Morro Bay businesses have a chance to weigh in on what can be done to attract more people to town outside of peak travel season.
The City of Morro Bay and the Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to listen to the needs of the business community and explore some possible solutions.
“What I want is the Champs-Elysees in Paris in Morro Bay so that whole avenue is so well lit and it looks attractive and welcoming,” said Ken MacMillan, owner of DiStasio’s on the Bay Restaurant.
MacMillan says lighting up Morro Bay Boulevard and bringing more activities to the downtown area are at the top of his list.
“We have one or two activities a year, Art in the Park, they call it and it's up here and it just floods the downtown area with business,” MacMillan explained.
The roughly 200 businesses in the downtown and waterfront areas are encouraged to take a five-minute, seven-question survey. This includes owners, managers, and employees.
“I think the goal is probably just to get as much participation and feedback from our local business community as we can,” said Erica Crawford, Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce President/CEO.
It’s the first survey of its kind in recent years to understand what businesses need long-term to be successful.
“We're really kind of open-minded to just hear what they think would help improve the atmosphere for visitors in the downtown and waterfront,” said Scott Collins, Morro Bay City Manager.
The survey is open until Sunday, April 10 and the results will be shared soon after.
A Business Improvement District, like Downtown SLO in San Luis Obispo, may be a possible solution if the survey shows enough support for it.
It was estimated back in 2019 that roughly 800,000 people visit Morro Bay each.
Click here to access the survey.
