Does Bel Aire Need a Diner?

Bel Aire Plaza is one of Napa's most popular hangouts, with outdoor tables at Peet's and Whole Foods attracting people and their pets; a bookstore for browsing; a barber shop, three restaurants and a yogurt bar, along with retail mainstays Target, Trader Joe's, Orchard Supply Hardware, Pet Food Express, Pharmaca and Cost Plus World Market.

And Bel Aire is getting more exciting with the advent later this year of Pier One and Chico's.

But there's no place to get a working-person's lunch, says barber Robert Blair, co-owner since November of Barber Shop of Napa Valley next door to Peet's.

Blair wants to see a "brown-bag, Eat-at-Joe's" type of diner in Bel Aire, where workers like him can grab an affordable sandwich at break time.

"If I had the money, I'd make it into a (19)50s diner just to match the (barber) shop," Blair said, as he picked up a coffee at Peet's between haircuts Monday morning.

"You only need a couple of hundred square feet" for a lunch counter, he added.

From his vantage point at the busy barber shop, Blair has also observed another lack in Bel Aire's offerings: A "potty place" for dogs, which frequently accompany their masters to the shopping plaza.

"I'm tired of seeing them (urinating) on the potted plants," Blair said.

Bel Aire management should designate a spot for dogs with artifical turf and waste bags, Blair suggested.

"If they're going to make it a dog-friendly place, make it a dog-friendly environment."

Do you agree with Blair's suggestions? What other ideas do you have for Bel Aire Plaza? Tell us in the comments.

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