York dining scene booms; is that by chance, or part of a lasting movement?

David Albright still remembers what York looked like 20 years ago when he took over The Left Bank.

“It was pretty quiet,” said Albright, who sold The Left Bank in 2017. “20 years ago, there was the Roosevelt (Tavern) on one end, The Left Bank on the other and The White Rose in the middle.”

But now, things are different and that’s been reflected in the York County restaurant scene where more than 20 restaurants have opened county-wide in 2017.

“There’s more of a scene now then there was before,” Albright said.

But was this 2017 food boom the beginning of a new trend or a fluke that will soon taper off?

Quality over quantity

With five restaurants opening their doors in 2017 in downtown York alone and several others scheduled for 2018, Albright believes this to be the most active time period in his time in York.

“This is the best traction I feel like we’ve ever had,” Albright said. “There’s a lot of energy going on with not only restaurants, but even with what Royal Square is doing with building apartments and things like that.”

The number of restaurants is great, and many believe that a rising tide of competition raises all ships, but what’s set 2017 apart from years past is the quality the restaurants have brought, according to Joseph Scarcelli, an associate professor in York College’s department of hospitality, recreation and sports management.

“Certainly in downtown, you’ve had a rash of restaurants opening that have seemed to raise the bar on the food quality and the expectations,” Scarcelli said. “There’s a lot going into downtown and it’s not just somebody trying to get their foot in. These are quality places and that’s raising the bar for everybody.”

Scarcelli likened the competition to NBA legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

“Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were so good because they were competition against each other,” Scarcelli said. “Competition encourages more people to come out, dine out more and… forces us to be improving our own operations.”

What makes 2017 any different?

Ask anyone with some length of time doing business in the city and they’ll tell you that there’s something different about the recent restaurant movement.

For Albright, the biggest difference lies in the players – a younger generation bringing a new entrepreneurial spirit.

“They realize the world is changing,” Albright said. “This generation feels like they have to band together to create a whole movement rather than just one business.”

John Hughes, chair of the York College department of hospitality, recreation and sports management, can feel it too. He’s seen it before.

“We look across to Lancaster, back in the 2000s, there was not nearly the activity going on,” Hughes said. “Then, the Marriott hotel was built downtown and since it opened, hundreds of businesses opened up around it. We have that same energy going on in York and it’s interesting to witness.”

For years, York was considered a “meat and potatoes” city, with most people opting for the basics for cheap. But Scarcelli said that’s changed and York is “keeping pace with national trends.”

“I don’t see national movements that we’re missing here and I’m very pleased and quite impressed that such a smaller city such as York is still on the cutting edge,” Scarcelli said.

Beyond that, the city has become more business-friendly, Scarcelli said.

“York is on a bit of an upswing,” he said. “The Better Business Bureau just improved the city’s financial grade, our county visitor’s bureau is doing a great job driving tourists to the area.”

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Is this growth sustainable?

The amount of new restaurants opened with the increased variety is great, but can York, a city of just 40,000 people, sustain this growth? Hughes believe it can.

“I can’t predict who is going to open what and when, but people are trying new concepts,” Hughes said. “The buildings are interesting. The people are interesting. The whole place is fascinating to me.”

Hughes believes that once the Yorktowne Hotel opens in late 2018 or early 2019, that will spur even more business downtown.

“You’re going to start seeing construction begin there and, when that opens up, you’ll see more pedestrian traffic,” Hughes said. “The traffic is going to increase downtown in my view and that’s going to be good for the food and beverage business.”

Scarcelli believes growth will continue, but might plateau as other types of business start opening up.

“I don’t know how many more are in the works, but I see we’ve reached a level where there is a great level of choice downtown,” Scarcelli said. “The next step downtown is investment from or openings for more retail spaces.”

What’s next?

As 2017 closes, there’s a lot of excitement headed into the new year. Already, one restaurant and two breweries are expected to open downtown.

Even with the amount of diversity found downtown, Silas Chamberlin, CEO of Downtown Inc., hopes to see even more in 2018.

“We have a very diverse population in our city and our food selection should reflect that,” Chamberlin said. “We also need a variety of styles of restaurants from casual cafes to fast food options to fine dining. We haven’t fully hit our saturation point when it comes to the mix of kinds of food that we can have.”

Scarcelli believes that if more restaurants are added, it could be to new neighborhoods of York that haven’t seen that sort of growth.

“I wouldn’t be shocked to see more on the East Side or even down towards Queensgate (along the edges of the city),” Scarcelli said. “Restaurants are always the first to venture into new neighborhoods and, once they are established, then you see other businesses soon follow.”

The biggest thing for the future, Albright said, is the continued collaboration among those in the restaurant industry.

“It’s another huge step that’s helped all of this,” Albright said. “All the restaurant owners are collaborating more than ever. Before… it was almost cutthroat, and that doesn’t help anybody.”

Regardless of the time frame, there’s a different vibe in York and many feel those positive vibes.

“This is an exciting time for York and… I don’t think we’ve peaked yet,” Scarcelli said. “There’s room for more growth here.”

Anthony J. Machcinski is the food reporter for the York Daily Record. Follow him on Facebook, @ChinskiTweets on Twitter or email him at amachcinski@ydr.com.