One of the signs that an economy is starting to turn around is the opening of new traditional businesses. There are always people who decide to “strike off on their own” when they are laid off, but they tend to build businesses around a consulting model. When people start opening capital intensive businesses, however, it shows a bit more faith in the economy, which is an optimistic sign.

The new Panini Warehouse in Morrisville

The New Taco Loco in Morrisville

I mention this because I was at Prime Outlets At Morrisville earlier this afternoon. If you have been a Triangle shopper for any length of time, you know that Prime Outlets is a very pale shadow of Southpoint Mall or Triangle Town Center, or honestly, a well stocked Target. It’s vacancy rate hovers around 50%, and a good number of the tenants that are there aren’t traditional mall tenants [there is a church, for example]. Imagine my surprise when I saw that there were two new restaurants in the food court. Restaurants can be a huge initial investment for the kitchen, so seeing two startups, especially in a space not known for being the hot spot, is a cause for hope.

Best of luck to both Taco Loco and Panini Warehouse in their new location!