Aroma No More

Another one bites the dust, dear reader.

I felt a tremble in my stomach when I heard the news. Aroma Underground closed. I had no emotional attachment to the coffee shop. I had only been there three or four times. However, the fact that another unique community establishment has failed within the Florence area troubles me.

How is it that Starbucks is constructing another coffee shop near I-95, yet Aroma Underground falls flat on its face? One would think that a place like Aroma, which promoted local artists and local musicians, would have no trouble succeeding. After all, there's a culture to support it. Case in point, look at The Midnight Rooster in Hartsville.

So, the question is did Aroma do something wrong or did Florence let Aroma down?

The answer, I think, is simple. Aroma Underground dropped the ball.

This is not an attack on the owners or those who worked at Aroma. It had a great atmosphere. Visitors to their mySpace page were right to say that a hole has been left in the community. It was a wonderful establishment with plenty to offer the neighborhood, not just in terms of coffee and food, but entertainment and culture. Yet, what more could Aroma have done? Rising gas prices (and, consquently, rising food and product prices) are placing a strain on all businesses. But in a time of such economic strain, why do some local places fail while others prosper?

Reader, it's cliche by now, but it's true: location, location, location.

Once upon a time, Aroma Underground had two locations: one on Pamplico Highway and another on Celebration Boulevard. The Aroma on Celebration Boulevard was the first to go. From the looks of it, the location played a role, but since Aroma shut down their Celebration location the area has had something of a small renaissance.

Of course, who knows the future, right? How could the Aroma owners have known there might, one day, be a sustainable business environment?

The second Aroma location, however, made Celebration look like a hotspot.

Pamplico Highway running off 2nd Loop Road isn't exactly in the middle of nowhere. It's good real estate. But Aroma Underground placed themselves as an island in a Bi-Lo parking lot far removed from much of the downtown scene. Still, inconvenient locations shouldn't be that much of a hindrance (case in point, the Cootie Hut is in the middle of the woods and people still find it) if the promotion is good. Aroma Underground has a mySpace and a website. Musical acts were featured on the mySpace, but the official website was left untouched for excessive lengths of time. There was even a calendar. The site was perfect for promotion. Although I just recently came back to Florence, I saw very little in the way of advertising for musical events except on the musicians' websites and Aroma's mySpace. This just wasn't enough.

It's very unfortunate that Aroma had to shut down. I hope that they'll be able to rise from the dust and start up anew, but if it happens more has to be done and that includes a greater attention to promotion.

Furthermore, on the cusp of the construction of the new Performing Arts Center and the burgeoning downtown revitalization, community creativity (not corporate ingenuity and opportunity) need to be first on the list. One need look no further than Greenville and New York City's Times Square area: two very different places that embraced development in very different ways. The revitalization of the Greenville area over ten years ago, and its embrace by the people of Greenville, has created a city with a very intriguing aesthetic. Times Square, in contrast, has sold itself to the highest bidder on nearly every street corner. There's very little room left for mom-and-pop stores in their vicinity (although some still thrive, they're few in number).

As Florence approaches their own facelift, it's time for present, past and future local entrepreneurs to reevaluate how they do business. After all, this area is not guaranteed the things we have now. Darlington was stripped down to one race per year. Should NASCAR see fit to move the current 500 race to a new location for the sake of broadening their audience, what will become of the Darlington economy? I'm not talking about back-up plans. I'm talking about local development outside of out-of-state contractors and big-money promotions from larger corporations that may or may not be thinking of the community fabric.

I certainly don't want to upsurp the unique culture of this area or the relaxed, personal ethic behind many Pee Dee businesses either, but locals should consider their practices in light of the new world we're approaching: one where Myrtle Beach will have a theme park, Columbia's metro area will spread further and further and large businesses with lots of money will begin setting their eyes on the Pee Dee area.

There's no reason to refuse everything outside voices offer, but we should consider what the local presence within the Pee Dee. What do you believe should define the Pee Dee? Should Florence, Hartsville, Darlington and surrounding areas become Starbucks, Mickey Dees and Wal-Marts or should there be a reasonable balance. The recent departure of Aroma Underground should be an impetus for that discussion.

I encourage locals and business to respond. Do you think that in light of the current economic struggle (I will not say "recession", but no one can disagree that we are struggling) that this is possible? Do you think there's even reason AT ALL to worry? Let me know.

Log In | Register as a new member