ParkScore Results Are In, Atlanta Ranks 26th

Atlanta came in 26th out of 40 cities in the ParkScore review released recently. The scoring system used evaluates the parks located in the nation’s largest cities on areas like investments, accessibility, and percentage of acreage available. The city only earned two out of a possible five “park benches” in the review. Cities San Francisco, Sacramento, Boston, New York, and Washington scored the highest in the ParkScore review.

Highlights from the parks and recreations Atlanta review: 

    • 11 out of 40 for percentage of total city acreage devoted to parks
    • 18 out of 40 for services and investments, which evaluates how much money is invested in parks
       and services for Atlanta residents
    • 22 out of 40 for accessibility, which measures percentage of residents living within a ten-mile
      radius of a park
    • Atlanta’s official adjusted score was 42.5 out of 100 points

 San Francisco ranked the highest of all of the cities. 

    • 23 out of 40 for percentage of total city acreage devoted to parks
    • 26 out of 40 for services and investments
    • 40 out of 40 for accessibility
    • San Francisco’s official adjusted score was 74 out of 100 points

Fresno ranked lowest of all of the cities.

    • 11 out 40 for percentage of total city acreage devoted to parks
    • 7 out of 40 for services and investments
    • 8 out of 40 for accessibility
    • Fresno’s official adjusted score was 22 out 100 points

Atlanta officials and the Atlanta Beltline group are currently working together to expand the city’s green space by 40 percent.

To see more of the results of the review 
Read more on the Park Review 
More on the Atlanta Beltline Project

Five Ways for an Atlanta Restaurant to WOW Patrons

Every foodie has a favorite restaurant. The establishment usually becomes the favorite for one of several reasons. For some, it may be about the food. And for others, it may be about the service. Here are five things an Atlanta restaurant can do to WOW patrons.

Remember the patron. It’s always impressive when a waitress remembers the name of a patron. It’s even more impressive when the waitress remembers the little things like a favorite beverage.

Surprise the loyal customer with a random complimentary item. If the patron frequents your establishment often, comp an item occasionally as an act of gratitude.

Offer discounts to customers who request an item you’ve run out of. If your restaurant runs out of an item the customer requests, a discount on the overall check would be a welcomed surprise.

Ask for feedback. Ask a customer at the end of the meal what more can be done to make their dining experience better. Surveys are hard to get customers to complete. Instead of asking a customer, “Was everything fine?” ask what could be done to make the experience more enjoyable.

Serve the dish the way it looks on the menu. Patrons are rarely served a dish that looks exactly like the item on the menu or the commercial. No one wants to think, “That’s not how I pictured it,” or “This wasn’t what I quite expected.”

An Atlanta restaurant can WOW patrons by doing these little things. It only takes something “extra” to get free word-of-mouth advertising. Performing little surprising actions like these for patrons is one way to build customer loyalty.

Atlanta Falcons Negotiating to Replace Existing Georgia Dome

The 20-year-old Georgia Dome may be torn down if the Atlanta Falcons have their way.  Currently, the team is negotiating a $947.7 million new sports stadium, which will feature a retractable roof. 

The original proposed open-air stadium carried a price tag of $700 million, but the Atlanta Falcons preferred a different type of venue.  If the Atlanta sports team gets their way, the Georgia Dome would be demolished, and the new stadium would built from the ground up.

So far, $300 million in funding will be contributed to the construction efforts by the state and the City of Atlanta.  If a deal is finalized soon for the Georgia Dome project, construction on the new stadium could begin as soon as 2014.

Read more on Atlanta Sports & Leisure and the proposed new Atlanta stadium

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Ranked Poorly on Survey

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport may be the busiest airport in the world, but it was ranked as the 10^th worst airport by readers on a recent Travel & Leisure survey.  Readers evaluated their airport experience by scoring several different areas.  

Readers were asked to score each airport on:

·         Flight delays

·         Design

·         Amenities

·         Food

·         Drink

·         Check-in and security

·         Service

·         Transportation

·         Location

New York’s La Guardia Airport took home top honors as America’s worst airport.  Los Angeles’ LAX airport placed second on the “worst airport” list.  And readers ranked Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson poorly for long lines for check-in and security, Wi-Fi accessibility, baggage handling, kid amenities, customer service and location.  

Read more on the Atlanta travel and the “worst airport” list

Photo credit: GCVB

Atlanta Job Report Released for February 2012: Leisure & Hospitality

According to a recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hospitality sector showed job growth in February 2012.  The data shows 12,954 employees on payroll for February of 2012 in the leisure and hospitality sector, up 128 employees from January.  In February 2011, there were 12,614 payroll employees in travel and leisure.

Overall, the Atlanta hospitality community suffered a decline in the number of jobs since the beginning of the recession, losing a total of 14,700 jobs.  The report shows that Atlanta hospitality remained fairly consistent, showing a decline of -0.4 from February 2011 to February 2012.  From January to February of this year, a total of 2.1 payroll employees were added.

Read more on the Atlanta hospitality data from Bureau of Labor & Statistics

Niles Harris of the Atlanta Hospitality Community Honored at the Trumpet Awards

 

The Trumpet Awards Foundation recently honored Niles Harris, the General Manager of Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, as the “Power at the Front Door” recipient.  He was recognized for outstanding achievement in the hotel industry.  Harris of the Atlanta hospitality community was chosen from a select group of nominees.

The “Power at the Front Door” honoree said of the accomplishment, "The award has such great significance because it recognizes the enormous progress that's been made in the hotel industry and in our country relative to inclusion and opportunity.  I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Ms. Xernona Clayton and the Trumpet Award Foundation for recognizing me." 

At the 20^th Anniversary of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, African Americans were recognized across various industries for outstanding achievement.  

Alpharetta "Avalon" Project Given the Green Light

Earlier this week, North American Properties was given the green light to proceed with the $600 million “Avalon” mixed-use facility in Alpharetta, GA.  The Atlanta hospitality project is slated to begin later this year.  The 87-acre center will house a combination of high-end retail, residential and commercial properties.  Celebrated as the first mixed-use project of its kind in the Southeast, the “Avalon” was designed with the goal of creating a more engaging, inviting experience for patrons.  

Project highlights:

•  559,000 square feet (shops, restaurants, specialty grocery chains)
• 14-screen movie theater
• 300-room full service hotel
• 175-room boutique hotel
• Two 200,000 square-foot buildings
• 85,000 square feet of office loft space 
• 5,000-square-foot banking facility
• Public space to be devoted to specialized programming

The “Avalon” Community …

The “Avalon” Atlanta hospitality project will also include residential housing.  There will be 250 luxury rental residential units owned, leased and operated by property NAP.  Monte Hewett Homes will oversee the townhome construction component of the project.  The company will build 132 townhomes and single-family units in the “Avalon”.  The “Avalon” community will include a pool, clubroom and a playground for Alpharetta families.  

The project is expected to open in October of 2013. 

  

Read more on the Alpharetta Avalon project