By Matt Weafer
Greater Owensboro Business Magazine Messenger-Inquirer
As advocates of the future of downtown Owensboro, We Are Downtown is a group of business owners and downtown residents that meets monthly to discuss promoting downtown businesses and events, and to encourage the growth of the area.
Patty Acquisto, chair of We Are Downtown and owner of Patti’s Place, said, “What our organization is trying to do is promote the businesses that are here and encourage other businesses to consider downtown.”
When Acquisto opened Patti’s Place at 105 W. 2nd St., more than two years ago, she spent some time walking around downtown, meeting with other business owners and talking about how to improve business.
“I just started organizing and talking to other people,” she said. “The few of us got together and we grew from there.”
Members of We Are Downtown band together to promote various downtown events, such as the Holiday Stroll during the Christmas holiday season in 2008, which Acquisto said was a huge success.
“You would be amazed at the people who come into my shop here on Saturdays and say, ‘We just drove down from Bardstown, Jasper, E-town, or Henderson,’” she said. “That’s what people do. The first place they go is downtown. We try to have something for them when they get downtown. We make sure that they know about Memories on Main, The Crown, the restaurants and the coffee shop.”
“Downtown is the heart and soul of Owensboro and Daviess Co.,” she said.
Members of We Are Downtown are currently preparing for the eighth-annual Bluegrass Returns to its Roots on April 2, 3 and 4. Musicians will perform at the RiverPark Center, the Bluegrass Museum and other venues, including local retailers.
Some of the performers not scheduled to appear at any of the shows will be performing at different businesses such as the Famous Bistro and The Crème.
Acquisto said they are expecting at least 1,000 people for the weekend of music.
We Are Downtown meets the last Tuesday of every month in the Commerce Center at 5 p.m. Anyone interested in promoting downtown is welcome.
We Are Downtown Active Members:
Chair: Patti Acquisto
Chair-Elect: Charlie Schertzinger
Secretary: Renee Beasley Jones
Treasurer: George Skiadas
David Atkinson
Rodney Berry
Bob Bowers
Martha Clark
Larry Conder
Rosemary Conder
Sy Deane
Sue Fowler
Kim Johnson
Bruce Kunze
Carole Mac Quarrie
Karen Miller
Murry Morris
Ava Morris
Kathy Olson
Joel Osborne
Larry Peech
Fred Reeves
Gavin Roberts
Becky Stone
Russ Wilkey
Jim Zabek
Reprinted with permission from Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
Showing posts with label Downtown Owensboro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Downtown Owensboro. Show all posts
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Crème Brews Comfort Downtown
By Matt Weafer
Owensboro 2009
The Crème brews comfort downtown
By Matt Weafer
The aroma of coffee and chocolate hangs in the air at The Crème Coffeehouse at 109 E 2nd St.
Customers watch the downtown bustle from their window seats, sipping lattes as they shut out the day with a book or talking to friends in the lounge or the courtyard.
Crème owners Rosemary Conder and her husband Larry didn’t plan on opening a coffeehouse when they bought the building.
In fact, they already owned the building next door at 107 E 2nd St. and they planned to expand their antique store, The Crowne, into it.
“We wanted to open the wall between the two and make a big area,” Rosemary Conder said. “But it was a different area and in much worse shape.”
But they had already purchased the location.
“I said this building says coffeehouse,” she said.
While decorating, she said, she was trying to capture the atmosphere of Central Perk from the TV series Friends.
“It looked like a fun place to hang out. Really cool,” Conder said. “We had been to a few places in New York City that had that old world eclectic mix.”
Peter Malliaras, a regular at The Crème since the summer of 2008, said, “I come here with my computer and with the free internet, beautiful décor and beautiful coffee, it’s fun. It’s a great day.”
The comfort of the building, which used to be an antique shop, helped create that atmosphere, too.
“It’s a beautiful sitting area,” Malliaras said. “It’s almost like one of the rooms in your house, very comfortable.”
Conder purchased some of the antiques left in the building to furnish the coffee shop and create the funky décor that alludes to downtown Owensboro nearly a century ago.
“We believe in downtown,” Conder said. “We believe there is a possibility and probability of resurgence downtown.”
The character and charm of the older buildings create an ambience while promenading along some of the first roads in Owensboro.
“A lot of people are tired of big box stores,” Conder said. And a private-owned coffee shop in the heart of unique Owensboro retail is the direction the trend is leaning.
After Malliaras moved to Owensboro from Australia with his family, he said the first thing he wanted to do was find a good coffee shop. He said The Crème was “absolutely exactly what I was looking for. If you came in here and opened up your eyes you would think you were in a coffee shop in Australia.”
He said Melba is Australia is considered by some the capital of coffee shops. “We’re big espresso drinkers,” he said.
“I couldn’t find a good espresso,” he said. “No one makes espresso other than the big chains. When you have a big chain you don’t have that personal attention. There’s no love that goes into the coffee.”
“There’s a way to make espresso and there’s a way not to make it,” Malliaras said. “And it seems they know how to make it.”
As downtown Owensboro continues to grow with restaurants and retailers, The Crème is settling comfortably into what Conder expects to be an even busier part of Owensboro.
“The Mystery Writer festival was amazing for us in 2008,” she said. And so was Winter Wonderland.
“We are in the sweet spot,” Conder said.
And they have the right attitude toward customer service to help them succeed.
“When you come in here,” Malliaras said, “you don’t tell them what you want because they already know and they make it when they see you. They know your name they know a little about you.”
Kelly Creed, a barista and night manager at The Crème, said, “We have good people that work here that are willing to do whatever it takes to make the customers happy and make people feel welcome here.”
With some fresh baked cookies and scones and a passion for quality espresso drinks and customer service, Conder hopes for a fruitful future downtown.
View the article in its published form.
Owensboro 2009
The Crème brews comfort downtown
By Matt Weafer
The aroma of coffee and chocolate hangs in the air at The Crème Coffeehouse at 109 E 2nd St.
Customers watch the downtown bustle from their window seats, sipping lattes as they shut out the day with a book or talking to friends in the lounge or the courtyard.
Crème owners Rosemary Conder and her husband Larry didn’t plan on opening a coffeehouse when they bought the building.
In fact, they already owned the building next door at 107 E 2nd St. and they planned to expand their antique store, The Crowne, into it.
“We wanted to open the wall between the two and make a big area,” Rosemary Conder said. “But it was a different area and in much worse shape.”
But they had already purchased the location.
“I said this building says coffeehouse,” she said.
While decorating, she said, she was trying to capture the atmosphere of Central Perk from the TV series Friends.
“It looked like a fun place to hang out. Really cool,” Conder said. “We had been to a few places in New York City that had that old world eclectic mix.”
Peter Malliaras, a regular at The Crème since the summer of 2008, said, “I come here with my computer and with the free internet, beautiful décor and beautiful coffee, it’s fun. It’s a great day.”
The comfort of the building, which used to be an antique shop, helped create that atmosphere, too.
“It’s a beautiful sitting area,” Malliaras said. “It’s almost like one of the rooms in your house, very comfortable.”
Conder purchased some of the antiques left in the building to furnish the coffee shop and create the funky décor that alludes to downtown Owensboro nearly a century ago.
“We believe in downtown,” Conder said. “We believe there is a possibility and probability of resurgence downtown.”
The character and charm of the older buildings create an ambience while promenading along some of the first roads in Owensboro.
“A lot of people are tired of big box stores,” Conder said. And a private-owned coffee shop in the heart of unique Owensboro retail is the direction the trend is leaning.
After Malliaras moved to Owensboro from Australia with his family, he said the first thing he wanted to do was find a good coffee shop. He said The Crème was “absolutely exactly what I was looking for. If you came in here and opened up your eyes you would think you were in a coffee shop in Australia.”
He said Melba is Australia is considered by some the capital of coffee shops. “We’re big espresso drinkers,” he said.
“I couldn’t find a good espresso,” he said. “No one makes espresso other than the big chains. When you have a big chain you don’t have that personal attention. There’s no love that goes into the coffee.”
“There’s a way to make espresso and there’s a way not to make it,” Malliaras said. “And it seems they know how to make it.”
As downtown Owensboro continues to grow with restaurants and retailers, The Crème is settling comfortably into what Conder expects to be an even busier part of Owensboro.
“The Mystery Writer festival was amazing for us in 2008,” she said. And so was Winter Wonderland.
“We are in the sweet spot,” Conder said.
And they have the right attitude toward customer service to help them succeed.
“When you come in here,” Malliaras said, “you don’t tell them what you want because they already know and they make it when they see you. They know your name they know a little about you.”
Kelly Creed, a barista and night manager at The Crème, said, “We have good people that work here that are willing to do whatever it takes to make the customers happy and make people feel welcome here.”
With some fresh baked cookies and scones and a passion for quality espresso drinks and customer service, Conder hopes for a fruitful future downtown.
View the article in its published form.
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