Developer Rocco Termini is doing his part to add lush greenery to the city. I bumped into Rocco on Friday and complimented him on the container garden that had been planted around the patio at Dog é Style on Genesee Street. It’s not often that people who have a hand in restaurants take the time to create vibrant oases along otherwise typical commercial urban landscapes (street side – tree plots if we’re lucky). The container garden acts as a beacon for people who want to eat outside. At the same time, it acts as a comforting floral screen that offers some peace and calm during a lunch break.
“Not only did we add some flower planters, we also supported a deserving business at the same time,” Rocco told me. “We took all of the planters over to Urban Roots Community Garden Center on the West Side and dropped them off. I asked them to fill them up with plants and flowers, and then we came back and picked them up. I like supporting Urban Roots – they do a great job as you can see. We do the same thing for the Bourbon and Butter patio on Washington Street. People like to see the greenery that the patios bring to these streets. It makes it easy when you have a business like Urban Roots – the only thing that we have to worry about is watering the plants.”
^Even when Bourbon and Butter is not open, during the day, the patio garden makes the hotel look welcoming for travelers and passersby.