La Quinta restaurants don’t always feel Coachella Fest love

The second and final weekend of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is drawing in yet another big batch of music lovers to the desert. However, down the road at Old Town La Quinta, crowds haven’t always trickled over like you would think.

“It just seemed slow. We never really got the people here,” said Brett Maddock, owner of The Grill on Main.

The Grill on Main and Desert Sage restaurant piano bar said it’s always a challenge to reel in Coachella festival goers.

“Coachella Fest is not really our demographic. We get more of the Stagecoach people,” said Colette Stanley, Desert Sage hostess and server.

It’s also tough to get regular customers to dine. Many stay away, assuming the wave of fans flood the La Quinta restaurants.

“They are very hesitant about coming down to the cove because the festival being so close in proximity,” said Stanley.

Maddock said the Grill is having better luck this year with a 30 percent increase in business compared to last year’s Coachella Fest weekends.

“This year I’ve seen a lot of wristbands and a different crowd that we’ve wanted,” he said.

Maddock thanks social media and word of mouth for the help.

“We’ll keep pushing that. There’s not just Coachella, there’s great restaurants and great places to go,” he said.