city to create a fascinating, unique pocket park in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. Nearby residents would benefit greatly from a place to walk their dogs. Having the retail, office, and residential space at the Banks surrounded by green space on the south with the new riverfront park and on the north with a park above the highway could provide a stunning and dramatic space.

However, some view more park space in that location as unnecessary, and that the real estate in that particular location is too valuable to be planted over. As a result, it is likely in the city’s best interest to explore options that would generate tax revenue. According to engineers responsible for the project, the caps could be built in such as way so that developers would not be restricted with the building materials they use. However, as the height of a building increases, so too does the building’s weight. As a result, buildings on the caps would likely be limited to about four stories in height.

With that particular height, the new development would provide an aesthetic feature that would visually link The Banks to the rest of the central business district. When the first phase of The Banks is complete, portions of mixed-use development will rise six stories above Second Street. Directly to the north of this area sits the trench of Fort Washington Way, followed immediately by highrises like the E.W. Scripps Tower and Cincinnati Enquirer Building. Developers could opt for a design on the caps that would have first floor restaurant or retail options, with offices or residents above.

One of the worst features of the old Fort Washington Way that the new design did not completely fix is that the highway bisects downtown from the Ohio River. Capping the highway and building several-story, mixed-use buildings on it would go a long way to rectifying that disconnect. Because of the required space between the current bridges over the highway and the caps, entrances to these buildings would have to be from Second or Third Street. This particular design would allow comfortable transition north and south between the waterfront and downtown, but would also keep pedestrians moving east and west in the city.

A task force of engineers recently convened to study the feasibility of building and installing these caps. Their task not only includes determining the exact structural capabilities, but also projected costs. Armed with this information, city officials and developers could begin discussions shortly. Should the city push for a unique park over the highway? Or would you rather see a the area built with multi-use buildings?

Categories
Business News Transportation

Cincinnati web designer creates ‘Mobilizing Metro’ iPhone app

Mobilizing Metro app

Aaron Renn recently wrote that It’s Time for America to Get On the Bus. He argues that cities should look at improving the quality of their bus service to eliminate the negative perception and attract more riders. He states that while there’s a “legitimate case for rail” in many cities (including Cincinnati), adding high-quality bus service to the plan can expand the reach of the transit network at a lower cost.

Riders of Cincinnati Metro buses would agree with Renn’s ideas. Metro is often criticized for lacking many of the “amenities” which are now common on other cities’ buses. For example, permanent shelters displaying clear route maps and real-time bus arrival information would make riding an unfamiliar route much easier. Re-loadable fare cards would eliminate the hassle of carrying exact change. Integration with Google Transit would make trip planning easier.

Fortunately, Metro is making progress on some fronts. A new communication system is in the works which will provide riders with real-time bus locations on their smart phones. New articulated buses are providing a much-needed increase in capacity for heavily-traveled routes. Improvements like these are being made as allowed by Metro’s tight budget and other grant sources.  But ideas for innovation at Metro are also coming from outside the organization.

Web designer Ian Monk came up with the idea for an iPhone app called Mobilizing Metro that makes it easier to find routes and nearby destinations.  The app would be able to pinpoint your current location and display what routes pass nearby.

Monk explains, “I distinctly remember a friend of mine, who lives right along the 17/18/19 route, thinking that the buses didn’t run on Sunday because he didn’t know when they came or where they went.”

In order to differentiate the app from similar ones, Monk decided to integrate several types of destinations into the interface.  “It can also filter them so that only destinations within a couple blocks of a chosen bus line show up,” he said.  That makes it easy to find restaurants, bars, post offices, or parks that are completely accessible by public transit, making car-free living much easier.

Monk developed a Flash-based version of the app while he was a Digital Design student at UC.  He recently entered his app into the Cincinnati Innovates competition with hopes to win funding to continue development.  If he receives one of the prizes, which range from $1,000 to $25,000, he hopes to enlist the help of another developer to create iPhone and Android versions of the app.

You can vote for the Mobilizing Metro app at Cincinnati Innovates to help Monk win one of the awards.

With advances like a mobile app, convenient fare cards, and improvements to stops, Metro will continue to attract more riders that have other transit options.  Since Metro will also operate the Cincinnati Streetcar, they have the opportunity to integrate buses and the streetcar into a seamless system.  And although we should continue to get on board with an expanded rail system, we should also make the most of the Metro system we currently have and encourage more Cincinnatians to get on the bus.

Categories
Development News Transportation

UC planning students create redevelopment plan for Dantas Barreto Corridor in Recife, Brazil

In an effort to prepare for the 2014 World Cup, Recife, Brazil is looking to redevelop its historic Dantas Barreto Corridor into a tourist-friendly, walkable, and culturally significant area. To accomplish this Recife city officials have looked to students from the University of Cincinnati’s nationally-acclaimed School of Planning.

After spending months in the port city in 2009, 13 students and faculty developed a detailed plan that would serve as a guide to redevelop the corridor. As preparation efforts ramp up, city officials now appear poised to formally adopt the UC redevelopment plan.

“There is a move by the city to officially adopt the UC plan, and the city and UC are now in negotiations with the hope that the UC School of Planning can continue in an advising role as the plan is adopted and them implemented,” said Michael Romanos, Professor of Planning, University of Cincinnati.

The redevelopment plan calls for burial of utilities, business improvement loans, community policing strategies complimented by two small police stations, pedestrian cultural tours, establishment of a small business incubator, galleries to show and sell work of local artists, “major” reconfiguration of traffic along the waterfront, streetscape improvements, composting and recycling programs, streets trees, green roofs, and entrepreneurship training among other things.

The improvements are geared towards improving the traffic and parking conditions, enhancing the cultural heritage, enhancing and diversifying business activities, and increasing residential development in the corridor.

Founded in the 1500s, Recife boasts a population of nearly four million residents and is facing many challenges as they prepare for the international sporting event four years from now. The work produced by University of Cincinnati students and faculty is being seen as a major benefit though as the city marches forward.

“The work with UC was one of the best collaborations we had in the past year,” said Milton Botler, Coordinator of Urban Planning, City of Recife. “The City hopes to receive Inter-American Bank funding to finance physical improvements of the Dantas Barreto Corridor between January 2011 and December 2012.”

Michael Romanos and Carla Chifos, Associate Professor of Planning, have led groups of student in international study and planning work in the past in other parts of the world including Thirasia, Greece where a team of students worked to develop a plan for the small Greek island as it manages tourism traffic on its largely uninhabited land.