Sentinel photo by JEFF FISHBEIN
Main Street in Reedsville, looking toward Manns Narrows.

REEDSVILLE — After opening the Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast in Reedsville, owner Lisa Everetts debated if Reedsville was the right place for her business.

Everetts came close to shuttering the business and putting the property up for sale.

“We had wished us to stay here, but guests would come here and there was really nothing for them to do,” said Everetts, who opened the bed and breakfast with her husband, Jim in April 2006. “We needed a really good restaurant and a gas station.”

Within a year or so, the Everetts saw a dramatic turn of events that saw the Revival Kitchen and Sheetz open.

“Those things happened, which is what we wished for,” Everetts said. “It was like we won the lottery.”

Everetts held themed events at her business but was frustrated. “We used to do all this stuff and not get anywhere,” she said of Halloween parties and pumpkin-carving. “To see what’s happened now is amazing. We’ve dreamed for 20 years for Reedsville to be like this. We have places to send our guests.”

Today, the bed and breakfast is booming with reservations — so is Reedsville.

Everetts’ guest list is filled with VIPs. “We’ve had people you can’t believe,” she said. “The richest men in the world stay. We’ve had entertainers and some other people you wouldn’t believe stay here.”

She didn’t name drop, but she did say world travelers have also frequented the bed and breakfast. They’ve have also been doctors, businesspeople, wedding parties, families and football fans. Guests have traveled from Italy, Sweden, Belarus and New Zealand to name a few.

“We’re bringing people in from out of the area,” Everetts said. “They stay here and can walk to our adorable town now. They’ve walked down to (Seven Mountains Wine Bar and) Stonefly (Café) or we’ve sent people to Toot’s Place, Revival Kitchen or the wineries.

“It just looks adorable, and people are talking about Reedsville a lot,” she added. “We’ve always been able to bring in people here, but we needed to have something for them to do.”

There’s also a new gazebo in Brown Township, which was donated by Kay Groninger in memory of her husband Larry. The annual Apple Festival at Bender Park and Big Valley Harvestfest at the youth park also brings in crowds.

“There’s tons of stuff to do,” Everetts said. “We’re in a time period where small towns seem like they’re going by the wayside. This town is flourishing. It’s like a boom and it’s really cool to see little towns and little businesses coming back. To see people fixing up things and more positive changes, we’re really happy with all of it.”

Trending the right way

Michele Lasher, owner of Michele’s OIP Restaurant and Pizza, has seen a lot of businesses come and go since she bought her eatery in 2008.

After some lean years, she said, “Business is pretty good. Things are improving in Reedsville — all for the better.”

Lasher said a downward trend started with the school mergers when fewer sporting events were held in Reedsville. “We’d get a lot of business from that,” she explained.

There were also events that left the area, including the Bluegrass Festival that left the Mifflin County Youth Park. Businesses, like Michele’s OIP, benefited from those crowds.

It took some time, but she said newer businesses have come to the area. Geisinger built its 65 Forward Health Center, a multi-specialty clinic, and Kish Bank also opened a new facility.

Now, the empty storefronts are also filling up.

“Businesses have come and gone here,” Lasher said. “It’s started to pick up now.”

Small town vibe

When Ryan Cherry and his wife, Lillah, were seeking a home for their second East End Coffee Co. location, they didn’t have to look any further than their hometown.

“My wife and I have lived in Reedsville since 2013,” Cherry said. “Reedsville has a different feel than a lot of other towns around Central PA — it’s a small town with a country vibe, but it feels oddly cool and modern at the same time.”

After opening their Lewistown shop in May 2017, the couple had been considering a second shop for some time and Reedsville seemed like the perfect place to make that happen.

“A friend of ours (Loren Kauffman, owner of the Reedsville Creamery) bought the property and all the pieces seemed to fit together, so we moved forward,” Cherry said.

Through thick and thin, they remain committed to Reedsville as adjustments were made to their business plan. They are extremely optimistic about the future of Reedsville, especially since its their home.

“We live here, just a block away frm the shop, so this is our backyard,” Cherry said. “We’re looking forward to see what happens next.”

While Cherry said the future can feel murky he remains very optimistic.

“Mifflin County has a long streak of harder times, but I think people are becoming more interested in the outdoors and outdoor activities, spending money locally and supporting small businesses when they travel,” he said. “The evolution of technology and high-speed Internet makes it easy to live in a place like Mifflin County while working in a bigger city, which we see a lot of.”

Future looks bright

Quintin and Liz Wicks, proprietors of Revival Kitchen, moved to Mifflin County from Colorado in 2015 to be closer to his parents and open their restaurant.

Reedsville in particular was appealing as a small town that aligned with their restaurant, Liz Wicks said. “We were looking to open a small farm-to-table restaurant in an agriculturally rich area with a relatively low cost of living. Our former location was available to rent and it just felt right to make the move to Reedsville.”

The Wicks opened in their original location in July 2015 and moved down the street to their current location in 2018.

Needless to say business has surpassed their expectations as they are currently booked through the end of the year, Wicks said. Like many businesses, they’ve had to make adjustments along the way, too.

“Every year we evolve as a business to accommodate our guests as well as a quality of life for ourselves,” Wicks said.

They are excited to see how Reedsville continues to grow as a destination within and outside the community, county and state.

“We love it!” Wicks said. “The future looks bright, not only for the new businesses in town but also for community projects like the Reedsville Apple Festival, which just celebrated its sixth year this September, and the recent streetscape project which brought new sidewalks and lights to the Main Street corridor.

“Walkability, accessibility and a variety of establishments not only make Reedsville a more desirable place to visit but to live as well,” she added.

Throw in a coffee shop, ice cream stand, wine bar, convenience store and multiple dining establishments and “I think Reedsville really is an up-and-coming destination,” Wicks said.

More than wine

The Seven Mountains Wine Bar has called Reedsville its home since 2011.

Owners originally wanted to open a location for consumers in Mifflin County to easily access their wine and not have to travel the Seven Mountains to do so. When the previous restaurant moved out of the location that they are in, they decided to open the Stonefly Café to able to keep the location buy with more than just wine sales.

Thus, the Seven Mountains Wine Bar and Stonefly Café was born in July 2018.

“I have personally worked at Stonefly since April 2019 and I can say over that time period business has surprised me with how it has grown over time,” says Alyssa Randolph, bar manager. “When I started at the café, business was steady but slow.

“Now, there are days that we unfortunately have to turn people away because the restaurant is full,” she added. “To me, I wouldn’t have expected a small café in Reedsville to ever take off the way that Stonefly has.”

For the most part, Stonefly Café has remained the same since it opened.

“We are always trying to adjust and change our menu to what we see our customers like and don’t like,” Randolph explained. “Staffing is occasionally a challenge, but that is just the times we are living in now.”

The biggest change they’ve made is to eliminate entertainment since the start of the pandemic. That’s drawn mixed results.

“We have heard good and bad reviews,” Randolph said. “Many people miss the music, but many others are glad that we no longer have it since it made the café very loud.”

Like other business leaders, Randolph likes the direction the town is headed.

“Reedsville is starting to look great and become a beautiful small town,” she said. “We love seeing all the change and improvements around the town! It has become quite the little ‘walking town,’ and we find people just stopping in to check us out and see what we are all about.”

In these uncertain times, the Seven Mountains Wine Bar and Stonefly Café seem to be on solid ground.

“The future feels good for us,” Randolph said. “We are continuing to grow our business and love that we are able to offer great food and wine.

“We see the same faces week after week — it’s always good when people are coming back — and new faces mixed in,” she added. “We love hearing people say, ‘We’ll be back’ or ‘We’ll tell everyone we know about you!’ There is still some confusion with people that we are just a wine bar, but once people realize we offer great food, they continue to come back over and over.”

We all scream for …

Loren Kauffman wanted to set up shop in Reedsville, but he didn’t necessarily know what business to open.

He did know it was important to him to be the only show in town. Thus, the Reedsville Creamery opened in March 2019 because an ice cream shop was something that Reedsville lacked at the time.

The creamery has become popular in a short time. “It’s been more (successful) than we expected,” Kauffman said.

“We didn’t really know what to expect in the beginning,” he added. “We had a lot of support from the area, and interest from a lot of people.”

So much so that Kauffman has already expanded the business. A ribbon-cutting for the Reedsville Creamery Ice Cream Stand took place on July 23.

The secret to Kauffman’s success seems to be maintaining a simple business plan. That includes their menu. The ice cream stand offers 12 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream, five flavors of soft serve, hot fudge sundaes and milk shakes.

“We looked at places where there were ice cream stands,” he said. “There are a lot of others who are more complex. We think there’s value in a simpler menu.”

That’s where there are 12 flavors available instead of a longer list. Plus, the ice cream is made fresh and locally from the creamery’s own milk. It has expanded to include specialty burgers and fresh cut fries.

“We’re constantly changing to make it work,” Kauffman said. “There’s a lot more planning than when we first opened. We’ve quickly adapted to what we needed to have.

“We are just taking each day as it comes, the challenges as they come,” he added. “You just never know what they are, and you have to be flexible.”

Kauffman couldn’t be happier with the renaissance that is taking place in Reedsville. “All the right things are happening in downtown Reedsville,” he explained. “We have supervisors who care about the town and the sidewalk project was the kickstart. It blossomed into what we have now. The people in Reedsville can take pride in their town.”

Kauffman feels fortunate that he selected Reedsville as the site of his business.

“Ice cream tends to work anywhere where it’s not,” he said.

As far as Reedsville’s success moving forward, he said, “The key for any town moving forward is that there have to be individuals who care about the town. They have to have a passion for doing something.”

Community action group

While new businesses have set up shop, Kay Semler, chair of the Reedsville Community Association, said the town has also benefitted from an improved infrastructure with new street lighting, sidewalks and “Hometown Hero” decorative banners over the past year.

It’s a far cry from when Semler moved to the area in 1983. Back then, Reedsville had a furniture shop, restaurant, two bars and a gas station.

She believes the renaissance started with the Brown Township supervisors securing grants for different projects. Additionally, private property owners stepped up to the plate and the community association have become “good ambassadors for Reedsville.”

That opened the door for new businesses to come to town.

“Beautification is really what draws people,” Semler said. “With the recent contributions from the three — supervisors, private property owners and community association — things took off like a bullet.”

Events, such as Reedsville Community Day and Apple Festival, have helped bring the community together.

She also felt the recent pandemic influenced small business owners to fill the vacant Reedsville storefronts.

“We’ve had new business and some that just want to relocate here,” Semler said.

Mayberry, U.S.A.?

You could almost hear the iconic whistling theme song as the words came out of Dave McNitt’s mouth.

“Reedsville is like Mayberry, U.S.A., everybody knows everybody. There’s no Barney Fife or sheriff,” said McNitt, referring to the popular Andy Griffith Show.

“It’s a really nice thing we have here,” he added. “A lot of people went through a lot of trouble to make that happen. It makes you feel good to make the town look nice.”

McNitt included. The Reedsville native, who has lived in the town for almost all of his life, owns 10 rental properties. He and wife, Sandra, were disheartened at first but have excited about many of the recent changes.

He is proud of the progress of the town, including role his properties have played in the rebirth of Reedsville.

There’s a house on Main Street that house a furniture store and restaurant, which has been vacant for many years. “The front was very unattractive, so we fixed it up,” McNitt said. “We designed a new front and put apartments in the building.”

There’s also the log cabin home near the center of the downtown. It was one of the town’s original houses, he said, which was owned by the Reed family.

While restoring it, “we uncovered the original fireplace, stone walls and beams,” McNitt said. Siding was also removed from the exterior, which revealed the logs.”

Another property near the log home has been renovated. McNitt said it has not had much done to it in years. It also had little curb appeal but is looking much better with new siding and doors.

Finally, McNitt mentioned another property which he fell in love with as a kid.

“We changed the house to look like an English Tudor house,” he said.

Giving town a ‘lift’

Three years ago, Kirk Rager bought a hydraulic lift to help him with maintenance work at the 14 properties he owns in Reedsville.

“I’m up on the high lift all the time,” Rager said.

There might be spouting pulled off one of his properties due to snow, a bird nesting in a window or someplace where they shouldn’t be, a tree needs pruned. His list goes on and on.

“It’s awesome,” he added. “People see me driving around town on it and they know I’m working. It’s the best investment I’ve made because I don’t want to get up on a ladder.”

Rager bought his first property on Main Street about 20 years ago. He added three commercial spaces and four residential spaces within a short time period and “wanted to make them very nice,” he said.

A few years ago, when Rager heard the sidewalk project was starting, he renovated the outside of the building next to the Stonefly Café. He rented space to the Tribe Five Boutique, an affordable and trendy shop that sells baby clothes, toys and other items, women’s clothing and candles.

“I rented to Tribe Five because I was looking for businesses that would have foot traffic,” Rager said. “I really wanted a place that will help the downtown thrive.”

He also has businesses in other buildings, such as Latibule Massage Therapy and B’s Hive hair salon.

Rager also owns seven more buildings throughout the town, including five he bought in the past year.

“We plan on doing some other things to them,” he explained. “Some are still in deep renovation. I bought them because it was a good investment.”

The ones he has finished — at least from the exterior — are easy to see.

“We’ve painted them bold colors like orange, Rager said. “Some standout colors, but also complementary colors.”

He and wife, Christina, live in a seven-bedroom home that was originally owned by the Reed family, who the town is named after.

“Every surface in our home has been renovated,” Rager said. “It’s taken us 30 years to do it. It’s just a really cool place.

“Without the support of the rest of your family, you don’t get very far,” he cautioned.

Rager also believes Reedsville has a lot to offer with public parks and playgrounds, which all “serve a great purpose and are all pretty well kept and very well used.”

There are a lot of fine eateries around town.

“If one of them is busy, you can come to another one,” he said. The growing number of businesses has given Reedsville “some pretty good momentum.”

Rager said business and community leaders can’t rest on their laurels.

“We have to keep the pedal down; we can’t let up. The momentum will perpetuate itself, but like anything it takes work.”

Rager is quick to thank Semler and the Reedsville Community Group for their support.

“They’re owed a lot of gratitude for helping to keep this momentum,” he said. “They put a lot of energy forth with Reedsville Community Day, the Apple Festival and Santa and caroling at one of the parks. This little town’s got a lot going on here.”

Rager said Reedsville’s proximity to State College and Big Valley has also played a role in its success.

“From a resident perspective, I want to keep housing affordable, but very nice, too,” he said. “I live here and want the town to be the very best it can be.”