There’s an environmental argument to be made, as the majority of what is removed from a house via deconstruction can be recycled or reused.
And it seems crazy to imagine this scenario as anything but a challenge, but if we’re making lemonade from lemons, there is an opportunity here!ĭeconstruction, taking a house apart down to the foundation, has long been regarded as a thoughtful response to blight remediation. Disinvestment sends negative messages about the community to visitors and residents - it’s bad business. We all know that blight creates a drain on the economy, but the emotional drain is equally detrimental. The call-out to the Cafe is based on compatible use and the unique opportunity for scalability and product sharing.Īnother challenge highlighted through this process is the abundance of blighted and/or abandoned properties in Clarks. Other operating businesses or organizations in Clarks interested in diversifying revenue streams while meeting a community need could explore this shared-use format. Note: This recommendation isn’t intended to put the Cafe owner on the hook to expand his business or provide this service - it’s just one option. But what if bringing a grocery to town happened in phases? What if it started as a shared service within an existing business and access to the basics (like milk, butter, eggs, produce, meat, cheese - you get the picture) and grew slowly, if and as needed, to meet demand? What if you could use leftover inventory to make lunch for your existing customer base? If the Cafe adds a “grocery” component to their existing restaurant model, the grocery stock could rotate with the restaurant supply, minimizing waste while diversifying revenue streams for the restaurant business and providing a necessary service. Owning a grocery includes covering the costs of a physical location and maintaining inventory, the ongoing battle to compete with low price points at larger chains, and the struggle to retain a committed customer base. It seems like a simple fix - need a grocery store, get a grocery store - but the list of challenges facing small-town grocers is long. While the Cafe was touted as a clear community asset, one of the greatest challenges cited in Clarks is the lack of a grocery store. The public willingness to support this locally owned business in their efforts to grow was remarkable, not only to us out-of-towners but also to the owner himself. The Cafe in Clarks is one of the most widely celebrated assets in town, according to sentiments shared both in-person during a well-attended public discussion and in writing, through the online survey.