Three very active agencies involved in the Hallmark Christmas event held on December 1st in Grantsville wanted to get to the truth on the matter as to whether or not that event was successful for area merchants. Teresa Overton of The 1982 Foundation, Melissa West of the Calhoun Chronicle and Shari Johnson, of the Ridgeview News spent time talking to area merchants to find out what their take on the event was.
An event like that of the “Hallmark” takes huge planning and a great deal of time and money invested. Businesses who participated stayed open late, costing staff hours, invested in extra inventory, spruced up a little more than typical and money and time invested that the general public does not see.
The first stop for the trio was Grinders. Grinders isn’t just a business, it’s an experience! At least for those who love coffee and speciality foods. When we ask a staff member how they thought the day went, they said “It was definitely worth it! The most people that they had ever seen on the sidewalks in Grantsville and their traffic increased greatly.”
That’s what we want to hear!
So the next stop was J&B Pharmacy which has been a staple in Calhoun County for decades. Not only for prescription needs and supplies, but some of the greatest gift ideas you can find. And according to their staff, the Hallmark event crowded their store with shoppers selling a lot of merchandise and milkshakes! They also added that they themselves “Had a great time seeing the people, the most they’d ever seen in town!”
More good news!
We kept traveling down the street to talk to Alice Holmes, the owner of Alice’s Attic. Alice too has a unique store of offerings for the musician and gift giver as well as a Restaurant with homemade food and wonderful ice cream creations. Alice said her day was very successful with food sales and she would it again!
Mom’s Place Too holds a special place in the hearts of her patrons who will tell you she is a worthwhile part of their day. Lisa’s home style cooking brings in a usual customer base but the Hallmark Event created a packed house for her too. Chasity, a waitress at Mom’s told us that they sold completely out of the meatloaf and that she had the opportunity to meet a lot of new people. “No Scrooges or Bah Hum Bugs,” she said, “People didn’t even mind waiting. The Christmas Spirit was in town!”
So from all apparent reasoning, the Hallmark event was well worth the effort and a great success!!! Thank you to the community for showing up and showing out!!!
