It's Your Business | Reopening a treasure box

Email business news to Jana Wiersema at jwiersema@news-gazette.com .

After focusing mainly on online business for four years, a local nonprofit bookstore has reopened its doors to walk-in shopping.

Orphans Treasure Box Bookstore, located at 826 Pioneer St., held a grand reopening on July 13. The store's outlet is now open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

"It was busy all day," said Meg Heiser, one of the store's managers. "There was not one second that we did not have people in the store."

She said they made over $800 on opening day — which isn't bad when you're selling books at a couple of dollars apiece, pointed out fellow manager Abby Mingus.

The business also operates an extensive online bookstore at orphanstreasurebox.chrislands.com. Heiser estimated that there are about 40,000 to 50,000 books in the store's online catalog.

She said that typically, books that are more popular, more expensive and in better condition tend to be listed on their online store, rather than shelved in their discounted outlet. However, certain titles that fit these categories may be placed in the shop if there are several copies available.

The outlet had previously closed in March of 2020.

"We've been mostly online and been doing pretty healthy business online," Heiser said. "...It really started snowballing over COVID and really became a powerhouse on its own. And so a lot of the store functions on the online revenue."

This past winter, Orphans Treasure Box opened a "holiday outlet" at a neighboring property, which gave people a chance to shop in-person again.

Mingus said the holiday outlet was so popular that they kept it open through mid-summer.

Even so, customers missed their old outlet space at 826 Pioneer St., Heiser said.

"(The holiday outlet) looked like an office space filled with books instead of like a cozy bookstore," she said.

Mingus added that founder Beth Wendling said she was surprised by how attached people were to the old outlet, which made her realize that "if it meant that much to people and if God was calling us to open it back up, then we would do it."

"Customers just missed it," said Mingus, who recalled hearing questions about when the store would reopen back when she started working for the business in 2021.

Heiser said it's a "massive effort" to run both the online and in-person store, especially since Orphans Treasure Box is staffed by a small group made up largely of volunteers and a couple of employees.

The bookstore's mission is to donate money and books to organizations that serve vulnerable women and children, she said. Additionally, its ReStart program employs women coming out of situations such as prison, addiction or abuse that make it hard to "restart" their lives.

Both Heiser and Mingus are graduates of the program.

The business shared on social media that their opening day raised $100 for ReStart and $300 for Restoration Urban Ministries.

BakeLab opens Champaign shop

BakeLab's second location at Lodgic Coworking, 1807 S. Neil St. in Champaign, had a soft opening Thursday.

The café's executive team said Lodgic proposed the partnership to them in late 2023.

"BakeLab Lodgic is designed to be the ultimate hangout for entrepreneurs and creators within our community," the business shared on its website. "Our goal is to collaborate with you, offering the perfect space where your innovative ideas can truly come to life. We aim for you to expand your network, make new friends, and contribute collectively to enhancing the very fabric of our cities."

The company's original location at 410 N. Lincoln Ave. in Urbana opened in 2021.

Going for the gold

Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery took home four medals from the American Cheese Society's 2024 competition in Buffalo, N.Y.

The business shared that its cheeses won the following awards:

• Gold medal for Everything Bagel Chevre in the Flavored Fresh Cheese category
• Gold medal for Mixed Milk Feta in the Feta category
• Gold medal for Little Bloom on the Prairie (a "Camembert style cheese") in the Soft Ripened Mixed Milk category
• Bronze medal for Ukrainian Farmers Cheese in the Fresh Cheese category

“Although we are a small dairy, these awards demonstrate that our team is crafting some of the very best cheese available in America today," said Lauren Brokish, co-owner of Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery. "Our Head Cheesemaker, Kato Lindholm, and our Creamery Manager, Lisa Little, bring extraordinary talent and dedication to our creamery. Our team’s expertise and passion, along with our happy goats, are the keys to our success.”

Old Orchard Lanes reopen following reno

Old Orchard Lanes and Links recently reopened its lanes and snack bar on July 8 after temporarily closing the areas for cleaning and renovations.

General manager Jordan Lutz said the work included new flooring in the kitchen, some work on the HVAC to relieve humidity, updating restrooms and putting in new countertops in the bowling area. There's also some carpeting work that is ongoing, he said.

"60-year-old building, it needs some work, you know?" he said. "Gotta keep up with the times."

The business recently announced plans to celebrate its 60th anniversary with a celebration from noon to 6 p.m. on Sept. 8. The line-up for the day includes music, food, inflatables, a visit from a fire truck and free mini-golf.

Grant approved for cat café renovations

Champaign City Council has approved a $30,000 grant agreement with property owner R Rentals, LLC to help fund renovations at 114 E. University Ave., the future home of a cat lounge and board-game café known as The Scratching Post. The funds for the grant come from the city's North Campustown TIF.

Lily Wilcock, an associate planner with the city of Champaign, said that the property's storefront has been vacant since Record Swap moved out in 2019.

"This redevelopment project would maintain the exterior of the building, update plumbing to meet accessibility standards for bathrooms, and improve the HVAC system," she wrote in a report to city council. "The project would prepare the space for a new coffee shop tenant, C-U Cat Café. The second floor will not be affected, and the apartments will continue to be occupied."

Scratching Post owner Rebecca Minick said in a previous interview that she is forecasting a fall opening for the business.