Allentown's Renaissance is seeing the loss of another local business, A-Treat, with
97 jobs. Corporate welfare, in the form of LERTAs, TIFs, KOZs, CRIZs and NIZs, are handed out like candy to developers like J.B. Reilly. After all, they are known for their hefty campaign contributions. But a business that simply tries to deliver an inexpensive product is ignored.
This business is located in State Rep. Michael Schlossberg's district. Maybe he can let company representatives
attend his blogging boot camp for free.
Updated 8:10 am: :Michael Molovinsky's Allentown's
Make Believe Economy is a sobering dose of reality that casts a spotlight on the faux Renaissance.
25 comments:
Schlossberg is not a blogger, he's an accumulation of gas in the stomach.
Do you think a tax break would save A-Treat?
Actually, No. It was hit hard by OSHA. The government giveth, and the government taketh away. I am generally opposed to many of these gimmicks, which create artificial playing surfaces for people who pretend they are capitalists.
You do have an excellent point. If A treat would have relocated to 7th and Hamilton and built an unneeded 20 story office building, they would still be around. I bet you could not buy a bottle of A treat at the hockey center. Great supportive community!
From what I've read, they were looking at fines totaling roughly $200,000.
Hopefully, someone will purchase the brand and its formulas, even if the product gets re-introduced sometime well into the future.
Bernie, does your legal background allow you to determine if the OSHA fines carryover to any new buyer? The fines could be a big deterrent.
Fred Windish
The key to survival would have been contracting out the bottling operation and building the company as a marketing and/or distribution operation. Someone else could have worried about the manufacturing rules. The marketing operation could have taken on or resurrected other dead brands. All that could have been accomplished with assistance from the governor's office with local officials. Money would have easily flowed into such an endeavor. But creativity in Allentown is limited to certain sections of the community. Why? Who knows?
First Twinkies now A-Treat how can you expect to eat healthy!
Can't blame the union there is none so blame the KRIS or OSHA. How about blaming the owners who ran it into the ground.
I'll miss seeing the dozens of cans/bottles of A-Treat Pineapple that are always littered across downtown Allentown.
"I bet you could not buy a bottle of A treat at the hockey center"
Ha! A local product at the PPL Center? Don't make me laugh. No Greens Ice Cream, no A-Treat soda, no Berks hot dogs. $4 Phantom Dogs are totally gross, probably shipped in from out of the country. You might be able to get Yuengling beer, I'm not sure.
As soda goes, you can only by coke products at $4.00 for a 16 oz bottle. They even search your bags and purses to make sure no one sneaks in an outside beer or soda! Thank goodness the movie theaters are doing this yet!
You can get Yeungling and (even better) Fegley's beers at PPL. Also Weyerbacher. So yes you can get a local product at PPL.
The prices at the arena are right in line with other, similar venues.
A-Treat has been hanging on by a thread for years, and it's hardly the NIZ that is to blame. It is a sad story, to be sure, but find another boogyman.
Monkey Momma, If a $4 hot dog and $4 small soda is in line with prices at similar venues, it is not in line with what is paid in the LV outside those venues or at other sporting events.
Fred, I doubt a buyer can be held responsible.
I am sorry to see A-Treat to leave. It is such a shame that a small company seems like it has no chance to compete with large companies. And Monkey Momma, you are crazy if you think the prices at the PPL Center are in line with other venues. The center is overpriced and was touted as Allentown's savior. Not so Much!
Love the PPL cneter. Are the prices high? Of course. Go to Coke a cola Park and the prices are too high as well. Go to any of the new restaurants in Bethlehem, Allentown or Easton check out those process. Stop bitching. It is all part of the deal. Don't like it don't go.
Sit in your house with your teabag festooned hat and watch Hannity bad mouth Obama all day.
Well, all I can say is that I didn't find the concessions more expensive than at other concerts I've attended. I'm comparing it to the Wells Fargo Center in Philly, or the Liacourse center at Temple, or the Mann, or the TLA or Electric Factory. (All in Philly.) It's even more expensive at Madison Square Garden or the Beacon in NYC. Food at the Artsquest center is about this price, too.
I know it's expensive and ridiculous, but they do the same price gouging at movie theatres, too. It's just really expensive to go out! So, I do not fault PPL for these prices. It's no house of the holy there - it's certainly no savior and don't get me started on the politics of the place. But as a concert venue, it rules. You've been there for an event, right, Bernie? I loved it. What have you seen there and what did you think?
Monkey Momma, I have not been there. It's probably petty on my part, but I have no intention of ever going there.
He can fix a drivers license issue though almost like the ticket taker fixing a ticket and sell beer and her french fries downtown¿
redd
patent pending
Bernie,
I forgot to mention, were is the koolaid or buggjuice to most natives we were all promised and now to have our favorite veriaty softdrink soda closing there doors too¿
redd
patent pending
OSHA fine? So we to allow businesses to operate unsafely? OK. I got the impression you wanted them to get tax breaks like the NIZ.
Monkey Momma, If a $4 hot dog and $4 small soda is in line with prices at similar venues, it is not in line with what is paid in the LV outside those venues or at other sporting events.
No shit. I guess you never went to a professional sports venue before? My god man.
Not frequently, Not all of us are one per centers. It is no fun to go to a professional sports event unless I can take a bunch of kids. So it is an expensive and very rare proposition. A $4 hot dog is obscene, as is a $4 drink.
Whenever you go to any sporting event at the pro level you should eat first. If you decide to eat and drink at the venue you will pay through the ass. That is a given. Have some of you lived under rocks for years.
Just because people may enjoy watching hockey or baseball doesn't mean they don't realize the concession prices are obscene. It is a joke. Go to Philly or NY to watch a pro sports event. You need a second mortgage just to buy a beer.
Like the commenter said it is no different than movies. A soda and popcorn will run you ten bucks or more.
Stuff yourself on cheap food and beer and then go. The bonus is you can crap in their toilets so you don't clog yours.
And that I do.
anon 3:44 Classic, good job!
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