Chipotle, Dunkin' Donuts, 7-Eleven, Gap and other national retail chains seeking to open shop in East Hampton may find it increasingly difficult if a proposed zoning law in East Hampton Town is approved by the planning board.
The new zoning restrictions could limit the size of national chain establishments and find themselves forced to reinvent their familiar trademarked facades and interiors.
According to an article in The East Hampton Star "The businesses would also have to have a “unique visual appearance that is consistent with the character” of East Hampton.
The Star said the businesses to be affected by the new zoning fell into a fairly specific category of establishment: "(F)ormula businesses would be defined as a retail store, restaurant, bar, or takeout shop that is 'under common ownership or is a franchise,' and is one of 10 or more of such businesses worldwide."
This restriction would not be unique to East Hampton. In fact, according to The New York Times eight years ago Nantucket, MA residents voted to ban all chain stores and franchises to prevent the blight of retail development that had transformed much of neighboring Cape Cod.What do you think of the plan to eliminate national chain stores and franchises from the Town of East Hampton? How would it affect existing national stores? Let us know in the comments.
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