The boarded-up McDonald’s on Crouse and Marshall streets will be seeing new life in a month or so, with two new restaurants for students to choose from.

Quiznos and Fajita Grill will be added to the Marshall Street lineup, taking the place of the old McDonald’s, which shut down about a year ago.

‘This will continue to bring more people to the Hill,’ said Jerry Dellas, president of the Crouse-Marshall Business Association. ‘These things tend to go up pretty fast.’

William Simmons, councilor of district five, which covers the Marshall Street area, said the planning council gave approval for these two new establishments for three reasons.

‘We felt that these were properties that would bring in vital property taxes, they are businesses with no alcohol and they bring a variety of restaurants,’ Simmons said. ‘And we want some type of restaurant opposed to a boarded-up facility.’

Simmons said the addition of these businesses is connected to the recent renovations to the Marshall Street area which were completed in August 2001 and included an improved parking plan and more attractive street layout.

The improvements came after local proprietors, such as Syracuse University, the Sheraton Inn, and local hospitals, agreed to pay for street renovations beyond the city’s capabilities in the Marshall Street business improvement district. Grant money was also received from Rep. James Walsh (R-Syracuse), Simmons said.

‘Syracuse University, with its student population, is always a strong area to do business,’ he said. But with Marshall Street’s upgraded look, Simmons said the area is ‘that much more competitive.’

Dellas said these two new establishments, along with Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shop, which will move near the South Crouse Avenue and Marshall Street intersections, will draw more interest to the area because food seems to do the best business near the university. He also said he’d like to see more diversification – in both product and company – in the area in the future.

Most local owners were confident that the two new establishments would not hurt their business.

Likewise, Teri Sweeney, an owner of Baja Burrito, said she doesn’t think her business will be hurt either, despite the fact that Fajita Grill will serve similar food.

‘We’re pretty unique with our burritos,’ she said. ‘Our food is good enough that we can compete with anyone.’

Dellas, co-owner of Varsity Pizza and Faegan’s Caf & Pub, said that Varsity, which has been open since 1926, has found its niche in the marketplace.

‘Competition doesn’t really scare us,’ he said. ‘We’re large, priced competitively, and we get our food out quick.’

Some students were excited about the high-profile establishments opening on Marshall Street.

‘Quiznos is the shit,’ said Eric Levine, a freshman majoring in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises. ‘I love Quiznos,’ he said, but he also felt it was expensive.

Some students noted that more well-known chains could potentially take away business from smaller companies.

‘Marshall Street is becoming more commercialized,’ said Bianca D’Angelo, a freshman majoring in international relations. ‘Mom-and-Pop shops like Acropolis and Varsity do well, but they don’t advertise as much. We all know Quiznos.’

But George Cannellos, owner of Cosmo’s Pizza and Grill, a 45-year-old establishment, said he thinks the new businesses, although large, may not know what they are getting themselves into.

‘They don’t last long, some of them,’ Cannellos said with a laugh. ‘They don’t know how the summers are.’

Cannellos said because Quiznos and Fajita Grill offer different types of food than Cosmo’s, their presence will not hurt his business too much, and might even help.

‘You hate to see empty stores,’ he said.

Published on October 28, 2004 at 12:00 pm