At Reno's new "River's Edge Café," barista Angel Brown juggles orders from a stream of customers that never seemed to stop. We waited a full half hour to talk to her, and it wasn't even lunchtime. She had time for one question: Doesn't she and her customers know the economy's supposed to be bad? With a laugh, she told us, "Yes, I do know this."
This we know…the recession doesn't reside at the Rivers Edge Café, open since Monday in space that was vacant for years across from Aces Stadium. Co-owner Mike Steedman says he wanted a spot with no nearby competition for bagels and burritos, and muffins and mochas. One day, his realtor called, "And he says, ‘Oh! I got a place for you!' You know, if you're out and about talking to people, things do happen."
His method of recession madness is working so well, he's opening 2 more café's in downtown bank buildings. Still, in these times, it was a leap of faith. But as he told us, "You know, we just can't stay stagnant. We just have to keep going. You know Reno does just have to keep going."
Tuesday was opening day for the Wedge Cheese Shop in the Midtown district. Location might do well for them too…no cheese shop competition we saw anywhere near their place. Next door, we hear the Dreamers Coffeehouse is opening, "any day now," right where the old Delmar Station used to be.
But it's not all good news. A downtown Reno mainstay, "The River Gallery" right on Sierra Street, is closing its doors this coming Tuesday the 31st, after what owner Alejandra Carpenter calls, "7 years of very hard work, because selling art is hard, especially in our times with the economy."
Alejandra's paintings will go into storage. She hopes to find another place. She teared up as she told us, "Hopefully I can open in a year, get strong again. And open…hopefully."
Alejandra lost her rental deal with the city, but she says it's just as well...business has not been the same since Cavanaugh's Furniture closed next door. Just like Mike Steedman has found at the River's Edge Café, location is everything...good times and bad.
-written by John Potter
