Sunday, July 26, 2009
Couple to open family-friendly eatery
Jenny Kincaid Boone
Jenny reports on the latest news on the Roanoke Valley retail industry.
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Martha and Dennis Minnick wanted to have a career together, a path that's not common for some married couples.
So Martha Minnick left her job teaching third-graders at Penn Forest Elementary School. And Dennis Minnick, a retired Marine and the family chef, polished up his cooking skills.
They're preparing to open Madison's, a restaurant in Southwest Roanoke County, late this month or in early August.
For their first retail venture, they've chosen the former home of Gerow's Restaurant at 4602 Old Cave Spring Road.
Since March, the Minnicks have worked to transform this quaint building into a smoke-free, family-friendly restaurant. With the help of friends, they did minor renovations and made some cosmetic changes, including painting the walls gold, ordering new tables and planting flowers in front window baskets. Their total investment is about $80,000.
With Dennis Minnick as the head chef, the Roanoke County couple plan to serve light breakfast and lunch fare, including a wide variety of sandwiches, wraps, hamburgers and salads. Minnick's specialty is sausage and gravy for breakfast, but the morning fare also will include a traditional assortment of bacon, eggs and grits.
By September, the Minnicks plan to offer dinner and eventually a Sunday brunch.
Most meals will cost less than $10.
They'll even have a children's menu offering mac and cheese bites, sliders, chicken nuggets and more. The selection was designed with help from Martha Minnick's third-grade class.
The couple said they want to make Madison's the kind of place where families with children feel comfortable. The eatery's namesakes reflect this family focus.
The restaurant is named after Dennis Minnick's uncle. And an outdoor dining area, called Marie's Garden, is named for Martha Minnick's mother.
Furniture on consignment
A local moving company has transformed a downtown Roanoke space into a consignment furniture shop.
The store at 401 Campbell Ave. opened earlier this year as a way to shed some of the used living room sets, beds, tables and other furnishings that owner Anthony Miller gathered through his moving and delivery company, Express Delivery and Moving Services.
"Some of this stuff was just too good to throw it away," Miller said. He relocated his delivery and moving business to Roanoke from Florida in 2003.
The furniture at Express Unlimited Furniture and Consignments is sold on consignment, and 30-day layaway is available.
Tracey McNew, who manages the store, said she's continually beefing up its inventory. She's looking for additional consignors and may buy some items at auctions.
Honey Tree expands
HoneyTree Early Learning Center has acquired a Vinton child care company, a move that expands its reach to two facilities in the same town.
Last month, HoneyTree purchased Learning Blocks Child Care Center at 1918 E. Washington Ave. Its current center is at 2308 Washington Ave. in Vinton.
HoneyTree will house infants through 3-year-olds at the former Learning Blocks center. At its other Vinton location, HoneyTree will accept older preschoolers and school-age children.
With the acquisition, HoneyTree now has 11 locations in the Roanoke Valley.
News from the Storefront blog at blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/storefront/:
- Giant Book Sale near Valley View Mall soon will pack up.
- Get the latest on the back-to-school sales tax holiday and spending report.
- Do you save money by shopping at warehouse clubs?
