The Tourism Infrastructure: Restaurants and Bars

From an Economic Developer’s point of view, Restaurants and bars are, without a doubt, the single most important attraction for tourism. Some may argue that hotels are more important, but I disagree. I mean, I agree that they’re important, but not as an attraction. Lodging is an amenity, not an attraction.

Let’s face it, if people are going to travel somewhere, they will eventually need to eat. So, a good variety of establishments is the cornerstone of any tourism program. It serves both as a necessity for nourishment and as a shining example of cultural identity and sense of place.

The pursuit of food by humans includes such a huge variety of physical, mental, emotional, social, historic, economic, cultural, and even spiritual aspects that there is no way to list them all. There are tourists who are interested in all aspects of the food itself, including locating and purchasing ingredients, preparation, preservation, presentation, consumption and clean-up.

Food serves as an attraction, setting, and centerpiece for tourists. Think about regional food and how it becomes associated – and, in many cases, synonymous – with the area where it is popular. When you hear about Cajun shrimp, gumbo and jambalaya, chances are great that you automatically think about Louisiana. When you hear about Fajitas and salsa, you probably picture the southwest. When someone mentions grits, you think about the south. Lobster Rolls? Maine. When people travel, they want the whole experience of the visited culture. The sights, the sounds and the tastes.

The preparation, consumption, and even the viewing of a foreign dish can provide a sense of place for the tourist. Food has the ability of telling the story of people and region, including history, religion, artistic traditions, customs and socio-economic conditions. It serves as a vehicle in which the visitor can experience and understand another culture on a very personal level.

If consuming food is a way for many people to experience the local culture, then consuming a beer or a cocktail with the local people is another.

Local bars and pubs provide great insight into the living culture in the area. Normally, when visiting another place, the tourism isn’t afforded the opportunity to hang out with the local doctors, lawyers, plumbers, auto mechanics, lumberjacks, fishermen, or other citizens during their day at work. Likewise, the tourist isn’t normally invited to the homes of these local citizens either. But, a local bar or tavern serves as the great equalizer. Locals and tourists are generally welcome to come in, hang out, throw darts, shoot pool, watch a game on TV and unwind.

Do not underestimate this power. Business and leisure travelers seek this experience out. It is important.

Our Continued Journey into the Heart of California’s Central Coast

Pismo Beach, Classic California

From Paso Robles, we headed south, passing towns with names like Templeton, Atascadero, Santa Margarita, and San Luis Obispo. Three o’clock in the afternoon and we finally got our first view of the Pacific Ocean with traffic was backed up for about a mile as we tried to exit highway 101 into Pismo Beach. It was Friday and the weekend tourists were already swarming into the area for a long weekend. License plate frames with dealership names like Nissan of Clovis, Fresno Chrysler Jeep, Selma Auto Mall, Bakersfield Auto Plaza, and Madera Ford made it pretty clear that the citizens of the San Joaquin Valley were escaping the 107 degree heat for the cool coastal breeze of the central coast.

When land-locked Americans imagine a beach city, this is what they think of. Pismo Beach. The name just sound cool. So Pacific Coast. So California. It’s the kind of place where you can always spot a couple of guys walking down the street with surfboards, pretty girls in bikinis, and people of all ages cruising around in convertibles and on bikes.

The City of Pismo Beach has been around since 1891 but was not incorporated until 1946. It’s located mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco and has a population of less than 10,000 people. It’s a recreation and tourism-oriented town with restaurants, hotels and motels on every corner.

It’s kind of nice when you have businesses that depend on your business. They tend to appreciate you and treat you really good. They understand the value of you, as a customer.

There is plenty to do in Pismo so visitors don’t have to look far to find an activity that suits them. Besides relaxing on the beach and playing in the ocean, there’s golfing, bicycling, a Monarch Butterfly Grove to explore, tennis, horseback riding, scuba diving, bowling, hiking, miles and miles of miles of rugged dunes that are perfect for four-wheeling or ATV riding, horseback riding, surfing, body boarding, exploring tide pools, coves, and caves. First timers to the area must check out the 1200-foot Pismo Pier for sightseeing, fishing or just taking a stroll and watching the sunset as it was meant to be seen.

Pismo Beach also hosts a variety of special events throughout the year including a 4th of July Fireworks Show, Car Show, the Jubilee-by-the-Sea Dixieland Jazz Festival, and the Pismo Beach Clam Festival…Yep, I said “clam.” Pismo is the "Clam Capital" of California and they hold a "Clam Festival" every October, complete with clam chowder competitions and a clam-themed parade. At the southern end of Price Street upon first entering Pismo Beach, a gigantic concrete clam statue greets visitors. Ironically, however, clamming is restricted, due to over-harvesting by people and sea otters.

On Friday evening, we ate at Zorro's Cafe & Cantina, a great little Mexican restaurant in Shell Beach. The place is fantastic. Jaci and I both had Shrimp and Crab Enchiladas served with their special white cream sauce. Delicious! But, I can’t praise the place based only on the food. The “sense of place” associated with Zorro’s is strong. First, the restaurant has two choices for seating. Inside, or on the patio. We chose the patio. It’s situated right next to the sidewalk on Shell Beach Drive, the main street that runs through the community. It’s attractive to people driving by and fun for the diners. The restaurant owners have a cool little gimmick: as the sun starts going down, and the temperature starts to drop, they offer Mexican blankets to their guests. Neat touch.

On Saturday, we had lunch at Steamers. Always good. We both had Clam Chowder and split a Crab Melt sandwich. I am not kidding when I say it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in my life!

Here’s the deal with Steamers. Overall, it’s a good restaurant with a good staff, good service, good bar, good menu selections, good prices and a great view. It sits atop of a cliff and overlooks the beach and ocean. Other than that, there’s really nothing special about it. While there are certain restaurants that serve as the catalyst for particular trips, this is not one of them. However, we usually have lunch there if we happen to be in the area for a few days and have nothing else planned. It’s not that there’s anything bad about it, it just doesn’t have anything super special about it either. Maybe it’s the atmosphere. It has all the ambiance of a national parks cafeteria… With all that said, that Crab Melt may drive me back sooner than later!

For dinner that same day, we went to the Cracked Crab. This place is a hole in the wall located in Downtown Pismo, but it’s got HUGE character. Their gimmick is that they serve you shell fish in a bucket and give you a mallet. You dump the fish out on the table (which is protected with clean butcher paper) and use your mallet to crack open your crab. It’s messy, fun and delicious!

After dinner, we strolled around and hit a couple of local bars. The whole town was busy! People everywhere enjoying everything Pismo has to offer. We ran into so many people from the Central Valley that we started wondering if the locals even bothered going out on the weekend.

By Sunday afternoon, it was time to say goodbye to the paradise of the central coast and head home. And, while trip seemed too short, we took some solace in knowing that all of this is less than three hours from our house.

For more information on Pismo Beach, visit: www.classiccalifornia.com/history.htm