When the City of Carmel announced that there would be an extended road closure at Range Line Road and 4th Street South, the owner of Blu Moon Cafe knew she had to do something.
When there was previous construction on the roundabout at City Center Drive and Range Line Road, it affected business at the locally owned bakery and lunch spot at 200 S. Range Line Road.
So this time she decided to be proactive. Every week she’s created a different special to lure customers in.
“We appreciate every customer who takes the extra two or three minutes to get to us,” owner Shelley Jordan said.
Blu Moon has offered a variety of deals such as free coffee with an order, a free cookie with a lunch order or free delivery — something they didn’t offer at all before — for any order more than $25.
The road closure is to help create an entryway into the Midtown area, which is in development along the Monon Trail between Main Street and Carmel City Center. It will include a new east-west road and a roundabout once construction is complete.
Blu Moon isn’t the only one adapting. Integrity Automotive at 40 S Range Line Rd., has been offering a $25 discount on scheduled maintenance packages. They’ve been sending their customers maps to avoid the road closure, and customers are still finding their way to the shop.
“Our customers are taking it in stride, usually joking that they had a difficult time finding a way to get here,” said Ed Shaughnessy, who handles marketing for Integrity. “We seem to be doing well despite the changing traffic patterns.”
Adam Nisley, owner of Adam’s Flooring at 1063 S Range Line Rd., was vocal about his frustration with the road closure, especially since a new roundabout will be built on Executive Drive near his shop shortly after the 4th Street roundabout is complete. He said it’s tough, because construction has been nearly nonstop and his customers haven’t seen a break. As a result, he said his sales are down the past year.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” he said.
Nisley said he wanted to find a positive way to respond to the ongoing construction work so he decided to get out and grill burgers for lunch for the construction crews working on the project.
