Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

Avocado Festival gives businesses big boost

Faro Trupiano owns and operates three restaurants in Fallbrook, so it's no surprise that he is a big fan of the annual Avocado Festival.

"It definitely is the busiest day of the year," said Trupiano, adding that it is also his best day financially. "There's a lot of foot traffic that we don't normally see in Fallbrook. So, yeah, we definitely welcome the Avocado Festival with open arms, for sure."

Although there is plenty of county fair-type food available at the Avocado Festival, attendees looking to get out of the sun for a cool drink and some quality food make their way into local establishments. Trupiano welcomes them to Brooktown Kitchen and Coffee (139 S. Main Avenue), 127 West Social House (127 W. Elder Street) and Trupiano's Italian Bistro (located at 945 S. Main).

It is estimated that the Avocado Festival attracts up to 100,000 people to downtown Fallbrook and some local businesses capitalize on the event.

"It's a very busy day," said Heather Howard, owner of The Spoiled Avocado and Mimi's Boutique SoCal at 116 N. Main Avenue. "It's probably one of the top 10 days of the whole year. It's wall to wall people and we sell a lot of little things. We do really well."

The Spoiled Avocado offers kitchen gadgets and gifts while Mimi's offers clothing and accessories. Howard hires extra people on Avocado Festival Day to help with customer service and to deter shoplifters. She said the festival gives her businesses "great exposure" and cultivates customers who return in person or order her products online.

"We do get permanent customers from the festival," said Howard. "They'll also visit our websites, especially if they're from another state. I like anything that happens downtown because it's going to promote my business."

Howard's shops feature a ton of avocado-themed merchandise, including magnets, backpacks, bathing suits, leggings, earrings, shot glasses, beer glasses, aprons, pot holders, and table mats. The most popular items on festival day are T-Shirts featuring avocados proclaiming "Chip Magnet" and "I Got Smashed in Fallbrook."

James Mathieu, owner of The Jewelry Connection, has operated his business at the corner of Main Ave. and Alvarado St. for 18 years and has always been open on festival day.

"We're right here in the heart of town and we're busy, quite busy," said Mathieu, adding that Avocado Festival Day can be one of his best days of the year financially. "It hasn't always been, but it definitely can be lucrative."

Mathieu said he gets a lot of couples coming through his doors and although a purchase may not be made that day, there is often a return visit that results in a sale.

"They'll walk through and the guys actually are taking notes," said Mathieu. "They'll come back or he'll come back by himself if he wants to surprise her. He'll come back and say, 'oh, we saw this at the Avocado Festival, do you still have it?' That's happened numerous times."

Sandy Hull owns 100 Main, a store that offers select clothing and unique goods and is located across the street from the Jewelry Connection. Hull, who helps out the Chamber of Commerce by working in the Margarita and Beer Garden on Avocado Festival Day, normally hasn't had her shop open on festival day. It will be this year.

Hull cited people merely coming in to get out of the heat and use the restroom, kids with sticky hands touching merchandise, and shoplifting concerns among the reasons she has kept her shop closed on festival day. This year, before beginning her shift at the Margarita and Beer Garden at 2:30 p.m., she'll open her shop to a limited number of visitors at a time.

"I think we'll keep a controlled amount of people in here, like 10 people at a time," said Hull.

The office of Murphy & Murphy Southern California Realty, located at 130 North Main Ave., is open to Avocado Festival visitors and features a touch screen where people can view Fallbrook homes that are on the market.

"We're aren't looking it as an opportunity to do business, we're looking at it as an opportunity to show that Fallbrook has charm and to be able to talk to people about the community if they so desire," said Kim Murphy of being open on festival day. "That's why we do it."

Chris Murphy said the Avocado Festival can result in Fallbrook getting new residents.

"Do people come to Fallbrook after the Avocado Festival and say, 'I want to move here?'" said Chris Murphy. "I have had that – had people say that's how they discovered Fallbrook."

Lila MacDonald, CEO of the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce, says based on taxes going to the county, the economic impact of the Avocado Festival is $1 million locally and $2 million when including the surrounding areas. The number is derived from sales by vendors, shops, restaurants and hotels.

"The Avocado Festival brings in 100,000 people and they're not just staying in Fallbrook," said MacDonald. "They're staying in Vista, Oceanside and Escondido. They do come out here for the weekend. So that festival isn't just about our economic, it's also impacting North County."

The Avocado Festival is a huge undertaking and although the chamber does make money from the event, profits have gone down in recent years, according to MacDonald.

"We get hit with higher and higher costs (to put on the festival) each year," said MacDonald. "The permitting process and everything just gets a lot tougher each year. It's a big bill. It really does cost a lot of money.

"The good news is I'm not money-motivated," continued MacDonald. "The chamber's mission statement is 'To support business and build a better community.' Me, I put this under supporting business and building a better community."

 

Reader Comments(0)