Is The Economy Improving on Main Street?

Sometimes, the best indicators of how much the economy is improving aren't the numbers and pecentages coming out of Washington, but rather then tenor of the local scene...how the local mom and pop stores are doing.
The corner restaurant down the block from me was hit hard by the economic downturn, and one of the ways they tried to stimulate business was a BYOB policy---seven days a week, bring your own wine, no corkage fees. At the end of the summer, they dialed back the policy to Monday through Thursday, and I recently noticed that this inducement was only available Monday and Tuesday.
A smaller glimmer of hope perhaps.