Granville’s 2022 business review
By Erik Pekar
As 2022 comes to a close, it can be said it was a year of activity around here. Let’s take a look at some of the business changes and events which occurred in the Granville area this year.
In January, announcement was made that Van Riper’s Gardens was bought from the Van Riper family in late December of 2021 by John and Diane Kent. Ralph and Judy Van Riper, the original owners, both passed away during 2021. The Kents have renamed the business as Van Riper’s Greenhouse.
Parker’s Dairy, the longtime dairy farm operation in South Granville, closed in February. It had been in business for more than 120 years. The land, cattle and equipment were auctioned off separately.
Granville gained a new pizza place last winter. Tommy’s Place opened Feb. 24. Located at 38 Main Street, it is owned by Tommy Festa. The restaurant has an Italian theme, and the menu includes other pizzeria fare as well as specials and Italian dishes.
A business in Wells, Vermont, reopened after several years of being closed. Amy’s Trading Post, on Route 30 just north of the town line with Pawlet, opened on March 31, and is owned by Amy Mears.
Another new pizza place opened in Granville in April. Miley E’s Pizza, 24 West Main Street, opened on April 6. It is owned by Ryan Baker and named for his granddaughter Miley. The pizzeria also makes subs and other dish specials.
From February to April, there was curiosity into activity at the car hop in the Village of Granville. The mystery was unveiled on April 12, when it was announced that the car hop had been purchased from Andy McEachron by the Barlow family, Wes and Laura Barlow and their children Payton and Matthew. The Barlows announced they would be returning the name to Scarlotta’s Car Hop; the new Scarlotta’s opened on April 27.
Middle Granville’s drive-in eatery reopened for the 2022 season. Jen’s Pit Stop opened on April 27. Aside from slight menu changes and improvements, the only major difference was the phase out of car hop service, started in May 2020, in favor of returning focus to their traditional window counter service.
The Glens Falls National Bank, which had been renovating their Granville branch since late 2021, finished their renovation in a noticeable way. The old iconic digital clock and temperature assembly, which had been in place since the bank opened in 1997, was replaced in early June. The new assembly is in maroon, in line with the bank’s new branding scheme, mentions the “Arrow family of companies” on the sign, and has an LED screen that displays the time and temperature.
The Granville Family Diner completed its reopening of the former AJ’s Restaurant space in early June, when they received their bar license and reopened the bar room. A juke box, pool table, and computerized dart board have been added. The diner section previously opened in December of 2021.
After several years’ absence, Bardin’s Laser Wash reopened to the public on June 16. Owner Mark Bardin noted that the system is all new and modern, and that doors have been added so that cars can be washed even during the winter.
A new eatery opened in Poultney in late July. Toad’s Burger Bar opened on Main Street at the site of the former Taco Experiment. There is a full bar, along with a pool table and other such equipment. It is owned by the proprietors of Third Place Pizzeria in Castleton.
The Pine Grove Motel changed hands this summer. Bob and Mary Lou Tressler sold the motel on Aug. 26 to Wes and Laura Barlow. The Barlows announced plans to renovate the motel rooms and modernize the website.
Hampton’s Brookside Pub, which opened last year with a creative and different take on the restaurant business, closed its doors. It was last open the week of Sept. 17, and on that day the proprietors made the announcement that the restaurant was out of business.
Over the summer, the plans proposing to turn the former Manchester Wood factory into a package distribution center for an “online retailer” made headlines, was the catalyst of many a rumor of the retailer’s identity and caused some of the best local interest in the town’s planning board meetings since the solar farm proposed early last year. From July to September, the plans proceeded through the town planning board. At the September meeting, it was revealed that the “online retailer” was Amazon, which plans to make it a “last mile delivery” center.
With the changing of the seasons, the seasonal eateries closed. Jen’s Pit Stop closed Sept. 26. Scarlotta’s Car Hop concluded the first season of its return on Oct. 31.
Last year, around the time that the plans for building a new Fair Haven Stewart’s Shop surfaced, plans also showed up at the Poultney Stewart’s for an expansion and remodel of the existing store there. While the Fair Haven Stewart’s was built and opened in 2021, Poultney received its new Stewart’s this year. Starting the week of Sept. 15, the store was expanded in the back, the old back-room resources relocated, and the store space expanded. By the week of Nov. 19, the work was practically done.
Construction on renovating the former Manchester Wood factory into an Amazon distribution facility began in October and full work commenced in November. The Manchester Wood sign was removed and fencing was placed up along County Route 24. The main contractors are Rozell Construction and the Walsh Group.
Granville gained another hair salon on Nov. 16 when Twisted Scissors opened at 61 Church Street. It is owned by Cindy Loucks, who has worked at area hair salons for several years.
A new kind of shop opened in Granville in December. The Opal Rose Company opened on Dec. 14 at 13 East Main Street. The store is owned by Kelsey Preston, and her family is well involved with the business. She describes the store as a specialty shop, in the niche of the metaphysical and spiritual.
2022 was a year of change, with some things returning to the regular, and other things starting anew. The Granville area witnessed the opening of businesses, the changing of hands of ownership for some, as well as others closing. Happy New Year to all and best wishes to everyone. May the Granville area prosper in 2023 and in the years ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment