06/13/2026
The Struggle Is Real – From a Small Event Space Owner
Hi, my name is Lisa, and I’m the 4th generation in my family to run a business in this building.
My great-grandparents bought it in 1935 and opened a dry goods store. My great-grandmother also did mending and quietly helped people in need—sometimes lending money and holding onto their valuables until they could pay her back. In a way, it was the first “pawn shop” in town.
Over the years, the building housed many small businesses. My grandfather and my dad mostly rented it out, and that became their version of running a business. But when the last tenant left, it became clear that something had to change.
The space wasn’t working for renters anymore. Renovating again felt overwhelming—financially and emotionally. My dad was 87 at the time and understandably didn’t want to pour more money into it. He told me it was time for me to start making decisions… because one day, this would all be mine.
That thought terrified me.
I worried constantly—about finances, about the future, about how I could possibly manage what my parents had built. The costs—taxes, insurance, utilities—just keep going up. I didn’t know how I’d sustain it.
Then one evening, I saw a post from my cousin Julie, who had opened a small event space. I reached out to her, and she became an incredible source of support. She shared everything—the good, the hard, the practical details—and helped me believe this might actually be possible.
With my husband’s encouragement (and understanding that this would take many of our weekends), I decided to go for it.
My dad supported me in a way I’ll never forget. He refused to charge me rent, knowing that was the only way I might succeed starting out. Instead, we worked out a plan where he took a loan on the building and I made the payments.
From there, it was a full family effort.
We cleaned out years of storage, did demolition ourselves, and worked tirelessly to bring the vision to life. My daughters helped build our farmhouse tables, and we did everything we could to keep costs down—many things are handmade or secondhand. Every detail, from the décor to the paper towels, was chosen with care.
And when we finally opened…it was amazing.
I’ve been blessed with wonderful customers and have loved being part of so many special moments in people’s lives. I truly try to give every client the best experience possible—even sometimes more than I should.
But here’s the part people don’t always see:
The hardest moments don’t come during events… they come after.
Most guests leave the space beautifully, just as agreed. But occasionally, they don’t. And when that happens, I have to decide whether to keep part of the deposit to cover cleaning.
I hate it. I truly do.
I don’t want to keep anyone’s hard-earned money. I agonize over those decisions, often asking others for input, and I usually undercharge compared to what it actually costs me. But I can’t always wait for someone to come back and fix it—especially when I have back-to-back bookings. Either I clean it, or I pay someone to.
And sometimes, when I enforce the agreement, I get called unfair, petty—even a liar.
That part breaks my heart.
Because behind this little event space is just me—doing my best to be fair, to care for my customers, and to keep something meaningful alive for my family.
We recently celebrated our 2-year anniversary. I’ve worked hard to keep my rates as low as possible, but like everything else, costs have gone up, and I’ve had to make adjustments. The reality is, I need about four bookings a month just to break even—and that doesn’t always happen.
I’m not really sure why I’m sharing all of this, except to say:
I love this place.
I care deeply about the people who walk through these doors.
I want to be kind and fair to everyone—but I hope for that same kindness and fairness in return.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. It truly means more than you know.
❤️
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