OUR PLACE
Summer Moon is coming to Lake Geneva.
The owners of the Geneva Square Business Center (where Piggly Wiggly is located) have a thriving shopping center and room to add more great businesses. The plan for the multi-unit commercial building was discussed at the Lake Geneva Plan Commission. The new building would go along the entrance just off Interchange North on the front side of where the bank adjacent to Advance Auto Parts is located. The development will be a two-unit with Summer Moon in one part and an uncommitted tenant in the other.
The plan includes green space as well as a patio area. Greenery and well-thought-out landscaping are included in this plan. The existing pine trees in front of the bank will be relocated to the back side of Geneva Square along Sheridan Springs Road creating a better view when driving along that roadway. Summer Moon began its business as a single-family coffee shop. A local auction changed this family’s life path when it won a bid on coffee equipment in 2002. Summer Moon started in Texas and has grown to fifty locations nationwide. The Summer Moon beans are still roasted in Texas. The coffee shop menu will feature unique items prepared with all fresh ingredients and put together with great care.
This coffee shop is known for its oak-roasted coffee and signature sweet-cream milk. There are currently a couple of locations in the area, and those include shops in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and in Kenosha Wisconsin. The building has yet to be approved for conditional use permits by the city council, but it looks like a strong contender to be referred there by the plan commission and then approved by the council. Construction of the building, given that the approvals come through, will begin immediately with the new Summer Moon opening quite possibly before next summer.
The Anthony Blues…
As the summer wears on so does the rise in volume of Anthony’s establishments (Fat Cats on Broad and Magpie’s on Main). The sounds coming out of the ‘garage door’ set into the very front wall of Fat Cats on Broad Street grow ever more strident and truly obnoxious. The staff has decided to make peace with Anthony, so the ‘Little Anthony’ nickname is going away. Anthony didn’t like that humorously assigned nickname.
The publisher of the GSR thinks any nickname assigned to a person is a compliment, but, put in today’s political parlance, that makes him weird. This storm in a glass of water is all about sound, and sound alone. The food served at the bar and tables of Fat Cats is fine and the stuff served at Magpie’s, like the “Smashburger” is even better. If these two places will simply quiet down a bit they’ll avoid the coverage they’ve received at the hands of the GSR editorial staff.
Changes to downtown Lake Geneva could be coming next year.
The benches could be getting an update along with bike racks downtown. The idea of restoring the benches scattered throughout downtown was brought up at the last Business Improvement District (BID) meeting. The wood is warping, and the paint is chipping so they need to be replaced or fixed. They have seen better days and don’t even compare to what other communities have. The idea of ‘Adopt a Bench’ was suggested and had good feedback from the BID board and the public alike.
Any person in the public or business would be able to sponsor a bench to cover the cost of the restoration. A plaque with the name of the sponsor could even be placed on the bench. Bike racks are also being talked about with the future construction through Main Street. It was suggested to get people accustomed to biking through town instead of driving so when construction does start it will help alleviate some traffic. The bike racks are a part of the BID’s strategic planning and budget review for 2025. These are positive changes and can only enhance the look and feel of downtown.
