CRISFIELD, MD - The city of Crisfield wants to attract more tourists by expanding its restaurant scene.
The Greater Crisfield Action Coalition is a Community Development Corporation that promotes economic development in the city. The board met with restaurant owners in September to learn more about the challenges of currently operating an eatery in Crisfield.
The Greater Crisfield Action Coalition President Frances Martinez Myers said the city cannot afford to lose any more restaurants if it hopes to grow its reputation as a destination on the Chesapeake Bay.
"It is difficult in a small town that is not yet attracting the kind of tourism that it's capable of attracting,” Martinez Myers said.
Many restaurants only operate in the Summer, when visitors to nearby Smith Island and Tangier Island draw diners. Water’s Edge Cafe owner Danny Nelson said he, too, considers closing in the winter each year and has historically lost money during the off-season.
“Any more restaurants would be detrimental,” Nelson said. “What we need to do is bring more tourism, more people to Crisfield and then the restaurants will naturally flow instead of trying to push it."
Nelson said the number of diners is already so slim that more competition could have a major impact on their ability to continue.
Somerset County Recreation, Parks and Tourism Director Clint Sterling also attended the meetings.
"If the existing businesses are able to be strong, then that would be attractive to potential,” Sterling said of the need to support the success of the restaurants already in Crisfield.
Since September, three restaurants have closed for the winter, and two others have permanently closed.
Martinez Myers said the effort is not just about bringing more dining options to the area, but also about filling gaps in the city’s current offerings, such as a lack of establishments serving alcohol.
“People will ask for things like, well, where can I sit and have a cocktail and watch the sunset?” she said. “A common desire anywhere in the world you go, if you know they have beautiful sunsets, you want to have a cocktail and watch the sunset.”
The Greater Crisfield Action Coalition wants to continue meeting with business owners to identify the challenges they face and how it can better support their success.
Events like the Big Little Townfest are annual draws for Somerset County. Nelson said partnering with local restaurants during annual events would give them exposure and opportunity for particularly profitable days.
“If we bring events like that and don't invite a bunch of food trucks,” Nelson said of dining options at events in the past. “It kind of takes away from the brick-and-mortar businesses that are here.“
