Most people, when they think about the ideal American setting, think nostalgically about the small town with shops everyone knows and restaurants where everyone knows your name.Despite the warm spot small towns occupy in so many hearts, the fact is that many small towns are struggling these days. Large companies that used to hold the towns up have moved away or have gone out of business entirely. Small town retailers are fighting against behemoths like Amazon and Wal-Mart.
Against this backdrop, downtown Marietta is experiencing a resurgence. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a more unique blend of shops, from The Cook’s Shop to Green Acres of Marietta to Twisted Sisters Boutique, Wit & Whimzy, and more. The Mid-Ohio Valley Players, Peoples Bank Theater, and our very own Adelphia Music Hall offer high-quality entertainment on a weekly basis, and, in addition to our Galley restaurant, there are many other eateries with a wide variety of cuisines. You can enjoy Middle Eastern food at Emanuel’s, comfort food at Tonya’s Country Kitchen, or amazing Mexican at Tampicos.
The thing that really makes our downtown work, however, is collaboration. One of the best examples of this is what is happening today. First Friday, created by Marietta Main Street. So many downtown businesses have contributed to First Friday fun over the last year, and we are excited to increase our involvement this year.
The Adelphia Music Hall sponsored an ice sculpture, one of eight downtown, for First Friday: Fire and Ice Night in January.
Back in January we were proud to host an ice sculpture as part of the Fire and Ice Night First Friday theme, and today, we are contributing to the Wine & Chocolate theme with our own wine tasting event. First Fridays were created to bring locals downtown and into shops and eateries, but I think I speak for all downtown business people when I say that we get just as much enjoyment out of these special nights. They give us a chance to collaborate with our downtown neighbors to show off exactly what our downtown “vibe” is all about.
This particular First Friday is extra special for us because along with the monthly celebration of our town, we are launching, for the first time ever, a Galley App that includes a loyalty program, a gift card program, and more. We are excited to launch this on a day that is dedicated to appreciating all of the people who support us and all of the other downtown businesses. This
new app will bring our capabilities to a higher echelon of service and will make life easier for everyone who loves to eat at The Galley, catch a show at The Adelphia, or book a stay at the Hackett.
A screenshot of The Galley's brand new Galley App.
We look forward to seeing you tonight and in the future. Gratitude to Marietta Main Street for everything they do!
This blog post was authored by Nate Shahan, Entertainment and Bar Manager of The Adelphia Music Hall/Galley Enterprises, Inc.
