Village needs a daily draw

What's Brewing SUSAN THURSTON E-mail: Click here

Meet Evelisse Quiles.

The owners of Old Hyde Park Village should cheer her name, though I doubt they even know her.

Last Saturday, she and a friend did the whole village experience during the second annual Samba in the Streets.

They ate lunch at the Samba Room, danced the flamenco, then lounged by the fountain with bags of goodies bought (admittedly on sale) from Pottery Barn and Storehouse.

Ahhh, they cooed under the warm sun. This beats a regular mall any day.

The young women are exactly the kind of shoppers the village wants to attract. Stylish, discriminating and ready to spend.

If only there were more.

On my place-to-go scale, the village is more of a pit stop than a daylong destination. Special events like Samba Day add to its appeal but don't last forever.

When you look at Tampa's shopping scene, the village offers a few perks other places don't. It's scenic, pet-friendly and has some unique shops. Many people can walk to it from homes, unlike car-centric International Plaza or WestShore Plaza.

What's lacking? The daily draw. People don't buy Lladros or $2,800 paintings on a regular basis. They buy magazines and dollar loaves of bread.

To win over the masses, the village needs a broader mix of tenants who cater to a broader mix of customers. Give me variety or give me boredom.

I shed no tear over the loss of Jacobson's or the Cactus Club. (I did for Banana Republic and its big sale racks.)

Jacobson's concept went flat nationwide and did nothing to make the village the "place to be." The Cactus Club, though once a hot spot, had lost its luster. The service was slow, and the food mediocre.

I seriously tried to like it. Tampa is pretty lean in the burrito market and, until recently, had few outdoor cafes. I could have been a regular.

Instead, I scratched it off my list after a friend had to ask our waiter to identify the contents of a meal. It didn't look or taste like what she ordered.

The prospect of the theaters pulling up stakes also causes me no grief. Tampa has dozens of movie screens, and they're all nicer and newer. For $8, I want stadium seating.

The theater's pending departure gives the village an opportunity to liven up the north side of the shopping center, sorely underused. A gourmet grocery story would be great. So would a book store or a cheap and tasty restaurant. (Yes, you can have both.)

Can the village make it happen?

Management made some headway with the recent addition of Lifestyle Family Fitness and super-hip MaxwellMack, but I'm not sure the newcomers fit the bill. Who buys a new couch after sweating on a treadmill? And how many $350 skirts can one working girl afford?

Village managers would do well to consider Winter Park outside Orlando. It's got the look and feel of Hyde Park, and many of the same stores. It's also got a buzz.

Where Winter Park excels is in its variety of shops and restaurants. Yes, you can buy the crystal vases and one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork, but you can also buy toe rings, used CDs and a $6 lunch.

You go there for an afternoon, not an hour.

With or without Samba in the Streets.

-- Susan Thurston can be reached at 226-3394 or thurston@sptimes.com .

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