For Old Times Sake, Phil and Laura Cashwell’s widely-known antique store on South White Street, will close its doors toward the end of July. And that is just one of the several changes along the historic downtown street.
Backfins Crab House will leave its space in the first block of South White Street as soon as the interior work is complete at its new home in the Wake Forest Crossing shopping center. The restaurant and its sign will be the first things you see in the new buildings there if you drive in from Stadium Drive.
Ollie’s Café and Gifts has closed and Southern Suds & Gifts has moved into that space from its first location on East Jones Avenue. Some of the artists who had been leasing space in Ollie’s have moved to other downtown venues but others remain at Southern Suds.
Family Barber Shop, usually called Bobby’s, has been gone for months, and for a while it appeared the new enterprise in that building, Unwined wine bar and hot yoga, would never get underway after the roof was removed. But Unwined is slated to open this coming weekend with a cute new sign and rooftop seating with a wine bar.
A second bar, this one a private club with liquor only called Tonic Bar and Social Club, is advertising for bartenders and should open as soon as renovations are complete. Apparently anyone can join the private club for a fee.
Laura Cashwell sent out an email to customers and friends on Monday, saying “It’s with a heavy heart today that we announce that For Old Times Sake Antiques and Home Decor will be closing its doors toward the end of July. This is a bittersweet decision but Phil and I believe that it is time to focus more on our health and our family. It’s not an easy decision, but it IS the right decision for us. We have had our shop listed with a national broker for a while and we do believe that miracles can happen and Cashwells that it could sell at the last minute and continue on which would be fantastic!!!!!” The Cashwells have operated For Old Times Sake for almost 10 years.
8 Responses
Sue Anthony here. I want to publicly thank Bob and Elizabeth Johnson for coming to downtown Wake Forest, with vision, passion, and their $$$$$$ to finance their visionary projects. This, John, at a time when it was not trendy, there were minimal financial incentives, we had no $$$$ to spend on downtown staff, parades, concerts, dirt digging parties, etc. It has been my observation, John, after being in downtown for 30+ years, that it is much easier to plan for, talk about, contemplate projects and events and dirt digging, neat, old car shows, than it is to really step up to the plate (the several blocks on White Street) and put your money where your “good intentions”, “”grand plans” (Renaissance, for example) are. If you, John, really want to make a difference, and address the concerns you seem to have, put up your $$$$$ to buy up or rehab a building, or two or three in downtown. (It is my understanding that properties are available.) Contact me, and I will be happy to share with you how it has worked for me. And, to use the contacts I believe I have with my friends downtown to find a way for you to spend your $$$$. If, John, you have no $$$$$, are not willing to risk your $$$$$, stop being critical of those who have truly stepped up. And, go volunteer for a party/festival/ etc.—- very very good, but efforts that won’t ultimately take care of downtown.
Thank you Sue and many done’t know how you and Jerry have also not only volunteered on many projects, you kept Meet In The Street and other festivals going, but invested your time and money taking chances of which I couple failed. Also I remember so well when we tried many years ago to start a really nice entertainment event for the community at Event Gallery of The Cotton Company. Dinner, dancing with the old Carolina favorite band, The Castaways. Just for us to break even ( John read that as no profit) we had to charge $90 per couple (which we did) and only had one person to sign up – Sue Anthony. We tried but we failed and we have no fear of failure. The only folks to consistently fail are those unwilling to try and that is real failure as does not benefit anyone. Sue I’m pretty sure we know who “John” is as he usually does this under an assumed name, and can only complain, never doing a single nice thing to help anyone else. It’s always about him and what helps him. He gets his jollies from attacking others but so be it. A terrible way to live your life.
“John”,
Thank you for giving Sue an opportunity to yet again stand up for the heart of this town to educate us on what it really, really, really! takes to make downtown a such cool place.
You and I are the direct benefactors of the decades, yes decades, of passion and effort of people like Bob and Sue. Learn from what she says and try to emulate a fraction of what she and Bob contribute. You will be better for it.
Now put that Samsung Galaxy down, get off the couch and go do something that matters.
Hey John (?) if a real name of you. I’m Bob Johnson and what are you talking about? What “part” have we “ruined” and how? What are the specifics of your complaint? Easy to post dissent and take cheap shots but hard to have the guts to do anything about it. What have you been doing to help over the past 20 years? Be specific. Thanks
Just to clarify, Tonic Bar and Social Club will have beer, wine and crafted cocktails and while we are required by law to charge a membership fee it is only a dollar. As the owners of Tonic, Bill and I are excited to become part of the downtown landscape of Wake Forest. Thank you for the shout out!
Time for the town to take action on the johnsons properties. They are single handedly ruining what should be the best part of town.
Got any specifics you got the guts to talk about?
Thank you, Laura, for your dedication and tireless service to our downtown, especially through your work with the Downtown Business Association!