ZIONSVILLE — The Zionsville Town Council on Monday expanded the boundaries of the town’s designated outdoor refreshment area, or DORA, to allow alcoholic beverages to be taken to nearby properties on Poplar Street and Elm Street, officials said.
The change was intended to include businesses that were originally left out of the DORA, which Zionsville launched on Main Street in April.
Abby Perry, owner of Abby’s Garden Party, a plant shop and terrarium bar on Poplar Street, said the inclusion could boost foot traffic on her block. She has been on Main Street about a year.
"A lot of people think we are an actual bar, but what we are is a plant bar,” Perry said. “What that means is that you get to get your hands dirty and make a terrarium. "
Before the expansion, alcoholic drinks were not allowed at her business. Now that it is included in the DORA, Perry said she expects more visitors to linger and explore downtown.
"When people have that drink and they can walk around they can linger, and I think that's part of the magic is finding these little shops and these little stores,” Perry said.
Businesses such as Rush on Main, which sells DORA drinks, have seen an increase in sales during special events since the DORA launched.
"The most recent was the fall festival, and we have a parade that goes right up and down the brick street, and that day we sold over 100 DORA drinks, " Jeff Sepiol, the Owner of Rush on Main, said.
Erica Carpenter, president of Main Street Zionsville, said the boundary change is designed to make the downtown feel more like a unified district by including side streets and nearby blocks.
"I think what this can do and what we've been trying to do with the Main Street organization is make it more of a district to include side street businesses, to include 1st Street businesses and Elm street businesses,” Erica Carpenter, the President of Main Street Zionsville, said.
There are about 182 businesses in the Main Street district; roughly 65 take part in the DORA. One goal of the program is to attract visitors from surrounding communities.
"The tax dollars that commercial business produces for small cities like ours it's very important, and the easiest way to is to get surrounding towns to come and enjoy what we have to offer,” Sepiol said.
The law allowing DORAs took effect on July 1, 2023. Since then, 46 have been approved, including multiple DORAs in places such as Muncie and Westfield. By law, a community cannot have more than seven DORAs.
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Meredith Hackler joined WRTV as a multimedia journalist and reporter in February 2022. She chose a career in journalism because she loves telling stories, shining a light on injustices happening in the community and learning more about the cities she has called home. Share your story ideas and important issues with Meredith by emailing her at meredith.hackler@wrtv.com.
