Nikki, left, and Elliott Nestal look through the window of 2-Illuminate and The Paper Plum while walking through downtown Lodi on their way to Starbucks for some coffee. The couple, from the bay Area, said they would shop at some of the downtown stores if they were open Sundays. (J. Paul Bruton/News-Sentinel)

Some downtown merchants to try Sunday hours -- but will it last?

Don't tell Steve and Jeanne Bria that downtown businesses can't succeed on Sundays.

The owners of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on South School Street have kept Sunday hours since they opened last year -- a rarity in the local shopping district. And, though most of their neighbors' doors are locked, the couple does a good business.

"That's the day off (for shoppers)," Steve Bria said on Friday. "That's the day people want to get out and stroll."

The Brias aren't alone when they stay open on Sundays: Lodi Beer Co., the Stadium 12 Theater, Lodi Cooks and several other retailers keep seven-day-a-week hours. For the vast majority of downtown merchants, however, Sundays and Mondays are a time to close up shop and rest.

"Everybody needs one day off," said Shelley Phillips, the owner of 2-Illuminate on North School Street. "I work six out of seven days, and I'm here anywhere from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. That's a long day for one person."

Downtown merchants have long debated whether to keep Sunday hours to capitalize on weekend foot traffic. Now a change could be coming. More than two dozen merchants will be open on Sunday for the next three weekends for a promotion with the Lodi Wine and Visitors Center.

The stores, including Sheri's Sonshine Nutrition Center, Red's Boutique, Scott's Bare Furniture and Frames and Fine Things, will keep hours from noon to 4 p.m. The event coincides with a series of out-of-state bus tours that the city's tourism center is bringing through town.

Locals have greeted the "Open House" promotion with mixed reviews. Some believe it's a positive step toward downtown's shift to a seven-day-a-week destination. Others think it could do more harm than good.

"As soon as it's over, they're going to close their doors to the people of Lodi again," Bria said. "They'll expect stores to be open, and they won't be."

Nancy Beckman, the executive director of the Wine and Visitors Center, said she approached members of the Downtown Lodi Business Partnership to open on four Sundays beginning last week to give the tourists a place to shop. There are eight Sunday bus tours coming through downtown in March, two for each day of the promotion.

"We don't want to look like a ghost town when we get these tours in," Beckman said last week. "We know Sundays are a different day for downtown."

They're not all that different for South School Street's Lodi Beer Co. Owner Roger Rehmke said last week that the restaurant and brewery draws plenty of customers on Sundays, despite the absence of most other merchants.

Rehmke would love to convince more merchants to open up seven-days-a-week. With many businesses being run by families with few, if any, employees, however, he doesn't know if it will ever happen.

With crowds at a minimum in downtown Lodi on a recent Sunday, store owners and city officials wonder if opening more stores would help make downtown Lodi "The Place To Be." (J. Paul Bruton/News-Sentinel)

"The people down here put in their time running their businesses," Rehmke said. "They're tired. They want to spend time with their families."

Pamela Hayn, the executive director of the business partnership, said last week that less than half of downtown's merchants agreed to stay open on Sundays during the promotion. Among those that remained closed on Feb. 27, the first day the event was held: Christensen's Fashions, John Borelli Jewelers, Tillie's Coffee, Tea, Etc. and 2-Illuminate.

Others jumped at the chance to try their hand at Sunday hours. Cynthia Capps, the owner of Red's Boutique on North School Street, said during the first day of the promotion that she'd have no problem staying open on Sundays if the customers were there.

The problem, she said, is that there usually aren't.

"If I had the business coming through the doors, I'd be crazy not to (be open on Sundays)," Capps said. "But we need the people of Lodi to also support us."

Bay Area resident Nikki Nestal grew up in Lodi and still comes to visit family members from time to time. She and her husband like to come downtown whenever they visit, but Sundays aren't typically the best day to get some shopping done, she said.

"It's totally dead on Sundays," Nestal said.

It's a chicken-and-egg debate: Merchants say there's no reason to stay open if there are no customers, and shoppers avoid downtown because nobody's open. But those who keep Sunday hours, such as Lodi Cooks, Rocky Mountain and Lodi Beer, say business is usually steady.

"It's a good day for us, as far as both local customers and those from out of town," said Meyer Puzon, owner of Lodi Cooks.

Mary Wallace, owner of Pine Street's Frames and Fine Things and president of the downtown partnership's Board of Directors, usually keeps Sunday hours during Christmas and other busy shopping seasons. Her business will be open during the promotion.

She believes a shift toward more regular Sunday hours would be a boon to downtown. With nearly 70 businesses in the area, however, it's not always easy to get everybody on the same page.

"If we want Lodi to be a destination point, then we need to be open," Wallace said. "But you can't tell people how to run their business."

News-Sentinel staff writer J. Paul Bruton contributed to this report.

Contact Business Editor Greg Kane at gregk@lodinews.com.