Private Businesses as Waystops

Wanted to see if I can get a sense of what current thinking is on this because my review queue at this time of year is flooded with submissions from the Outer Banks that seem to me like generic, tourist-trap type restaurants, ice cream parlors, surf shops, etc. They are rarely(if ever) a chain, they just don't seem like anything special to me. Invariably, the description and/or supporting text claims that it's been around for X number of years, blah blah blah and that kind of thing is difficult/impossible to verify. I would probably approve a tackle shop because they're associated with outdoor recreation, almost always verifiably of long history/provenance, and I think are legitimate community centers in these communities, but I never get those kinds of nominations, lol.


The restaurants and ice cream parlors may seem more special if you're on vacation at the beach, especially if it's your first time at the ocean. To me, they don't seem like anything special. Just wondering if I'm applying the criteria correctly because I've been downvoting these types of submissions.

Comments

  • PkmnTrainerJ-INGPkmnTrainerJ-ING Posts: 5,125 Ambassador

    It used to be that “Generic Business” was reject.

    Now businesses can be eligible but also need to meet the acceptance criteria of;

    • A great place to be social with others
    • A great place for exploration
    • A great place for exercise

    If you don’t think it meets any one of those, then reject.

  • BayibNukele-PGOBayibNukele-PGO Posts: 28 ✭✭

    I would say that virtually any restaurant would meet the first criterion, almost by definition.

  • PkmnTrainerJ-INGPkmnTrainerJ-ING Posts: 5,125 Ambassador

    You do need to still “sell it”, as there will be a bunch of restaurants in the area. So what makes this one a particular point of interest? Special dishes, awards and the like.

  • BayibNukele-PGOBayibNukele-PGO Posts: 28 ✭✭

    Good point. The ones that I am seeing generally do not demonstrate that, so I will probably keep rejecting. The biggest reason why I have been doing that was the thought expressed above, that if Generic Tourist Trap X qualifies, then literally every restaurant does.


    The best counter-example I can think of for this area(i.e. one that I'd approve without hesitation) would be a barbecue restaurant that still cooks over wood or charcoal, which is a dying art. That's really unique and worthy of a wayspot.

  • JillJilyJabadoo-PGOJillJilyJabadoo-PGO Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭✭✭

    While any restaurant might be "a place to be social", the criteria is "a *great* place to be social". Restaurants are more likely to stand out as a great place to explore, imho. Your example of the charcoal pit restaurant would be an interesting place to explore, for instance.

    Either way, as a submitter you would want to make your argument with links or references to articles and awards supporting their popularity or interesting features beyond just writing something like "very popular" or "everyone loves it".

  • BayibNukele-PGOBayibNukele-PGO Posts: 28 ✭✭

    Interesting point, I would not have thought of a restaurant as a place to explore. Sometimes they are at the end(or mid) point of an exploration, although where I am at that would often be by car.

  • X0bai-PGOX0bai-PGO Posts: 1,667 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yeah, I get these same types of nominations from the woods and lakeside resorts of the upper Midwest. I commonly reject restaurant nominations because they clearly don’t meet a typical restaurant standard, but I see from other nominations in the area that a lot of them get approved.

  • Cowyn2016-PGOCowyn2016-PGO Posts: 597 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Ice Ceam parlors tend to pass through easily in my area. I tend to pass it off as combination of lines outside + sports teams all gathering after a game. Sort of hard to deny they are a great place to gather then 30+ people in same uniform all show up :>

    Restaurants are a lot tougher to get in. What makes that restaurant special vs others. Either as a Gather/Explore.


    It's also a question of quantity. When I type Ice Cream Parlor into google maps I get far far less non-chain results then when I type in restaurant.

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