Area Businesses Feeling Demand

Rick Johnson, owner of The Blue Note in the Prescott Gateway Mall, says his guitar shop has been a popular place during the pandemic as people have picked up new hobbies and musicians have had more time to practice their skills. Photo by Stan Bindell

Quad Cities Businesses Experiencing Growth

By Stan Bindell, QCBN

Whether they are vineyards, restaurants or specialty shops, locally owned businesses are reporting relief as the world starts to feel more normal.

GRANITE CREEK VINEYARDS

Granite Creek Vineyards in Chino Valley is grateful for its strong base of local customer support that was built up before the pandemic and kept the business in operation with window service.

“Most of the business came from regulars and people from the neighborhood,” said Manager Ann Kennedy. “They wanted to know how we were doing, and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

New owner Alie Amato purchased the business in Chino Valley last February. Her plan was to turn the property into a cat sanctuary. However, the customer demand was such that Amato decided to keep the vineyard open while still caring for cats on the grounds.

Granite Creek Vineyards offers live music, including soft rock, bluegrass and country, on Saturday afternoons. Amato hopes to offer acoustic performances on Sunday afternoons soon. Meanwhile, the Winey Cats tasting room is undergoing renovations.

For more information, visit wineycats.com.

HEIDI LANE CAFE

Housed in a little red barn building in Chino Valley, Heidi Lane Café is open and business is growing.

Owners Joseph Swifka and Emily Hughes opened the restaurant in December 2019 just before COVID-19 hit, and almost closed down during the pandemic.

Heidi Lane Café promotes healthy food selections, created from the owners’ organic farm and other local farms. Everything is made on-site except for cured meats and cheese.

“We try to champion our local farmers, ranchers and other producers who are passionate about supplying high quality [foods],” said Swifka. “For a small city, we have a strong

Continued on page 39