This part two of this series.
We live in rural, small-town America. The population was 530 at the 2010 census. And now in November 2017, the population sign as you come into town reads “Population 487.” Bayfield is a destination location during the summer for tourists from around the country and the world.
Come mid to late October, the tourists are gone and many of the shops and lodging locations shutter their doors for the winter months. The hustle and bustle of the summer months are great for all who live and work here, and we’re also thankful for the peace and quiet of the winter months.
There are times during the winter months while driving downtown that the city appears to take on ghost town status. Parking along the main street is wide open, and businesses are shuttered. In times like these that I begin to ponder, ruminate and wonder what would happen if…?
Over these next 10 blog postings, I’m going to highlight random business properties in our town. The photos were randomly taken. There are new buildings, empty storefronts, and unimproved real-estate.
Today’s building (shown in the title photo) is an empty former eatery. The keen observer will note that the second story windows are boarded up and there is some signage on the front door.
When we arrived here nearly three years ago, this was an empty piece of real estate as well. In 2016 this became a new eatery for the tourists and residents of our fair town. Then in the fall of 2016, there was a small fire in the restaurant and they had to close. Currently, the building sits empty looking for someone with a vision.
Misfortune turned into a possibility. A well-established restaurant in town was for sale and the owners of the location of the fire took the opportunity to purchase the established location and move their operation in 2017.
The newly purchased restaurant historically had been open 6 a.m. until noon. The new owners expanded the hours to include lunch and dinner. This offered both tourists and residents a wealth of new eating opportunities.
The newly renamed restaurant has expanded their menu and upgraded their building to offer more options and amenities to one and all.