Businesses in White Rock

White Rock's first priority should be better water. We haul gallon jugs back from visiting Nanaimo. It is delicious and not horribly hard like ours. The precipitants that come out of our taps have ruined so many things: steam irons, marble vanity tops, steam floor cleaners, etc. I have to scrub the scum off my stainless steel pots each time I use them. I have never lived anywhere with harder water!

Secondly, we have to stop this drive to be the drug capitol of BC! I live on George Street and my whole neighborhood is pubs, marijuana shops, vape shops, bars and so called "convenience stores" that only sell drug paraphenalia. We will never get businesses like hardware shops, toy shops, book shops that we lack because of the over-representation of the drug business. It has ruined "downtown" White Rock.

There is a heavy focus on restaurants, however there are not enough customers to fill all of the restaurants in the uptown area and the Marine Drive area, particularly not all year long. There are more restaurants now in South Surrey that compete for business too, often in newer buildings. There used to be some retail on the beach, however over the years most of it is gone. The rent is too high, people have to find parking, online shopping has taken over much of the retail, and retail has to consider theft/vandalism etc. Not currently a shopping destination. Seems to be adequate nail and hair salons currently. Bakeries and convenience markets on the beach have failed. What is left that is financially viable and adds to tax base? Medical, health and fitness services? Financial services? Government services? What" businesses people would like to see" is interesting but does not mean that they will be financially viable. A history of what has opened and closed in locations may help.

I would love to see FEWER vap shops and pot shops so the community doesn't stink like pot and to encourage a more healthy community. Less nail salons. I would like to see more diversity with restaurants. There are too many East Indian restaurants. I miss Deals, the butcher shop, the antique stores and the fabric store that we used to have on Johnston Street. We need some shoe stores. Classy places for adults to go and have a quiet glass of wine and food (maybe a piano player) where you can enjoy an adult evening (not a Chucky Cheese atmosphere).

We certainly need more diversity. It seems along the beach, we are overrun with Indian restaurants. Perhaps having a nightclub, variety of restaurants……..that, and clean up the city. 152 and Marine are ok, but the rest of the city is gross. Opening up ppl to complain about unkept yards, etc. would go a long way. That, and city staff actually keeping vegetation alive and garbage/feces/glass picked up would make ppl want to be here.

Absolutely need hotels, boutique hotel, more places to stay for tourists. It's very noticeable that there is only one rather dated hotel at the east end of the promenade. I am suggesting that council conduct in depth research on what makes seasonal seaside communities thrive. It is extremely challenging given that visitors come during summer months, but if you do not have nice places to say along the seaside, there is no likelihood that any business will do well in this community. Please get more places to stay, for all levels of spending.

When the pier is rebuilt, it would be great to have a business at the end- a cafe, coffee shop, ice cream. A take out and enjoy type of establishment. There are more than enough 'vape shops' 'convenience stores' and restaurants. Permit process needs to be expedited to encourage small businesses to be viable. It appears that 12-18 months' causes financial burdens to small businesses and they can't make it up once opened.

More variety of places to eat like Din Tai Fung and Bin 101. More live music or theatre. Definitely an indoor and outdoor swimming pool-Sunnyside is always so crowded. And access to sauna and cold plunge (which some towns are putting saunas at the beach so you can cold plunge in ocean and then go to the sauna). I would love the waterfront restored to look more like Lynden's historic area or like Laconner.

I would love to have a Gluten free bakery in the city I call home. Also, a butcher would be welcome.

With the rebuild of the pier, I’d love to see us rethink Marine Drive entirely. Those parking lots are sitting on PRIME, valuable oceanfront real estate when they could be a vibrant, walkable destination.

Think Ocean City, MD-style boardwalk: move parking elsewhere, make Marine Drive pedestrian-friendly, and invite pedal bikes, little cabs, social seating, benches, ice cream shops, touristy stores, a variety of restaurants and patios.

Why put cars in the best views? And honestly, no one wants to sit on a beautiful waterfront patio breathing in exhaust from loud, obnoxious cars.

Let’s make Marine Drive a destination, not just a place to drive through. Revitalize the waterfront!

We definitely need an anchor chain restaurant or cafe or store that can bring families to white rock,and if we have a better mix of smaller restaurants, boutiques, service providers, these people will filter over to these other places. We lack restaurant variety.I’m indian and I’m saying there are too many Indian restaurants on the strip yet none of them have patrons. How are they affording to keep running? We have one too many ice cream shops that also are not lined up other than Ricardo and Maya.We do not need any more vape shops. It seems as though council is okay with any business willing to pay its permit and taxes, but are they looking at the viability of the business for the long run and question whether this business will bring people to White Rock who will visit again and spend money at other White Rock businesses? Please take a look at how City of North Vancouver is reviving lower lonsdale area with The Lonsdale Great Street Plan. Ex. They have restaurants ppl line up for

Market that sells fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and staples for the pantry.
Italian Restaurant
Tapas/Wine Bar/Piano Bar
Pharmacy
Craft Studio that offers classes
Nice Boutiques

Small passenger ferry service to Vancouver.
Better use of the waterfront for events and healthy activities
More naturalist/ environmental businesses
An arts and culture district, so many local artists who are so talented.

I would love to see a restaurant or even just a coffee/hot chocolate stand at the end of the Pier! Would be so popular. Also please either find businesses or restaurants for all the closed down restaurants like The Pearl or Giraffe! They’ve been empty for years at this point. A pub would be fun in The Pearl location. It was a great little place.

Please find a big chain restaurant with main stream food to replace the Boathouse like Earls or Cactus. No more Indian restaurants or food. We have more than enough. Italian food would be good

The strip needs a whole clean up and makeover. It’s a bit run down. WR is a tourist attraction and locals come too. It needs to be spruced up.

Parking should be cheaper for SS/WR residents

Variety is what is needed. White Rock seems to be have many of the same kinds of businesses. We need choice and variety of shops, services and restaurants.

I live a 20-minute walk from the beachfront, yet I have stopped coming down as often because I no longer feel I belong there. It increasingly feels like an exclusive, monocultural space rather than a community that welcomes everyone. Even as an immigrant of South Asian heritage, I find the concentration of Indian restaurants excessive. Restaurant after restaurant offering the same cuisine, often with loud Indian music spilling into the street, can make the area feel primarily for one culture. Diversity means making room for different cultures, cuisines and businesses, not continually adding more of the same. I would like the City to court independent bookstores and cafés, galleries, artisan shops, cultural venues and restaurants representing many cultures. Fort Langley, Sidney and Steveston show how small communities can combine independent businesses, culture, heritage and waterfront activities. White Rock has the same potential, plus our beachfront.

While we support local businesses always, would be good to have some brands like Cactus Club or Tim Hortons.

Also a better mix - for example right now too many Indian Cusines and Vape shops have opened up off late. A mix of all cuisines - Italian / Indian / Chinese / Continental etc is the best for the community and the business.

On the strip a variety of restaurants and small shops.

I’d love to see a greater variety of restaurants and dining options that reflect a broader range of cuisines and appeal to the diverse community as a whole. It feels like there is currently a lot of focus on similar types of restaurants, and I think more variety would be a great addition.
I’d also really like to see more attention given to the overall appearance and upkeep of the area. Some of the buildings are starting to look run down, landscaping isn’t being maintained as well as it could be, and the area generally feels like it has declined over the past few years. It’s sad to see, and I’d love to see more effort put into beautification, maintenance, and making the community feel welcoming and well cared for again. Id also like to see it be more dog friendly. Free parking might bring more into the area to.

White Rock desperately needs a fabric store, or possibly a crafts store that also sells fabrics.

Please - we have enough Indian restaurants in the waterfront. Bring in more variation please. We could also use a gas station on 16th in White Rock please