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Monday, January 14, 2008
Downtown Belleville may soon have a grocery
Downtown Belleville may soon have a grocery
Owners hope to be open by February
BY LAURA GIRRESCHNews-Democrat
Mayor Mark Eckert remembers the small, neighborhood food stores on corners throughout the city when he was a child.
In the 1960s, he recalls, larger grocery chains took over and most of the neighborhood stores disappeared. With renewed business and residential interest in downtown in recent months, Eckert thinks a neighborhood grocer might just work downtown, and he's heard some residents asking for one.
The trio of owners of Greek restaurant Acropolis hope to fill that void by opening Downtown Import & Grocer at 132 W. Main St., the old Curves building that is right next to their restaurant.
Besides offering a variety of imported specialty foods and gift items, co-owner Stephanie Dahm hopes her shop, which could open by February, can be the last-minute stop for people working downtown before they go home to make dinner.
As food staples go, the shop will offer bread, milk from Oberweis Dairy, eggs, butter, deli meat, and a selection of produce, some of which the owners hope will come from local, organic growers. The store also will sell whole rotisserie chickens. Customers also will be able to buy deli sandwiches to go.
Dahm, who owns the restaurant and store with her sister, Heather Noblitt and their mother, Sharon Noblitt, thinks the business will fare well with busy professionals working downtown.
"I think it's worth a try," Dahm said. "If you never try you don't know."
Eckert said he'd like to see a small grocery chain store open downtown eventually. He also said downtown still is missing things such as more retail shops and restaurants.
"We're going to continue to do what we can to draw some or all of those entities to downtown," he said.
Heather Noblitt said her family for years wanted to open an import grocer inside Acropolis, but just never had the space to do it.
Oregon Trail Roasting Co., a coffeehouse, will open by spring across the street from Acropolis and Downtown Import & Grocer.
"This is going to be like the Bermuda Triangle," Dahm said. "We're just going to trap people here."
Contact reporter Laura Girresch at lgirresch@bnd.com or 239-2507.
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Thursday, January 03, 2008
Get your java here: Coffeehouses brewing in downtown Belleville
Get your java here: Coffeehouses brewing in downtown Belleville
BY LAURA GIRRESCHNews-Democrat
David Cox said he knows that, among locals, downtown didn't always have the best reputation, and he's excited for its comeback.
Cox, a 43-year-old attorney, and his wife, Andrea Cox, moved to Belleville two years ago from Athens, Ga. Since then, the couple have renovated a historic home on South Charles Street and bought a building on West Main Street that will become Oregon Trail Roasting Co., the next of several coffeehouses brewing downtown.
"It takes an outsider to see what can be in Belleville," said Andrea Cox, 45, owner of the new coffeehouse, who emigrated from Austria 22 years ago.
The couple fancies themselves part of the new coffee destination that downtown is quickly becoming.
From east to west on Main Street, the following cafes also serve specialty coffee: Pie Pantry at 310 E. Main St.; Mosaics on Main at 124 E. Main St.; St. Louis Bread Co. at 113 E. Main St.; Jones Java at 104 E. Main St.; and Acoustik Kafe at 1015 W. Main St. Caffe Avanti will open possibly by March in the Writers' Lofts downtown.
But the Coxes insist their business will be different. For one, it will be the only cafe downtown to roast its own beans, and it will sell only fair trade and organic coffees.
Also, Andrea Cox, a carpenter, will craft Austrian pastries she says can't be found anywhere else in Belleville. She already has charmed Mayor Mark Eckert, a self-proclaimed "big fan of strudel," with her apple variety of the European pastry that she sent to City Hall.
Oregon Trail won't be open until spring, but Andrea Cox hopes that by next week, the business will be delivering orders. The staff will deliver in person to businesses and by mail to individuals. To place an order, go to oregontrailroasting.com
The saturation of coffee shops -- soon there will be seven downtown -- is good for business, the Coxes and other business owners say.
Outside of downtown, other Belleville coffeehouses include Riley's Coffee and Fudge at 1900 Lebanon Ave. and The Abbey at 6500 W. Main St.
Maureen Morris, president of the nonprofit Citizens Reviving Historic Belleville, said so many of the same businesses in a small area could be a bad thing.
"Somebody's going to lose business," Morris said. She said what's lacking downtown are grocery stores, steakhouses and Italian restaurants.
But Mosaics on Main owner Kathy Mordini doesn't worry about the competition; each coffee business has something different to offer. Soon, at Mosaics, she'll begin selling stone oven pizzas.
Helen Jones, the owner of Jones Java, caters to a "younger generation" and dishes out free popcorn via a popper in the dining room.
David Cox sees downtown emerging as the city's coffee destination.
"Successful coffee shops have a warm, womb-like feeling, and you want to stay there forever," David Cox said. "We want to be that place."
Contact reporter Laura Girresch at lgirresch@bnd.com or 239-2507.
© 2007 Belleville News-Democrat and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.belleville.com
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