Blueberries Eatery on Sixth St. is temporarily closed pending the restaurant's move across the street.
Owner Lauren Bell gave Downtown business owners the news on Tuesday during their monthly Downtown Connections meeting. The cafe, which opened in 2008, closed over problems with the utility bills at the former Century Market Building.
Bell said she paid her share, but gas was turned off to the building due to problems with other tenants. A now defunct night club and La Terraza, Mexican restaurant, are also in the building.
Bell said Blueberries (read a review here) is moving across Sixth St. to the former Wilbur's BBQ at 515 Sixth St. She also warned the business owners that she's petitioning for an existing liquor license, but only to sell bloody mary's and mimosas, drinks she described as "breakfast booze."
"I'm not interested in running a third-shift bar," Bell said.
Look for Blueberries to re-open in the fall around the time work on Sixth Street is finished.
Breakfast Booze in the Riverview area is pretty much a 40 ouncer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame. Blueberries was a delicious restaurant. I'll miss their stuffed french toast over the summer!
ReplyDeleteIs the Mexican place still open?
ReplyDeleteAh Rev. Tone that was a great one, sweet name too !
ReplyDeleteLauren, we eagerly anticipate your re-opening - the new Blueberries space is AWESOME...
ReplyDeleteRev Tony:
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong, but isn't the clientele of Blueberries predominately middle and upper class? Yet, when this business makes the paper with a statement about selling "breakfast booze" in a community filled with alcohol problems, you took the time to criticize a completely unrelated group of people.
I find it interesting that you somehow found a mimosa to be a better "breakfast booze" than a 40 oz of malt liquor. What makes it better? Because it was purchased and consumed by a higher class of individual?
In a community that is struggling to control the high number of liquor licenses in our city, and even in this specific area, I will find it incredibly hypocritical if Blueberries actually gets a license.
ReplyDeleteGinaB -
ReplyDelete"What makes it better?"
What makes it better is that the people sipping mimosas are not the people running around shooting up this city.
Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteSo...just to verify...you are saying that ALL of the people who have ever shot a weapon in this city reside in the Riverview area?
Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteIn addition, are you also indicating that the individuals who "sip mimosas" are not capable of committing crimes that affect this community negatively?
Just verifying. Thank you.
This is a nice breakfast place and I hope Lauren's plans for her new site go through without a hitch. As for some of the comments - put them on the police beat stories, they are inappropriate here. Some people have to take every article to the gutter. Clean up your act!
ReplyDeleteAnd Lauren - don't forget a strong Marketing plan when you reopen.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the clientele is predominately middle or upper class. At least the owner doesn't appear to be specifically marketing to that group of people and I believe the business itself was started on a lower class budget.
ReplyDeleteThe prices are actually very reasonable for organic/natural/local foods and I don't see any signs that say lower class not allowed.
Maybe this "lower class" chooses not to eat at Blueberries because they would rather spend the $5 they have at McDonalds. Funny thing is their hunger would probably be more satisfied if they did spend the $5 at Blueberries. Yup, crazy, I know.
Also, I'm pretty sure there is still a liquor license for the space Blueberries is moving into. The owner is looking to get it renewed so that they can offer mimosas and Bloody Marys. Why anyone would be upset over this is beyond me. I would think people would be ecstatic that a liquor license in downtown Racine is being used by a quaint little restaurant instead of just another Racine bar that offers drinks and frozen pizzas to help their clients drink more.