It’s all our business. FALL 2019
Enhance your brand with landscaping Freestyle endures through industry change Small biz longevity insights from Scarpa
HIGH SPIRITS
GREEN IS GOOD
LOCAL BUSINESSES CUT THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT
Blanc Creatives fuses form and function
IN
The economic impact of our local wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries
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If interested, please send a letter of interest and qualifications via email to meriwethersprings@gmail.com C-BIZ 5
PRESENTS OUR
FOUNDING
MERCHANTS
STAY TUNED FOR OUR NEXT BIG REVEAL!
23
FALL 2019
J.W. Townsend on branding with landscaping.
25
Must-listen-to business podcasts.
39
IN THIS ISSUE... THE PITCH
13
Corry Blanc forges a high-demand cookware business out of Belmont.
19
CATEC’s new director envisions the future of trade education.
20
Scarpa’s owner reflects on a quarter century in business.
Q&A with the president of the Community Investment Collaborative.
29
Freestyle remains competitive, online and off.
50
Backstory A look back on discount pioneer Woolworth’s.
ANDREA HUBBELL
16
The food hall revolution arrives in C’ville.
27
Accounting for taste
The economic impact of Albemarle County’s wine industry alone will top $110 million in 2019, says one expert, while craft beer is still on the rise, with cider and spirits catching up. What’s behind the boom? Cover photo by Amy and Jackson Smith
308 E. Main St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 817-2749 ■ c-ville.com c-ville.com/cbiz
“WE ALL SHARE THE SAME AIR AND WATER” A diverse assemblage of businesses are aiming to reduce their eco impact, from Firefly to Tiger Fuel. Saving energy and money are two big reasons why– as is an interest in improving the community’s health.
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C-BIZ, a supplement to C-VILLE Weekly, is distributed in Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the Shenandoah Valley. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Editor Laura Longhine. C-BIZ Editor Jennifer Pullinger. Copy Editor Susan Sorensen. Creative Director Bill LeSueur. Editorial Designer Max March. Graphic Designers Tracy Federico, Lorena Perez. Account Executives Lisa C. Hurdle, Theressa Leak, Chris Till, Beth Wood. Production Coordinator Faith Gibson. Publisher Aimee Atteberry. Chief Financial Officer Debbie Miller. Marketing Manager Anna Harrison. A/R Specialist Nanci Winter. Circulation Manager Billy Dempsey. ©2019 C-VILLE Weekly.
C-BIZ 7
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C-BIZ 11
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12 C-BIZ
3.458 x 9.875
Made to last Blanc Creatives cookware bridges new and old, form and function By Carol Diggs
C-BIZ 13
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The Pitch>Craftsmanship
W
Corry Blanc–blacksmith, designer, and founder of Blanc Creatives–is a north Georgia native who learned pottery in high school, metal-working from his uncle, and cooking from his grandparents. In 2007, Blanc began working for Stokes of England Blacksmithing Company in Keswick, making ornamental ironwork like railings, gates, and lighting (“I knew how to cut and weld,” notes Blanc, “so now I wanted to learn how to heat and bend.”). But his interest in design inspired him to strike out on his own. Shopping at farmers’ markets started him thinking about small items he could design, make, and sell there–like frying pans. Chef friends like Tomas Rahal of Mas (now at Quality Pie) were willing to kitchen-test his evolving designs. In 2015, Blanc rolled the dice. He submitted his frying pans to Garden & Gun magazine’s Made in the South awards, and won the grand prize in home products. “November 15, 2015, the announcement goes live on the internet,” he remembers. “By December, we had a ninemonth waiting list for product orders.” The next year, Blanc Creatives was featured in The New York Times’ gift guide, and the business took off. The idea began with function. Carbon steel is the workhorse of restaurant chefs, says Blanc; it cooks on all heat sources and builds up a seasoning like cast iron, but is lighter, smoother, and more malleable, so it can be shaped with a sloping side for more versatility. And shape is what makes Blanc Creatives’ products unique. Each piece is crafted by hand in the blacksmith shop and, as the product line has expanded, the woodworking shop next door. Blanc now spends his time designing products and streamlining the production process, with 17 fulland part-time blacksmiths and wood artisans; “these are really their pans now,” says Blanc. Blanc Creatives products come with a lifetime guarantee, and they aren’t cheap (pans start at $210 for the 9-inch skillet). Buyers can be dedicated home cooks (some purchase an entire set) or professional chefs like Rahal and Harrison Keevil at Keevil & Keevil. But Blanc also knows customers who save up to buy just one pan–an everyday tool that fuses function and beauty. What’s driving the appeal? “People have grown tired of the single-use mindset,” says Blanc. “And they are buying our story.” With each piece, customers get a thank-you postcard with a duotone photo of the Blanc Creatives crew gathered around the anvils: sweaty, grimy, and proud of it.
ANDREA HUBBELL
hile some locals lament the passing of small-town Charlottesville, tucked away in the Belmont neighborhood is a blacksmith shop called Blanc Creatives, where local artisans forge hand-crafted culinary tools they call “modern heirlooms made for daily use.”
“PEOPLE HAVE GROWN TIRED OF THE SINGLE-USE MINDSET,” SAYS CORRY BLANC, FOUNDER OF BLANC CREATIVES. “AND THEY ARE BUYING OUR STORY.”
C-BIZ 15
The Pitch>To Market
Destination gourmand By Jennifer Pullinger
West Market, and a couple of other ones that are up there, and I was just like, ‘Yeah, this concept will work.’ And Charlottesville needs one,” he says. Visiting Oxbow in Napa Valley cinched it for Henry because of what he considers the similarities between Charlottesville and Napa–population size, proximity to major metro areas, a thriving farm-to-table food scene, and mutual statuses as wine and wedding destinations. “I think we even have an advantage over Napa and that’s UVA–we have the college town as well,” he adds. Rotating vendor concepts and shorterthan-average market stall leases will be part and parcel of Dairy Market. “We want new things happening in the market all the time [to give] reasons for people to come back and shop or dine,” says Henry. “And that will happen organically because the leases are structured over a shorter time period [of ] three to five years instead of a traditional 10- to 20-year retail lease.” Ongoing programming in the complex’s event room, patio area, and private street network–think block parties and farmers market days–will encourage repeat visits and maintain
F
rom long-standing icons like Union Market in Washington, D.C. and Chelsea Market in New York City to relative newcomers like Workshop Charleston, food halls are a mainstay in urban districts across the nation. And Charlottes ville will be getting one of its own in spring 2020 with the Dairy Market on Grady and Preston avenues, part of Stony Point Design/Build’s $80 million mixed-use, multi-phase revitalization project of the historic Monticello Dairy complex.
16 C-BIZ
Dairy Market is poised to join the food hall trend when it opens in early 2020, while adding to C’ville’s growing reputation as a food and drink destination.
excitement levels. “I was meeting with the Tom Tom guys yesterday, and walking them through the site, talking about how we can do Tom Tom programming here next year,” Henry says. Meanwhile, another food-and-beverage destination just two miles away is in the works at the long-dormant Woolen Mills site, a 12,000-squarefoot project dubbed The Wool Factory. It will feature event space, a craft microbrewery, a restaurant, and a coffee and wine shop. (Tech
EZE AMOS
The first phase of the overall project is the adaptive reuse and reimagining of the 1930s-era Monticello Dairy building into a “shopping and dining destination”–specifically, an open market hall with restaurant and retail space. To inform Dairy Market’s vision, Chris Henry, Stony Point Design/Build president, took on the enviable task of researching more than 75 food halls and markets around the world, from Napa Valley’s Oxbow Public Market and Atlanta’s Krog Street Market to Torvehallerne market in Copenhagen and Mercado Central de Santiago in Chile. “I’ve been on a food hall bender,” he says. Dairy Market will include 18 market stalls— to be filled mostly by artisanal food vendors— two larger retail stores, a 166-seat, 7,245-square-foot common area, and two “endcap” anchors—a new pilot brewery and tap room from Starr Hill and a to-be-announced restaurant. Angelic’s Kitchen, which specializes in soul food and traditional Southern flavors (garlic shrimp, country ham rolls, fried fish, for example) was the first food vendor to sign up for a market stall. So...why a food and market hall for Charlottesville? The idea originated with John Pritzlaff, senior vice president at Cushman & Wakefield/Thalhimer, who is working with Stony Point Design/Build on the project. Not long after the idea was discussed, Henry found himself in New York for a conference, “and [we] went to Chelsea Market, Gotham
COURTESY DAIRY MARKET
The food hall revolution arrives in C’ville
Chris Henry
company WillowTree will also relocate to an 85,000-square-foot office space on-site.) Brandon Wooten, one of The Wool Factory’s partners, says the project–also slated to open by early 2020–will complement the existing community of restaurants, breweries, wineries, and event spaces in the area. “We’ve looked at successful food hall concepts in larger cities and wanted to offer a sim-
ilar experience but tailored more to our community. Our aim is to provide the optionality and experience that comes with a food-and-beverage hall, appropriately sized for the traffic we expect,” Wooten says. Even still, Wooten says he hopes The Wool Factory will become “a destination–and representation of Charlottesville–for people across the commonwealth and beyond.”
While C’ville will soon be spoiled by choices with even more food and drink hot spots, Henry says he believes there is room for everyone. “It’s enhancing and building on a lot of the great things that already happen in Charlottesville… I mean, you can’t beat the Downtown Mall. This is just enhancing that and creating another destination, a second option for people,” he says.
“WE WANT NEW THINGS HAPPENING IN THE MARKET ALL THE TIME [TO GIVE] REASONS FOR PEOPLE TO COME BACK AND SHOP OR DINE,” SAYS CHRIS HENRY, STONY POINT DESIGN/BUILD PRESIDENT. C-BIZ 17
LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL
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18 C-BIZ
The Pitch>Education
Expanding technical education horizons New director Stephanie Carter frames the future of CATEC By Lisa Martin
E
ach time Stephanie Carter searches for a skilled tradesperson to repair or rebuild something in her home, she’s reminded of why CATEC is important. “We know there’s a nationwide trend that shows trade skills on the decline,” she says, “even as there’s so much work that needs those skills.” In her new role as director of the Charlottesville Albemarle Technical Education Center, Carter aims to make technical learning barrier-free.
“WE COULD TAP SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS IN THE COMMUNITY TO COME IN AND SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE, TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO LEVERAGE THEIR TRADE SKILLS INTO A REALLY GREAT CAREER,” SAYS NEW CATEC DIRECTOR STEPHANIE CARTER. education, but knows that not everyone does. “We are constantly assessing the marketing and promotion of our programs, thinking about how we get folks to understand what it is that we do,” says Carter, who officially joined CATEC in July. To that end, the school may offer ways for potential students to dip a toe in. “We’re working on an exploratory program so students can come and try things out, taking six weeks of engineering or agriculture, for example,” says Carter. To further lower enrollment barriers, she plans to extend CATEC’s satellite program, established by her predecessor, which offers classes at local high schools so students can attend CATEC while not having to leave their regular school. Eyeing today’s maker economy, which draws on both technical and traditional building skills, Carter sees a great opportunity to empower students to be able to start their own businesses.
AMY AND JACKSON SMITH
Jointly run by the city and county, CATEC offers a hands-on learning experience where high school students can take either morning or afternoon classes in technical tracks such as auto body repair, building trades, culinary arts, firefighting, and more, each pathway ending with a job-ready industry certification. “CATEC fills a niche for large, lab-based classes, so where it might be difficult for a high school to offer a lab where they repair cars, we’re able to offer that kind of space,” says Carter. Evening classes allow adult learners to retool or add skills as well. After spending seven years coordinating career and technical education classes at Charlottesville High School and Buford Elementary, Carter has long understood the value of CATEC
New CATEC director Stephanie Carter aims to help the larger community understand the value of technical learning and trade skills in the job market.
“We could tap successful entrepreneurs in the community to come in and share their knowledge, to teach students how to leverage their trade skills into a really great career,” she says. “We may start informally this year in a club format, and I’d like to see us offer an entrepreneurship pathway, pulling in programs we already have running here.” The combination of career education and high-schoolers is the sweet spot for Carter, who says the students are the best part of her job. “We emphasize the soft skills, like being professional, and the kids are really engaged when they’re here,” she says. “I know we can spark a fire in them and show them all of the possibilities in their career.”
C-BIZ 19
ANDREA HUBBELL
20 C-BIZ
The Pitch>Shop
Stayin’ alive Scarpa models small business ‘thrive-ival’ By Carol Diggs
I
in 1994 has evolved into one of the area’s premier women’s apparel stores. Gardner’s adventure in retail was spurred by her passion for shoes (“I spent my first baby-sitting dollars on a pair of gray Esprit driving loafers”), and–oddly enough–the problem-solving skills she honed as an architecture major at UVA in the early ‘90s. “Architecture is basically three-dimensional problem-solving,” she says. “You have to learn to collaborate, to present your thinking, to keep the end-user in mind–a lot like business thinking.” Gardner saw a problem–Charlottesville had no shop dedicated to fine women’s shoes–and the solution was clear: open her own. “I thought, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ I could fail at age 24–but wasn’t that better than getting to my 40s knowing that I had never tried?” She added accessories in 1997, and clothing in 2004. Then the 2009 recession almost forced Scarpa under. “I had been doing a fine job at watching the top line, but not so well at keeping an eye on the basics–profit margin, expenses,” Gardner says. “I learned a lot about being a better business person.” In 2012, as the market was recovering, she hired a consultant who became a mentor and “reignited that spark I needed to keep going.” Customer service and loyalty are the heart of Gardner’s business approach. Scarpa’s offerings reflect both the expertise of Gardner and her staff, and their intimate knowledge of their clientele. And this isn’t third-hand market research–it’s personal. Gardner has customers who have been shopping at Scarpa since it opened. Scarpa’s customers are still largely local, but now include out-of-towners as well. As Charlottesville has become a destination, shoppers
JEN FARRIELLO
n retail, 25 years is more than a lifetime–and Amy Gardner, owner and founder of Scarpa, knows this as well as anyone. The women’s shoe shop she opened in North Barracks Road
Small biz staying power
What has Amy Gardner learned about small business longevity? Here, she offers her top tips: 1. Figure out what you don’t know, and learn it. Ask for feedback and advice from everyone whose opinion you value, she says–whether for their expertise in business, finance, products, people management, or life balance. 2. Show the customer you are investing in your business. Gardner got this advice early on from Donna Doll, whose restaurant Brasa was part of Charlottesville’s dining boom in the 1990s. Fresh decor and comfortable spaces tells customers you are willing to spend money on their experience. For Gardner, this is one aspect of “playing the long game”–thinking beyond this month’s inventory or this year’s profit. 3. Keep personal relationships in the forefront. Every type of business is about people, Gardner believes: “The trick in business is to read your customer.” Likewise, when hiring staff, she looks for empathy as well as expertise. Asked to name one of her biggest accomplishments, she cites developing and inspiring her employees.
Scarpa owner and founder Amy Gardner (third from right) and staff celebrate 25 years of high-fashion success.
often make the store their first stop on a weekend visit. And UVA has brought students’ parents and a large and loyal alumni community who return for reunions and events–and revisit their favorite shoe store. What spurs this kind of loyalty? Beautifully crafted shoes, jewelry, apparel, and accessories–but above all, Gardner’s commitment to customer service. Need a pair of shoes adjusted? They’ll send them out to their expert cobbler. Need accessories to update your favorite outfit? Bring it in, and they’ll help you figure out a new look. Need a dress for a special event, but can’t get in during business hours? They’ll open early or stay late. These days, Gardner’s role is managing the business overall, and ensuring that her customers always know Scarpa is their store. “I’m self-made,” she says, “but no one is truly self-made.”
C-BIZ 21
! u o y k n Tha Thank you for voting the CharlottesvilleAlbemarle SPCA "Best Nonprofit"
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22 C-BIZ
The Pitch>Landscape
Curb appeal Differentiate your business–and the “user experience”–with landscaping By Jennifer Pullinger
A
rooftop–essentially, an extension in plant form of the social club’s overall brand as a stylish community gathering space. And they brightened up Tiger Fuel’s gas station markets with flower containers. “It’s amazing the difference that just a couple of containers full of flowers next to the door makes. It makes you feel like
J.W. TOWNSEND
After you’ve enticed a customer with a benefit-promising commercial or meticulously curated Instagram aesthetic, and it’s time for them to actually pay a visit to your place of business, why wouldn’t you extend your branding further–with a visually enticing exterior? It’s the exterior that makes the true first impression, beckoning customers to spend their time at–and money on–a biz that has thought about the holistic user experience, inside and out. Local landscape and fine gardening specialists J.W. Townsend Landscapes demonstrate how businesses can enhance their branding by creating tailored, inviting outdoor spaces and experiences where customers or employees want to stay a while longer. At the CFA Institute (the former Martha Jefferson Hospital site), for example, the landscape company transformed a new employee entrance from something that was “stark”–lots of metal, cement, brick, and glass—into a more welcome-to-work space, says Townsend employee Avery Ellis. “There wasn’t a lot of color [or] a lot of greenery, even though the rest of their landscape was really nice,” adds Ellis, who is “hotpots team leader” at the company. J.W. Townsend installed several planters–a.k.a. hotpots–lining the walkway to soften the hard edges, filling them with a bright assortment of spider flowers, annual salvia, and vinca. “It made a big difference to how the overall building looks,” she says. Ellis says dressing up the outside of their building wasn’t something the CFA did to attract more clients or customers—they did it so their employees would feel more welcome. Those thoughtful garden features communicate a message–that ”this is a good place to spend your time eight hours a day.” Last spring, J.W. Townsend also helped Downtown Mall hang spot Common House create a “summer jungle vibes” theme on its
J.W. TOWNSEND
s a business, you don’t have to limit your branding to the design of your website, or the packaging of your product, or the logo on your delivery van.
Customized landscaping that creates welcoming outdoor spaces can elevate a business’s brand and leave a positive impression on the customer or employee.
this is a safe place. This is a clean place. This is a place where I want to go and spend my money,” says Ellis. At Albemarle Dermatology Associates, the landscape company installed lush, multi-tiered potted plants full of curvaceous begonias, purslane, vinca, climbing mandevilla vine, and euphorbia at the entrance–creating a peaceful, cared-for vibe for patients. When The Shops at Stonefield wanted to communicate to guests that they were a local shopping destination, Ellis’ team helped send that brand message with splashy container gardens. “We tried to kind of blow them out almost and make them really full and a showstopper,” she says. “It goes a long way on a bald, cement sidewalk to line it with planters.” Well-designed landscaping and garden features not only show appreciation to your employees, they invite customers to hang out a little longer, buy another drink, take another spin around the shop, or make a repeat visit to that well-maintained gas station, which leads to more sales, maybe even more customer loyalty and worker satisfaction. In a competitive job market and commercial environment, what business wouldn’t want to aim for that?
C-BIZ 23
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The Pitch > Podcasts
In your ear Biz podcasts help listeners level up
Sample Episode: Are you crazy busy, but still not getting everything done? Join the club. Then listen to Episode 8: “How Can We Feel Less Busy?” with time management expert Laura Vanderkam, who tells us how to slow down, expand our perception of time, and work with intention.
“Don’t Keep Your Day Job”
here is a podcast for just about any aspect of business life you can imagine–#entrepreneurlife, #bossbabelife, #contentmarketerlife–you name it. So. Many. Choices. But you have to start somewhere, and so we did. If you are looking for inspiration to help you grow as an entrepreneur, tips to introduce more work-life balance into your world, or career insights to help you find your purpose, then check out our list of recommended, must-listento podcasts.
Host Cathy Heller spotlights creative entrepreneurs and experts, like Seth Godin, Mark Manson, and Angela Duckworth, and asks interviewees to share ways we can find more joy and purpose in life while making a living doing what we love. Episodes also pack healthy doses of the latest thinking on building a business, from disrupting the status quo to designing your creative path. Sample Episode: Email has made a comeback in a big way. Heller talks with the co-founders of the seven-million-subscribers-strong, Oprah-approved e-news digest Daily Skimm, who reveal how they developed their millennial women-focused company, which now includes an app, book, and podcast (natch).
“The Goal Digger Podcast”
“Creative Pep Talk”
By Jennifer Pullinger
T
Hosted by marketing guru Jenna Kutcher, “The Goal Digger Podcast” empowers women to “dig in, do the work, and tackle your biggest goals” and “live more and work less.” Kutcher has seemingly navigated many of the topics she discusses. She gave up a “nightmare” of a corporate job to build her own business, which has become a lucrative, motivational personal brand. Sample Episode: A recent edition featured lifestyle influencer Sazan Hendrix, who discussed navigating new “seasons” of her life and work, including how motherhood and the evolution of the influencer space impacted her business, how she conquered fear, change, and uncertainty, and realigned her entrepreneurial path along the way.
“Secrets of the Most Productive People”
From Fast Company magazine comes a podcast focused on how to “work smarter instead of harder.” (See a modern work theme?) Hosts Kate Davis and Anisa Purbasari share pro tips, hacks, and insights on everything from the morning routines of successful people and the plausibility of four-day work weeks to managing digital distraction and staving off burnout. Each episode is short and sweet, at 30 minutes.
Creativity comes in ebbs and flows. In this podcast, host and illustrator Andy J. Miller hopes to spark more flows than ebbs as he sheds light on the intersection of creativity and business. Topics include influencer marketing for creatives, unlocking your creative biz potential, and approaching creativity and business with a healthy mindset. Sample Episode: In “Starbucks Doesn’t Sell Coffee: This is the Secret to Unbelievable Growth,” Miller draws analogies and lessons for artists from our fave mass latte-maker, specifically, how to generate consistent income in your creative career and create art that sells.
“The Tim Ferriss Show”
Lifestyle design guru Ferriss, the bestselling author of “The 4-Hour Workweek,” chats with a variety of successful people, from Michael Pollan and LeBron James to Aisha Taylor and Cindy Eckert, sharing takeaways to help you live your best biz life. Sample Episode: Ferriss extracts plucky business lessons from SoulCycle co-founder Julie Rice, who talks about her career journey, from launching the indoor cycling powerhouse to, later, co-working company WeWork, both of which have strong community-building components.
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The Pitch>Q&A
A leg up
Local entrepreneurs gain access to mentorship, networking, financing, and general business knowledge resources with the help of the Community Investment Collaborative, says CIC president Stephen Davis.
The CIC helps entrepreneurs get the right start
ness. How do you think about marketing, sales, cash flow, hiring? Who are the people who take the workshop? A little over half of them have a business in the idea stage. A little under half have a business that already exists in some variety— some are very part-time, and others are a supplemental source of income. In a few cases they’re already full-time in the business and have gotten as far as they did by sheer hard work. They’re asking, “How do I stabilize this?”
By Erika Howsare
S
ince 2012, locals wanting to start their own businesses have been turning to the Community Investment Collaborative for support. The CIC runs a training program to help folks develop their business ideas—its 16-week Entrepreneur Workshop has graduated more than 300 people so far. It also offers financing, mentorship, and co-working space. We chatted with Stephen Davis, CIC’s president, about the collaborative’s impact here in Charlottesville.
What kinds of things are covered in the entrepreneur workshop? Number one is to help someone determine if a business idea, or existing business, is viable. Will it work for them? What are your goals and reasons for starting the business? The second piece is learning the basics of running the busi-
Why is an organization like the CIC needed in Charlottesville? Our mission is helping under-resourced entrepreneurs. Seventy-five percent of our clients have incomes below the median; two-thirds are women; over half are racial minorities. For each of those groups, they experience barriers beyond the normal ones. Our program is needed to give these groups access to business knowledge, education, and networks—you need to know the right people. We also provide access to capital through microloan funds. We are willing to take much more risk than a bank would.
What does the mentorship program offer to clients? In general, we look for volunteer mentors who are interested in helping the person more than the business, because part of our work is about developing clients as people and entrepreneurs so they can make decisions as opposed to the mentor primarily giving advice. You take a client where they are, figure out what their goals are, and provide coaching and support. What are some of the success stories that have come out of CIC? There are a lot of them. Just opened up in Fifth Street Station is Mochiko Cville, which does Hawaiian food. It started with catering, then a food truck, and now has a small restaurant. He [owner Riki Tanabe] really utilized all the different parts of our program along the way. And High Tor Gear Exchange, which does outdoor gear consignment, we were able to help them with some financing and ongoing support. Beyond the success of our businesses that come through the program, a big part of what we do is make our community stronger by bringing together people from different neighborhoods, backgrounds, education, and income levels. They all come through working on their dream, so they get to know each other well and make connections.
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The Pitch>Sports
Riding it out Freestyle survives 36 years of change By Erika Howsare
R
Back in the early ‘80s, when Hans and Sandy Natterer founded the store, they and co-owner Tom Zimmerman called it Ski & Sport Center and focused mainly on ski gear. Competitive swimwear followed. And Duane Brown joined the company in 1986, bringing skateboard expertise that allowed the store to expand in that direction. As Brown—who’s now 57, still skating, and still with the company—says, “Skateboarding has gone through ups and downs over the years.” But it’s proved more enduring than, say, in-line skating—one of several fads that have come and gone during Freestyle’s tenure. The store is now owned by Sepp and Measi Kober, and, says Cochrane, is serving its third generation of customers. How has Freestyle stayed on its feet? For one thing, Brown says, service delivered by actual athletes is a pillar of its business model. “People still like to come in and see the product,” he says, “and talk to somebody that skis or skateboards. We shine in that regard.” Also, Cochrane says, the company has built a reputation for top-notch servicing of winter sports gear. “We offer some of the highest-end ski and snowboard tuning you can get without going to New England,” he says. “We have people travel from upstate New York, Georgia, Michigan, specifically to come to us to get custom ski boots made.”
AMY AND JACKSON SMITH
emember all those specialty shops that went belly-up when the internet came along? Freestyle wasn’t one of them. Founded in 1983, the local sporting goods store is way older than online shopping—and it’s managed to stay relevant through lots of industry changes. “We want customers for life,” says store manager Don Cochrane. That’s meant operating as both a community-based business and a national online presence.
Store manager Don Cochrane and longtime employee (and resident skateboard expert) Duane Brown say customized service from real athletes has kept Freestyle competitive.
As for the online component, rather than ignoring it to focus on brick-and-mortar sales, Freestyle decided to treat it as an important parallel track where the company can compete nationally. “Our online product, the experience the customer sees, is equivalent to anybody else even if they’re a much bigger company,” says
Cochrane, adding that Freestyle has sold to online customers in all 50 states. This spring, with the opening of the Charlottesville skatepark, the folks at Freestyle noticed a bump in skateboarding sales. “As the parents are bringing their children in to get skateboards, they say ‘I remember doing this when I was a kid; I want to do this with them,’” says Brown. If skating is becoming a family activity, like skiing, then it promises to deliver more generations of customers to this business—now middle-aged, but still going strong.
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32 C-BIZ
“We all have a role to play� More and more businesses take steps to go green C-BIZ 33
BY CAROL DIGGS 34 C-BIZ
EZE AMOS
ore and more local businesses and nonprofits are looking for ways to operate sustainably. While not everyone is familiar with the “triple bottom line” approach (gauging success by three rubrics: economic, environmental, and societal), most do see efforts to go green as beneficial beyond saving money or reducing waste. And their number includes more than the usual suspects. “People might not necessarily think of us as among green companies,” says Tiger Fuel Company president Gordon Sutton. “But my brother and I [who took over the family-owned business when their father retired in 2017] are passionate outdoorsmen. We’re looking to the future, and we want to do the right thing.” Sutton’s brother Taylor, who is COO, was an environmental sciences major; Gordon himself interned at a biodiesel company and always had an interest in renewable energy. Their company, which distributes home heating fuels and petroleum products and owns The Markets convenience stores, began by installing solar panels on two of its stores, the Exxon stations on Preston Avenue in Charlottesville’s Rose Hill neighborhood and in Ruckersville. Sutton saw this step as both a sound financial move–“Our stores and car washes are significant energy users”– and a way to raise awareness and contribute to the community. He says both customers and employees have been enthusiastic and supportive. The company’s delivery fleet is diesel-powered; “we’ve looked into propane motors, but weren’t thrilled with the results,” Sutton notes. Tiger Fuel is now in the process of assessing its carbon footprint and developing a plan to set significant reduction targets. While traditional car dealers might also seem to be on the wrong side of cli-
mate issues, Carter Myers Automotive’s vice president Peter Borches calls CMA’s Colonial Nissan the company’s “incubator test site” for ways to reduce environmental impact at its 13 dealerships in central Virginia. Because lighting is a huge energy cost at auto dealerships, Colonial Nissan switched to LEDs and installed a 480-panel solar array designed to produce 93 percent of the facility’s electricity needs. While Borches notes the many incentives for greening the business– cost savings, tax incentives, positive public relations, and marketing benefits–his motives are personal: “My wife and I are worried about [the world] when our children are 50 years old. We need to raise this issue above the political fray, and get as many people as possible in the tent and working together.” An added benefit, in his view, is “our associates have really run with this,” contributing ideas like providing car shoppers with cup- and water-bottle filling stations instead of single-use bottled water, and recycling everything from paper to outdated computers. Ravi Respeto, president of the United Way Thomas Jefferson Area, says that as a nonprofit, “we’re always looking to reduce costs, but there’s a community leadership aspect as well as an awareness factor” in taking action to lessen environmental impact. United Way began by replacing its building’s old HVAC units with a high-efficiency system that includes programmable thermostats. Next year, after upgraded windows are installed, the agency is expecting a 10-15 percent savings on its electric bill–and it’s considering solar options down the line. “Climate change affects our lower-income constituencies the most,” says Respeto. Since investing in energy-savings technologies costs money up front, she notes, “there’s an equity aspect to this issue, and we are in the business of equity.” Firefly Restaurant, as a tenant, can’t make these kinds of capital investments– but it has invested in qualifying as the city’s first Green Restaurant Association-certified eatery. Owner and general manager Melissa Meese, a former environmental consultant, has installed UV film on the restaurant’s huge windows (cutting energy usage for air conditioning by 43 percent); invested in LED bulbs (“expensive up front, but saves energy and staff time, because
Firefly owner Melissa Meese, a former environmental consultant, earned her business a certification from the Green Restaurant Association by investing in making the eatery more sustainable.
they never need changing”); and committed to non-toxic cleaning supplies and customer toiletries. Meese also looks for used or rehabbed Energy Star-rated restaurant equipment: “I’m a big fan of second-hand [she’s also the owner of consignment shop Rethreads], and it saves the energy used in manufacturing.” It might seem hard for a hospital to go green, but when Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital decided to create a new campus on Pantops, in 2007, they tried to build sustainability in from the start. The facility (LEED®-certified by the U. S. Green Building Council) uses a range of technological tools to save resources: low-water-usage toilets, automatic controls for temperature and lighting, re-use of condensation water from AC units, and irrigation water supplied from the site’s retention pond. Focusing on a more sustainable building enabled the hospital to double its square footage (from it’s previous location) without increasing either energy or water consumption. As both a large community institution and a major employer, Hughes says Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital sees the need to set a visible example, from recycling in the kitchen (including composting food and reclaiming fryer oil) to encouraging
staff to bike to work and even cutting out bottled water and photocopied materials at meetings. For help in their efforts to reduce their environmental impact, several of these organizations–and others–have looked to the Charlottesville Climate Collaborative, a nonprofit founded in 2017 to coordinate government, business, nonprofit, and community resources to address climate issues. One example: C3 is assisting on Tiger Fuel’s environmental impact assessment. C3 also runs the annual Better Business Challenge, founded in 2010 by environ-
mental website Better World Betty and the community-based Local Energy Alliance Program. This year (2018-2109) more than 90 businesses and nonprofits participated, taking steps that collectively will save more than $675,000 a year in energy costs and cut 4,331 tons of CO2 emissions. Teri Kent, the original Better World Betty and now C3’s director of communications and programs, says, “There’s great momentum now as businesses are stepping up to this issue. Looking just at the money side of sustainability is too siloed–we all share the same air and water.”
BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY BY THE NUMBERS:
A HYPER-LOCAL CASE STUDY
New York City is requiring all large buildings to slash carbon emissions to meet a collective goal of a 40 percent reduction by 2030. In Seattle and Washington, D.C., plastic straws are officially banned at all businesses to reduce plastic waste. So how is the C’ville business community stepping up on sustainability? From Kardinal Hall to WorldStrides, many area businesses and organizations are pledging to reduce their carbon footprint with the help of the Charlottesville Climate Collaborative’s Better Business Challenge, a friendly, year-long competition that encourages energy savings actions and spurs sustainability initiatives on the local level. What kind of tangible impact can they—and did they—make? The 2018-19 Challenge tracked participant actions, and the energy-savings metrics are in.
93 4.9 8.1
NUMBER OF BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE CHALLENGE
675,620 6,124,000 293,420 4,331
MILLIONS OF SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE INVOLVED IN THE CHALLENGE
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INVESTED IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLES BY PARTICIPANTS
DOLLARS OF ANTICIPATED ANNUAL COST SAVINGS KILOWATT HOURS TO BE SAVED ANNUALLY THROUGH ENERGY-CUTTING ACTIONS
KILOWATT HOURS GENERATED BY BUSINESSES GOING SOLAR
“THERE’S AN EQUITY ASPECT TO THIS ISSUE, AND WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF EQUITY.” — RAVI RESPETO, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED WAY THOMAS JEFFERSON AREA.
TONS OF C02 AVOIDED
C-BIZ 35
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The current issue of Unbound goes all out with the best walks in the area, from For For NO-Fee counseling, LOW-fee training, and connec7ons to specialized NO-Fee counseling, LOW-fee training, and resources, contact a leisurely stroll at Saunders-MontiCentral Virginia Small Development Center contact connections toBusiness specialized resources, UVA Research Park 1001 Research Park Blvd., #301 cello Trail to an early morning sunCharloLesville, VA 22911 Central Virginia Small rise finish line at Spy Rock. Whatever Phone: (434) 295-8198 Email: sbdc@cvsbdc.org Humpback Rock Website: hLps://cvsbdc.org Business Development Center your pleasure, our list of 15 hikes will UVA Research Park surely stroll lks in the area, from a lei best wa h the get wit t ou all s 1001 Research Park Blvd., #301 goe you moving. Not a hiker? d un bo ver your There’s The current issue of Un line at Spy Rock. Whate ish fin e ris sun ing rn 434-295-8198 Trail to an early mo ing for you, too. something for at Saunders-Monticello somethtoo. ere’s you, sbdc@cvsbdc.org moving. Not a hiker? Th
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Grea A look at the economic impact of area wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries
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harv
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ordeaux, France. Napa Valley, California. Central Virginia? Possibly. Though Thomas Jefferson first attempted to plant a vineyard back in the late 1700s, our local wine industry is still young, only really emerging in the last 15 years. But in that time, the central Virginia region has become home to the second-highest number of wineries in the state, producing dozens of award-winning vintages each year. People aren’t just stocking up on bottles. Vineyards are also enjoying the fruits of their labor in the form of agritourism: tourists coming out for the scenery, tastings, events, and tying the knot. It’s clear that our wineries, breweries, cideries, and distilleries are an important part of commerce in this region, but just how big is that economic impact?
eat
VIRGINIA WINE AND AGRITOURISM
rvest ANDREA HUBBELL
By Whitney Ayres Kenerly
In 2015, The Virginia Wine Board estimated the full economic impact of the Virginia wine industry to be $1.37 billion, roughly the GDP of a small island nation. This marked a growth rate of 83 percent from 2010, and breaks down to 705,200 cases sold, 8,218 jobs, and 261 wineries. Uncorking the official numbers for the City of Charlottesville or Albemarle County is a bit more difficult. The Charlottesville & Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau doesn’t currently track that information, though they are hoping to have the budget to conduct that research, and other estimates can vary depending on how you define the region. What makes it especially tricky is that we aren’t just talking about the number of bottles sold and weddings hosted. The biggest slice of the economic impact pie comes from agritourism. The Virginia Wine Board calculated the retail value of Virginia wine sold in 2015 to be $129 million, while winery-related tourism was more than $187 million. It becomes harder to estimate the local economic impact of tourism when you factor in other elements of a trip. Imagine a group of friends decides to come down from Washington, D.C. for a bachelorette party with Cville Hop On Tours. They aren’t just spending money at the area wineries they visit, they are most likely staying in a Charlottesville hotel, eating at Charlottesville restaurants, and shopping in Charlottesville stores during their visit. So even though Charlottesville does not have a winery within its city limits, it’s benefiting from the area wine industry. By using the Virginia Wine Board report (“The Economic Impact of Wine and Wine Grapes on the State of Virginia – 2015,” produced by certified public accountants Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP) to take the average number of visitors for each winery in the state, Neil Williamson, President of the Free Enterprise Forum and editor of The Virginia Wine Journal, is able to roughly calculate the impact of the industry in a given region. With 28 wineries, he predicts that the economic impact will be more than $110 million for Albemarle County in 2019. CONTINUED ON PAGE 41
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Just as we saw with craft beer, Spirit Lab Distilling owner Ivar Aass predicts that the trends in distilling will favor unique, high-quality, and historically-rooted products VIRGINIA BREWERIES, CIDERIES & DISTILLERIES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39
With the City of Charlottesville at its center, the Monticello American Viticultural Area stretches from the edge of Shenandoah National Park to the James River and was was the first AVA to be established in Virginia. The Monticello Wine Trail, which includes a current membership of 35 wineries within this designated grape-growing region, has an economic impact that is probably closer to $120 million a year. Current President George Hodson believes the region is primed to be the next big thing in wine. “When you look at a lot of the things that are happening in Charlottesville, it becomes a perfect place for the industry to thrive.” Hodson cites the area’s academic culture, natural beauty, and the land’s ability to grow amazing grapes as ingredients for the industry’s organic growth. What makes the Monticello region distinct in the Commonwealth is the consistently high quality of its wines. More than 60 percent of the wines crowned at this year’s Virginia’s Governor’s Cup were from the Monticello AVA. While Monticello Wine Trail wineries have had success with a variety of vintages, Hodson believes that the region’s petit verdot, petit manseng, and red Bordeaux blends have the potential to define it. The major challenges preventing economic growth for the region come down to supply and demand. Area residents and visitors are drinking everything the wineries are supplying before it can be distributed to new markets. “We’ve got to make enough to let it leave the Charlottesville area,” says Hodson. He hopes that the continued popularity of events like Starry Nights at Veritas Vineyard & Winery and regular polo matches at King Family Vineyards will bring in the revenue needed to allow wineries to plant more grapes and produce more wine. Support from state and local tourism boards are also critical to ensuring the industry’s ascent. Virginia’s tourism board makes it a priority to funnel visitors to the vineyards by highlighting wineries, festivals, and wine trails in campaigns.
David King, the King Family Vineyards’ co-founder who died in May, was instrumental in passage of the Virginia Farm Winery Act, which allows wineries to sell their products directly to consumers.
Support from local governments can vary quite a bit by county. Advocates for the industry agree that the best outcomes happen when state and local governments proactively work together. The positive economic impact numbers have helped government officials understand the promise of a rosy future in wine. “We want Charlottesville and the Monticello [American Viticultural Area] to be the first name in Virginia wine,” says Hodson. “We are wholly committed to and doubling down on making Charlottesville and Monticello AVA a renowned wine growing region.”
EZE AMOS
MONTICELLO WINE TRAIL
JACK LOONEY
“Thanks in large part to David King’s [the late co-founder of King Family Vineyards and champion of the local wine industry] contributions on the state and local level, Albemarle today has some of the best winery and winery event regulations in the state,” says Williamson in reference to King’s advocacy for the Virginia Farm Winery Act, which allows wineries to sell their products directly to consumers. “We fought hard to get them to this point.”
Spirit Lab Distilling’s Ivar Aass thinks craft spirits will attain a momentum similar to that of area craft beer and wine: “Prohibition throttled the industry for 80 years,” he says, “and we’re finally getting to the point where craft distilling is gaining steam.”
The glass isn’t just half-full for wine. Local breweries, cideries, and distilleries all have plenty to toast about, too. The Virginia Brewers Association reported that 405,465 barrels of craft beer were produced in the state in 2017. That’s two gallons for every Virginian over the age of 21. With 236 craft breweries in Virginia creating a total economic impact of $1.37 billion (the same as the 2015 number for wine), that’s an average economic impact of close to $600,000 per craft brewery. Local breweries have their own version of the wine trail: the Charlottesville Ale Trail is 2.3 miles, pedestrian-friendly, and includes six participating breweries. They’re plotted along a map that visitors are encouraged to get stamped like a passport. Virginia’s craft beer scene has been cool for a while now, but Virginia cider is catching up and hotter than ever. Bold Rock Hard Cider currently outpaces almost every other local brewery in sales. The Virginia Association of Cider Makers reports marked growth in the number of cideries opened since 2006, with national cider sales growing an average of 73 percent each year. Boutique distilleries are looking to be the model for what’s next for their industry. Spirit Lab Distilling became the first distillery to open within Charlottesville city limits in 2015, and owner Ivar Aass sees the potential for craft spirits to attain a similar momentum as the local craft beer and wine market. “I think all distilleries are basically playing catch-up,” says Aass. “Prohibition throttled the industry for 80 years, and we’re finally getting to the point where craft distilling is gaining steam.” Just as we saw with craft beer, Aass predicts that the trends in distilling will favor unique, high-quality, and historically-rooted products. He also sees a future in Virginia-made brandy after recently collaborating with local winemakers on a Virginia oak-aged vintage by distilling some of the 2018 grapes that were too sweet for traditional wine processing. So whether you like to sip, swig, or savor your locally produced spirit of choice, you can be guaranteed to see more varieties and an improved quality in the next few years. And if you haven’t yet been invited to a wedding at a farm or barn where something boozy is made, you can expect that “save the date” to come any day now. Beverage-related agritourism in central Virginia is booming. We can all cheers to that.
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AMY AND JACKSON SMITH
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he summer of 2017 was a gift for wine grapes. The arid days were the source of complex vintages with the kind of balance winemakers aspire to produce. Then vineyards had to deal with the wet summer of 2018, when too much rain too close to harvest encouraged mold and caused the grapes to swell with water, diluting flavors. Increasingly erratic seasons due to climate change mean that if the burgeoning Central Virginia wine industry is going to survive, winemakers need to find new ways to adapt. “When you plant a grapevine, you want it to [last for] decades, so depending on how quickly things change, it can affect what you’re doing,” says Ben Jordan, who has been the winemaker at Early Mountain Vineyards since 2015. Grapes can be a fickle fruit. And considering it can take three to five years for a vine to produce anything usable for winemaking, planting decisions are fraught. By that time, and especially with climate change, you may no longer have the right grape in the right site. “On top of that, we’ve always had a relatively dynamic climate,” says Jordan. “We can have droughts, we can have 2017, which was dry and hot, or we can have 2018, which is kind of a washout.” For local winemakers, being in an emerging industry could be a protective factor when dealing with climate change. Unlike European regions, vineyards in central Virginia are not tied to producing certain wines or trademark processes that haven’t changed in 200 years. The Winemakers Research Exchange, a local research cooperative for wineries, is encouraging experimentation and knowledge-sharing through studies and sensory sessions. Winemakers can invite their peers to try the unfinished results of everything from whole cluster fermentation to wines aged in concrete eggs. Joy Ting, research enologist and exchange coordinator for the WRE, believes the region’s ingenuity is a good thing when it comes to acclimating to seasonal swings. “It does help us to have more options when we think about how to respond to those things,” she says. When your seasons become unpredictable, it’s not a bad idea for your wines to be too. “The world is changing,” says Jordan, “and you don’t have to make wines that taste one way or grow grapes the same way.” Central Virginia winemakers are integrating modern science in their old world craft. They are looking at how different clones of cabernet franc behave in the vineyard to decide what to plant for the next 10-15 years, and experimenting with breeding to try to make merlot more resistant to mildew.
ANDREA HUBBELL
Weather or not T
Winemakers are learning and experimenting with new ways to adapt to the forces of climate change so central Virginia’s wine industry can continue to grow.
Ting says that while the WRE isn’t set up for long-term experiments (most of the studies are designed to look at one year at a time), it’s an opportunity for winemakers to get creative with testing interventions. By learning new techniques for different scenarios, winemakers can be more prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at them. In 2018, several members of the WRE had success with one grape in particular: the petit manseng. Described as a “storm grape” that can take on loads of rainfall, it’s becoming a popular choice for local vineyards in need of a stable crop. “More and more people are looking to petit manseng because it does seem to have a good, consistent expression,” says Ting. Petit manseng, a French grape typically used to make white wines, can be used to make dry wines, off-whites, and dessert wines. Local residents may not be as familiar with it as they are with a vognier or a petit verdot, but as the manseng grows more popular with winemakers, it has the potential to define the central Virginia region. “It’s something that can be really useful in our industry, and can help us stand out in the country and the world,” says Jordan. “It’s a distinctive grape that makes distinctive wine.”
Tony Wolf, professor and director of viticulture at Virginia Tech, started evaluating petit manseng in 1987. He concluded the grape would have an excellent time adapting to the Mid-Atlantic’s climate due to its hardiness against cold and rot, and consistent yields of crops per vine. “Disease resistance is high on the list of desired traits,” says Wolf in regards to petit manseng. “But we are also going to need to evaluate new (and old) varieties that are suited to higher temperatures and higher rainfall conditions.” Critics are taking note. This year was the first year a petit manseng won the top prize at the Virginia Governor’s Cup. The 2016 vintage produced by Horton Vineyards in Orange County was lauded for its dry palate and full body with notes of stone fruit and hazelnut. Jordan is so confident in the grape that he recently ripped out a site of cabernet sauvignon grapes, vines that were planted with generations in mind, to plant the manseng in their place. “That’s part of adjusting to these changing factors,” says Jordan. “It’s about understanding a piece of land in context to its climate as opposed to just what you like to drink.”
When your seasons become unpredictable, it’s not a bad idea for your wines to be too. C-BIZ 43
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POURING IT ON Virginia craft beer stats
Number of craft breweries: 236 “Charlottesville has really become a mecca for great beer,” says Mary Wolf of Wild Wolf Brewing Company, which recently opened another location near the Downtown Mall.
Change agents B
everage leaders are disruptors by nature. Their willingness to take risks when it comes to flavors and production can often lead them to delicious places—and profits. Several have made big changes in the last year.
POTTER’S CRAFT CIDER
Potter’s Craft Cider, which currently operates a 128-acre cidery in Free Union, is expanding, adding a 100-year-old church on approximately 20 acres in Albemarle County. The move comes thanks in part to a $1.56 million injection of funds from the state. This development will allow Potter’s Craft Cider to establish a much-anticipated tasting room, and is expected to quadruple its cider production. Governor Ralph Northam announced the investment in January and cited agritourism as a valuable source of income for rural areas. Renovations to the church will take place over the next three years while the team establishes an on-site apple orchard.
WILD WOLF BREWING COMPANY
The Wolf is also on the move. Wild Wolf Brewing Company, based in Nelson County, recently opened a satellite location near Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. Owner Mary Wolf said she fell in love with the location two years ago and had been thinking about it ever since. When it became available again this year, the company grabbed it. She knew it was important to have a location within city limits. “Charlottesville has really become a mecca for great beer,” says Wolf. She attributes the city’s thriving industry to the mix of talented brewers who embrace innovation and a population full of young professionals who are willing to try new things. While Wolf says she might consider opening other locations in the future, she’s not interested in becoming huge. “We’re focused on quality—on great food and beer.”
Economic impact: $1.37 billion Production (in barrels): 405,465
Virginia wine stats
Number of wineries: 261
Economic impact: $1.37 billion (an increase of 83 percent over 2010) Production (in cases): 705,200 Employment: 8,218 jobs Beer source: Virginia Brewers Association (2017 data); Wine source: Virginia Wine Board (2015 data)
NORTH AMERICAN SAKE BREWERY
North American Sake Brewery may be the most unexpected newcomer to the city. The first craft sake brewery in the commonwealth opened at IX Art Park last year, and started distributing in Virginia last March. Co-owners Jeremy Goldstein and Andrew Centofante, a filmmaker and a web developer, respectively, are a self-described “unlikely [saki] duo,” but they put all of their passion for sake into the products they make. They managed to catch the attention of the Embassy of Japan and were invited to pour their own sake at a reception in D.C. this June.
C-BIZ 45
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C-BIZ 49
BACKSTORY
By Jennifer Pullinger
“Y
our Money’s Worth More at a Woolworth’s Store” was one of the ad slogans of the beloved discount department store, a downtown C’ville fixture for 73 years. Woolworth’s first opened downtown in 1924 on Main Street, and in 1965 it expanded and relocated two blocks away to 100 W. Main St., current home to specialty gifts and home accessories shop Caspari.
50 C-BIZ
Before Woolworth’s arrived at First and Main, a funeral parlor occupied the space (per one University of Virginia Magazine article), and after Woolworth’s closed, it became a Foot Locker. Its larger Main Street location comprised 15,700 square feet of retail space and a new lunch counter with a seating capacity of 54 diners. THEN: Woolworth’s, opened in 1965 (originally 1924); closed in 1997 NOW: Caspari, opened in 2005
(Woolworth’s old lunch counter stools can now be found at Quality Pie on Avon Street.) The F. W. Woolworth Company was founded in 1879 in Utica, New York, and through the years, evolved into a variety store pioneer and retail chain powerhouse. Yet inevitable changes in the retail landscape–shifts to shopping malls and suburban, big box stores–foretold its doom. On October 22, 1997, Woolworth’s faded to black, forcing wistful Charlottesvillians to forever say good-bye to the iconic five-and-dime.
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