Could The Cheesecake Factory or Nordstrom (not Rack) be the future of Bakersfield?
If city dwellers have a voice, they will.
Late Friday afternoon, the city of Bakersfield released the results of its retail and restaurant survey, which received more than 3,600 responses.
The Department of Economic and Community Development survey, launched earlier this month in English and Spanish, asks what restaurants and retailers residents would like to have in their neighborhoods.
The top five restaurants on Bakersfield residents’ wish lists were Cheesecake Factory, Porto’s Bakery and Cafe, Claim Jumper, TGI Friday’s and Buca di Beppo.
On the retail side, the survey found we strongly demand IKEA, Whole Foods, Nordstrom, Bass Pro Shops, and REI.
In addition to what they wanted to see, surveyors were asked to name their favorite and most frequented businesses in the community. No specific results were shared on the topic, but the city did say there was a strong sense that “Bakersfield’s retailer and restaurant options could be more diverse.”
The survey will allow city staff to create a baseline for how residents perceive the local shopping and dining experience. It is part of the city’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, which was released in 2021 and aims to achieve economic growth by 2026.
According to the city, staff have reviewed the data and will “actively pursue options to enhance the local shopping and dining experience.”
