BUYERS OF ERNIE’S RESTAURANT PROPOSE PARKLET IDEA

  

Downtown Brenham will soon have a new restaurant with outdoor seating.

Tami Redshaw and Edward Smith III have purchased the former “Ernie’s Restaurant” on Baylor Street and plan to open their own restaurant called “96 West”.  Redshaw is the original owner of Brenham’s BT Longhorn Saloon, and currently co-owns Ranch Antiques on Commerce Street.  Smith operates “The Citadel”, the former Brenham Country Club on Highway 290 East, and "291 Ice House" in Chappell Hill.

Redshaw and Smith are hoping to have downtown Brenham’s first “parklet” in front of their restaurant when it opens in about a month.  At Thursday’s City Council meeting, council members received the idea of a parklet favorably after a long period of discussion.  A parklet takes the place of three parking spaces in front of a business, which are converted into an attractive seating area for customers or the public.  Cost of designing and constructing the parklet is the responsibility of the business owner, and is estimated to be between 15 and 20 thousand dollars.  The tables and chairs could then be used by the business during serving hours, and the general public the remainder of the time.

Smith told the council that the idea, which originated in San Francisco, is designed to slow down foot traffic so people can rest a bit before going back into shops they want to visit.  As for the impact of losing three parking spaces in front of his business, Smith said that half of the spaces in the public lots on Commerce and Vulcan streets were empty during the lunch hour Thursday.  He said educating business owners, employees and others in the downtown area to park in the public lots and leave the other spaces open for customers would go a long way toward solving the parking situation.

Mayor Milton Tate directed City staff to work quickly writing an ordinance to cover the licensing of parklets to businesses downtown, including a limit on the number that would be allowed in one area.  Because Alamo and Main Streets are state highways, parklets could not be built along those streets.

Redshaw says it has always been her dream to open a restaurant with outdoor seating in Brenham, where customers can enjoy a glass of wine or beer with lunch or dinner.