Photo by Skip Lawrence Elaine Canonico is one of the owners of Snallygaster in Middletown, which features art and gifts created by more than 400 American artists.

Bob Brenengen, who owns The Main Cup restaurant at 14 W. Main St. with wife, Kimberly, said the town has enough business opportunities to create multiple destinations for visitors.

"I'm a believer that more choices is better for everyone," Brenengen said.

Tom and Donna Croft recently opened the West Side Deli at 405 W. Main St., and he would like to see just about any type of food business open downtown.

"A lot of people will go where the food is," Tom Croft said.

Middletown is full of people with money to spend, and more food choices would help rather than hurt existing restaurants, he said.

Middletown needs a few upscale restaurants such as Mealey's in New Market and the Old South Mountain Inn near Boonsboro, said Elaine Canonico, co-owner with Linda Zvolenski of the Snallygaster gift store at 1A W. Main St.

Downtown businesses are stuck with 9-to-5 hours, Canonico said.

"A large-scale restaurant would allow a business owner to have a weekend and an evening trade," she said.

Meanwhile, some business owners said that there isn't enough parking to support more businesses and more visitors.

Kevin Keeney owns South Mountain Auto Center at 7 N. Church St. and South Mountain Collision Center at 114 N. Church St.

People park on Garage Drive next to his auto center, and the parking makes it difficult for his employees to move towed vehicles and vehicles that are being repaired, he said.

The town government has been working on the parking issue for years without much success, said Peter Canonico, Elaine's husband and owner of Valley Tax Financial Services at 1 N. Church St., Apartment A.

"It's very difficult to provide parking the way things are built up," Canonico said.

Tom Croft believes there is enough parking, but people don't like driving on side streets to look for it.

He said there is a parking lot near Dempsey's Grille at 116 W. Main St. and parking lots behind the Middletown Municipal Center at 31 W. Main St. and the center's neighbor, Zion Lutheran Church, at 107 W. Main St.

Croft believes larger signs should be posted to more easily identify parking areas, and he is optimistic that this will happen.

Middletown lends itself to small, boutique-type stores, Canonico said.

"The small buildings can't house larger stores," he said. "The parking issue and low population downtown can't support large-volume businesses."

More businesses would result in shorter shopping trips, said Norma Gray, owner of Carousel of Beauty Salon at 8 S. Church St.

"Even on the main drag we get most of our customers by phone," Gray said. "It would be wonderful if you got more people walking around."

Elisa Thomas, owner of Elisa S Salon and Day Spa at 8 W. Main St., would like to see a gift shop and maybe an antique shop.

"Antique shops seem to draw a higher class of people to an area, such as in New Market ," Keeney said.

Peter and Elaine Canonico favor an old-time country store, a candle shop, a bakery and an artists studio.

"A lot of people like to come to town on the weekend," Elaine said. "Our town is quaint. People would enjoy taking a walk and talking to artists and seeing what they do."

Several business owners said they would like to see a bookstore downtown.

Suzanne Irvine, owner of CLH Creations at 2 W. Main St., wants a bookstore where customers can sit and read.

She also favors something for entertainment, such as a movie theater and a video store stocked with good, up-to-date movies.

Bruce Bryant is an insurance agent and owns a separate, business, Bryant Financial Group, with wife, Terri, and said that while there are several businesses downtown, they aren't the kind likely to generate foot traffic.

"There are a lot of offices like mine, but an insurance company or an accountant is not a reason for someone to come downtown on a Saturday," he said.