I had my wedding there this April when nothing was going on Athletics wise in IC, and all of the restaurants and shopping were constantly busy. Especially Backpocket and 30Hop.
This success of this project will be all about who moves in to the area. Like mentioned by others, a great local brewery or two moving in would crush year round. Just look at the numbers all of the taphouses do in the DSM area.
That's a great idea -- if 30Hop opened up another location here, I think it would kick butt. And you could still open a smaller taphouse or pourhouse from a brewery or distillery in another location and they would do just fine.
I'm just thinking a zone like this with several good eatery choices, easy to get in and out from Hwy 30 and get ample parking, that would be a slam dunk winner all summer when no games are on tap.
My parents live about 3 hours from me and we frequently meet "halfway" in Ames or DSM for get-togethers. A place like this would sure be a great option on non-gamedays.
And someone mentioned weeknight games -- I think most people don't leave enough time for pre-game dinner at a weeknight game, because there's almost no way to do that when no restaurants are literally walking distance from Hilton. By the time you wait for a table and eat (without rushing) you have to be in line at a restaurant by 5pm plus still need to leave and park and walk for a 7pm tip. Having the restaurant in the Hilton parking lot cuts out a big chunk of that hassle. Not everyone will do it, but I think plenty absolutely would.
Between games and conferences at Scheman, a captive audience from a nearby hotel, these places would have dependable business year-round.
