Sunday, August 09, 2009
Coffee shop changes hands
Jenny Kincaid Boone
Jenny reports on the latest news on the Roanoke Valley retail industry.
Recent stories
Entrepreneurs who own a Salem java roasting business are working briskly to ready a Roanoke County coffee house for an identity change.
Jon Smallwood and Ed O'Keefe of Roanoke, along with two business partners, have taken over the former Brambleton Blend business on Brambleton Avenue in Southwest Roanoke County.
At their new Star City Coffee House, they'll serve a large breakfast assortment and after 2 p.m., lighter fare, such as sandwiches and soups. Desserts will be made on site, in what the owners call a true coffeehouse environment.
Mike and Carol O'Keefe also are partners in the business.
Smallwood and Ed O'Keefe co-own Star City Coffee Co., a coffee roaster in Salem. The two coffee lovers and cafe frequenters started the business three years ago, after researching home roasting. But rather than opening their own shop, they decided to work behind-the-scenes.
They sell bags of Star City Coffee in different blends to local restaurants and retailers. The coffee is roasted to order, and mostly is fair trade and organic.
"We thought this was an opportunity to raise the bar," Smallwood said.
Star City Coffee is building a successful name. Each year, the business has tripled the number of venues where its blends are sold, Smallwood said. The coffee is sold in at least 17 Southwest Virginia locations and venues, including Wine Gourmet in Roanoke, Ikenberry Orchards in Daleville and Good Food-Good People in Floyd.
The owners did not disclose the roasting business' total sales volume.
One of Star City Coffee's clients was the former Brambleton Blend. But this year, the owners of Brambleton Blend approached Smallwood and Ed O'Keefe about taking over the coffeehouse and restaurant that opened in 2008 at 3334 Brambleton Ave. Brambleton Blend closed in July, though the reasons are unclear.
Smallwood, Ed O'Keefe and their partners are making some changes to the new coffeehouse space, including enlarging the windows, putting a rocklike facade on the exterior, expanding the side patio and planning for a mural to be painted on the building's exterior back side.
Customers will be able to purchase coffee by the bag from a wall of coffees displayed inside the eatery. Also, individual tables can purchase endless carafes of coffee for drinking while dining.
The owners envision the new coffeehouse to be a venue for tastings, meetings and other community events.
Look for the doors to open there in early September.
Williams Lighting showroom to open
A showroom selling all kinds of lighting products for homes and businesses will land at the Daleville Town Center.
Williams Lighting Galleries has signed a lease to open a showroom inside the center that is under construction on U.S. 220 in Daleville, said Millie Moore of Retail Real Estate, a leasing broker for the center.
The 1,500 square-foot-store will sell chandeliers, landscape lighting, ceiling fans and other supplies for residential spaces, said Robin Maxey, who is lighting division sales and marketing manager for the company.
Williams Supply, a Roanoke provider of electrical services and products, owns Williams Lighting Galleries. In Southwest Virginia, Williams Lighting has showrooms in Salem and Christiansburg.
The company wants to expand into Daleville largely to take advantage of the area's residential growth, Maxey said. Also, Williams' position at the Daleville Town Center will help it attract new home buyers as potential customers, she added. The Daleville Town Center eventually will house commercial and residential space.
The new Williams store should open during the fourth quarter of this year, Maxey said.
Photographer relocates studio
Professional photographer Michael Vest has shifted his Roanoke studio to a new location, while also adding a different side to the business.
In early July, Vest relocated his studio to Brandon Avenue in Roanoke from Valley View Mall. At the new studio location, he's partnering with a hair salon. In adjoining spaces at 1104 Brandon Ave., which is the corner of Brandon and Brambleton avenues, Vest provides photography services, while hair dresser Andrea Guillard offers hair, makeup and barber services.
The combined business is MVP Total Image. Vest's studio still is Michael Vest Photography.
In the past, Vest has hired freelance hair and makeup assistants for his photo shoots. Now, he no longer needs freelancers, he said.
"The whole concept just fits," said Guillard, who most recently was a hairstylist near Atlanta.
News from the Storefront at blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/storefront/
- The new Food Lion in Daleville will open Aug. 19.
- Barnes & Noble now has free Wi-Fi.
- Pitt Boss, a Roanoke County barbecue restaurant, is open.
