VP of Marketing & Strategic Alliances, Toni Williams has been working on developing a partnership between the revitalization project on Queen Street and the local College. The partnership is truly synergistic.  The revitalization of Queen Street has truly been launched into an incredible momentum through the biggest tourist attraction in the world - food.  It is still true that you can win the heart of any woman and or man though a fabulous meal.

Niagara College is a college in the Niagara area that is well renowned for its culinary expertise, and has a very active research department that continues to create alliances with businesses in the community.  The two were a natural alliance, and thus the grant "economic development through culinary innovations" was born.

Queen Street provides an eclectic demographic for culinary research to capitalize on. There is a well balanced ratio of male to female, coupled with the unique shopping, dining, and attraction based venues,that attract ages 12 to 65. A truly authentic entrepreneurial environment with one of a kind restaurants have gained the loyalty of the Niagara residents, and captivated the tourist who is looking for a more sophisticated setting. This blending of local residences and tourists alike make this a unique testing and research demographic which would impossible to re-create. Many interesting culinary initiatives can play out in the downtown core of Niagara Falls that will explore, test, document, and create learning tools to recreate the successes of this project. A record 9 eating establishments have arrived in the past 2 years on Queen Street, representing 32% of the overall injection of new business to the area.Additionally, 8 of the 9 establishments represent brand new businesses. The dining experience has become such a draw to the street that the area may redefine it’s whole branding concept to the “Food District”. The revitalization project on Queen Street has become one of the most aggressive revitalization projects in Canada, and one of the major reasons for its success is through food. Regardless of the economy, people will spend money on food, and since the beginning of time, food has, is, and always will be a form of entertainment. In fact the largest tourist attraction is shopping and dining. The revitalization of Niagara Falls’ downtown core is history in the making; it is a synergistic match to align Niagara College’s culinary expertise with an area that is building itself back up through food experiences.

This grant application has been short listed, and is the only one in Ontario to make the cut.  Wish us luck as we hear the outcome this February 2011.