Tag Archives: Andrea Grove

January News Digest

January 31, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

AutoZone Veto Overturned

Harrisburg City Council last month rejected the wishes of the city’s mayor, unanimously overturning a veto that will allow an auto parts store to proceed with plans to locate in Harrisburg.

By a vote of 7-0, council affirmed its December vote to let AutoZone, a Memphis-based car parts store, advance in the city planning process as it seeks to build a store at N. 7th and Maclay streets.

Their vote vacated several unused “paper streets” on the lot owned by Susquehanna Township-based Vartan Group, which wants to sell the property to AutoZone.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse vetoed the measure, arguing that the city could use its discretion in approving street vacations to ask developers to abide by community standards, including the creation of affordable housing and job opportunities for minority and women laborers.

For example, council could withhold approval for a street vacation until a developer agrees to set aside affordable units in a housing project or employ local laborers—particularly minorities—on job sites.

“I think there is an opportunity for City Council to establish a review criteria for street vacations linked to the land development process that will help the city achieve some of its goals with regard to contracting and affordable housing,” Papenfuse said.

Council members, though, bristled at what they said was a new rationale for controlling a development project.

“The mayor has not sent down any legislation to address affordable housing or [minority business] participation,” Councilwoman Shamaine Daniels said. “So, I really I find this administration’s position just to be really artifice and not anything of much substance.”

Budget Dispute Resolved

Harrisburg City Council and the administration agreed to resolve a 2019 budget dispute without changing the original spending plan.

The approved, $70.8 million municipal budget contained flat spending compared to the prior year and no tax increases.

After a one-week delay, council members did not amend the mayor’s proposed budget, but they did attach two conditions to their approval. First, the mayor must provide written justification for awarding salary increases greater than 5 percent, and, secondly, must provide council with quarterly reports of unused salary funds.

Council also amended the 2019 budget to re-institute the director of community and economic development position, a role that was omitted from the city’s organizational chart as part of Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s proposed reorganization of city departments.

The amendment does not carry any new funding, so the city’s 2019 spending plan is unchanged. Councilman Ben Allatt said that the council will seek grants in the new year to pay the salary for a new director.

As always, the city’s largest operating expenditure in 2019 — $32.7 million — will be for personnel. Debt service and healthcare will eat up $9.8 million and $11 million from the operating budget, respectively. The budget also allocates $6.8 million in capital improvement spending.

Even though personnel expenses increased by $500,000 from 2018, Papenfuse said a priority for the 2019 budget is to maintain Harrisburg’s current staff capacity, which his administration has rebuilt after years of austerity.

Rather than add new personnel in 2019, the mayor proposed reorganizing the city’s departments to more closely align with the city council committee structure.

The city’s new organizational chart creates seven city departments to correspond with the seven council committees. The chart dissolves the Department of Community of Economic Development and replaces it with the Department of Engineering and Development.

Body Camera RFP Issued

The Harrisburg Police Bureau is eyeing a late spring launch for its department-wide body camera program, according to city hall documents.

The police bureau last month issued a request for proposals (RFP) to potential vendors, inviting them to submit cost estimates and specifications for 100 body-worn police cameras and a video storage system.

Bidders must provide detailed descriptions of their camera equipment and IT services, as well as a budget narrative that includes a unit price for cameras and accessories, a price for cloud-based video storage, and a fixed yearly rate for maintenance and support.

The RFP does not state a budget for the new program. The bureau was given $150,000 in Harrisburg’s 2019 budget to purchase body camera equipment, a figure that included $80,000 in unspent funds from 2018.

City officials announced in September 2017 that they would equip the city’s uniformed patrol officers with body cameras the following year.

The program was delayed, however, as police officials tried to determine which specifications they needed in recording and video storage equipment.

Kline Plaza Sells

Harrisburg’s Kline Plaza has sold to a New York-based realty company, which hopes to bring new life to the aging shopping center.

Nassimi Realty LLC, based in Manhattan, bought the mid-20th century, low-slung retail and office complex for $8.7 million on Dec. 24, according to Dauphin County property records.

Kevin Nassimi, vice president of leasing, said that the family-run company was interested in the property because “this is what we do.”

“The agent for the seller brought us the opportunity, and it made sense for us,” he said.

The company specializes in multi-unit retail and currently owns 25 million square feet of shopping center space in the eastern United States, including four other properties in Pennsylvania, Nassimi said.

Kline Village, located near the city line with Penbrook, is anchored by Giant Food, which recently signed a 10-year lease extension, and includes a Fine Wine and Good Spirits store, a Rent-a-Center and a Family Dollar, in addition to several other stores, a gas station and a state Department of Health walk-in location.

Nassimi purchased the property for about half the price of the last sale. According to Dauphin County, KOP Kline Plaza LLC, another New York-based realty investment group, bought the complex for $17.3 million in 2004.

Kevin Nassimi attributed the much lower sales price to 10 current vacancies in the 240,000-square-foot complex, including two office tenants that recently left.

“That’s a big hit financially,” he said. “That’s a tall task.”

Commissioners Seek Re-Election

Long-time incumbents Jeff Haste, Mike Pries and George Hartwick last month announced their intention to run for re-election for four-year terms as Dauphin County commissioners.

Republicans Haste and Pries have served on the three-member board since 2002 and 2010, respectively. Hartwick, a Democrat, was first elected in 2003.

In their re-election announcements, all three incumbents cited 14 years without a county property tax increase as a significant accomplishment.

Diane Bowman, a former Susquehanna Township commissioner, will join Hartwick as his running mate on the Democratic side.

This year, the primary election is slated for May 21, with the general election on Nov. 5.

So Noted

Barley Snyder last month announced that attorney Sarah C. Yerger had joined its Harrisburg office as part of the law firm’s employment practice group. Yerger worked for more than 13 years in the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office, moving to the private sector in 2013.

Elementary Coffee Co. announced last month plans to open a new roastery and coffee shop at 256 North St., Harrisburg. Owner Andrea Grove said that she expects to open this spring inside the newly renovated building, but will retain her stand in the Broad Street Market.

Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC boards of directors last month named Barb Bowker of PSECU as chair of the chamber and Jeannine Peterson of Hamilton Health Center as chair of CREDC for 2019. Other Chamber officers for 2019 include Tom Sposito of S&T Bank, Merone Yemane of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Greg Gunn of Gunn-Mowery, Karen Gunnison of Capital Blue Cross and Zachary Khuri of First National Bank. Other CREDC officers for 2019 include Ben Dunlap of Nauman Smith, Mayur Patel of Laughner Patel Developers, Mike Funck of Wohlsen Construction, Casey Khuri of NAI CIR and Wade Becker of RKL.

PSECU last month named George Rudolph as its new president. Rudolph will join PSECU in April to succeed the retiring Greg Smith, who has served as PSECU’s president for the past 28 years.

S&T Bank last month promoted Jordan Space to executive vice president, market president for the central Pennsylvania region. Space, who joined S&T in 2015, also was recently appointed to the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health’s board of trustees. In addition, he is a member of the Lancaster City Alliance executive leadership team.

UPMC Pinnacle plans to add several floors to its West Shore Hospital in Hampden Township to accommodate the growing needs of area residents. Plans call for adding floors above the emergency department to provide 58 more beds. The Ortenzio Cancer Center at UPMC Pinnacle is also expanding its cancer programs to include infusion treatment for thoracic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, head and neck and other cancers.

Urban Churn announced last month that it would open an ice cream production and retail space at 1004 N. 3rd St. in Harrisburg. Owner Adam Brackbill expects the craft creamery and scoop shop to open in early spring. Urban Churn also has a stand inside the Broad Street Market, which Brackbill plans to retain.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2245: S. Nolan to A. Kusery, $69,000

Adrian St., 2253: D. Rivera to E. Rivera Jr., $70,000

Antoine St., 500: L. Benzie to R. & P. Kotz, $165,000

Benton St., 620: PA Deals LLC to E. Shenk, $65,900

Benton St., 632: LMK Properties LLC to R. & B. Lomax, $30,000

Berryhill St., 2419: D. Seng to PT Capital Properties LLC, $55,000

Boas St., 414: A. Antoun to Berlin Group LLC, $75,000

Boas St., 420: M. Cohen to PA Deals LLC, $55,000

Calder St., 209: D. Weaver to M. Packard & C. DeAngelis, $143,500

Cumberland St., 121: J. & K. Bowser to J. Gurreri, $124,900

Delaware St., 263: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to R. & C. Steele, $67,000

Delaware St., 267: J. Renue to H. St. Phard, $127,500

Duke St., 2441: T. Nguyen & D. Thu to A. & R. Clark, $60,000

Fillmore St., 622: KAB Rental Properties LLC to S. Pierce, $68,500

Forster St., 2007: J. Claiborn to S. & M. Simpson, $55,000

Green St., 1319: K. Umbenhauer to V. Bajpai & J. Pierce, $109,900

Green St., 1712: S. Heredia to S. Jusufovic, $35,000

Green St., 1904: S. Watkins to R. & A. Gonsar, $195,000

Greenwood St., 2031: M. & M. Kochenour to S. Thomas, $82,000

Hillside Rd., 210: P. & M. Walsh to C. Rockwell, $107,000

Hoffman St., 3102: J. & A. Edwards to E. Mishler, $129,900

Holly St., 2002: Skye Holdings LLC to J. Elias Holdings LLC, $32,000

Hunter St., 1535: S. Costa to Delmax Properties LLC, $35,000

Kensington St., 1918 & 1920: Rohrer Rentals and B., C. & K. Rohrer to J. Willingham, $45,500

Lewis St., 320: B. Williams to Wyco Investments LLC, $53,500

Magnolia Dr., 2402: J. Hamburg to R. Gatling, $170,900

Manada St., 1918: 2013 Central PA Real Estate LLC to 1918 Manada Street LLC, $64,900

Market St., 1152, 1152½ & 1154: S. Peart to 1152 1154 Market St. LLC, $135,000

Market St., 1842: Adonis Real Estate LLC to A. & R. Clark, $92,000

Market St., 1916: C. Centeno to J. Alvarado, $41,500

Muench St., 607: N. Clouser to Buonarroti Trust, $35,000

North St., 1842: SRJ Realty to Sunshine ABQ Real Estate Investment LLC, $34,250

N. 2^nd St., 110, 112 & 115; 211 Locust St.; 206 Walnut St.: Sandton Fund II Holdings LLC & NAI CIR to Second & Locust Investors LLC, $1,850,000

N. 2^nd St., 515: Candlelight Properties Inc. to E. & H. Harbilas, $525,000

N. 2^nd St., 1001: Tang & Perkins LLC to AON LLC, $212,000

N. 2^nd St., 1319: A. Pruett to A. Black, $95,000

N. 2^nd St., 1909: S. Jusufovic to S. Catanese, $167,000

N. 2^nd St., 2432: M. & R. England to B. Eisner, $60,501

N. 2^nd St., 2443: M. Myers to M. & R. Row, $112,500

N. 2^nd St., 2735: K. & H. Thornton to B. Eisner, $123,201

N. 2^nd St., 2841: W. & W. Miller to Michael Barrett Market Street LLC, $200,000

N. 2^nd St., 2846: G. Harke & B. Voss to C. Souchek, $126,500

N. 3^rd St., 1211: T. & E. Chance to C. & L. Eby, $145,000

N. 3^rd St., 2211: D. Chen to J. & A. Sanderson & B. Sheaffer, $92,500

N. 3^rd St., 3020: PA Deals LLC to D. & K. Borelli, $99,900

N. 4^th St., 1630: Leahy Family Trust to J. Parfitt, $91,500

N. 5^th St., 1619: RMAC Trust & Rushmore Loan Management Services LLC to R. Par, $67,500

N. 5^th St., 3009: N. Acharya to T. Fenderson, $119,900

N. 5^th St., 3108: J. Charlton to P. Stawski, $74,000

N. 6^th St., 2526: G. Neff to L. & N. Perry, $34,000

N. 10^th St., 23 & 27: Equity Trust Co. FBO Robert Clay IRA to 812 Market Inc. & Property Management Inc., $100,000

N. 10^th St., 31: R. & B. Clay to 812 Market Inc. Property Management, $250,000

N. 19^th St., 26: A. & S. Ali to D. Paulino, $70,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 307: PA Housing Finance Agency & U.S. Bank National Association Trustee to K. Russell, $85,900

N. Front St., 1605: M. Sibrava to AON LLC, $595,000

Paxton St., 1638: CNC Realty Group LLC & C. Brown Sr. to AUM Investments LP, $36,000

Paxton St., 1726: Kirsch & Burns LLC to L. Dinh & T. Truong, $48,000

Peffer St., 232: E. Horn to S. Leister, $119,900

Regina St., 1813: Atlantic North Star Properties LLC to Sunshine ABQ Real Estate Investment LLC, $30,000

Reily St., 309: L. Fickes & J. Heath to M. & A. Manning, $95,275

Rumson Dr., 2639: J. & C. Renninger to R. Asplen, $87,500

Rumson Dr., 2856: Zelda Marilyn Rosenbaum Trust to S. Aiken, $76,000

Sassafras St., 203: R. Sohmer to W. & E. Branter, $85,000

Seneca St., 217: D. & V. Fry to M. Hoffman, $140,000

Seneca St., 239: A. Manderino to J. Payne, $72,000

Seneca St., 323: A. Otwell to M. & R. Khan, $35,000

Showers St., 577: C. Mulkey to M. Koerner & A. Koch, $104,900

Showers St., 607: C. & R. Haigh to E. Moffet, $143,000

Showers St., 716: N. & R. Godfrey to L. Kraynak, $134,000

S. 13^th St., 1531: J. Beebe to Fruition Holdings LLC, $61,500

S. 15^th St., 351: M. Gray to R. Levasseur & R. Similien, $30,000

S. 18^th St., 916: Crist Holdings LLC to 916 S. 18^th LLC, $325,000

S. 19^th St., 232: S. & K. Sanderson to B. Dessalegn, $30,000

S. 25^th St., 101 & 101 Rear S. 25^th St.: KOP Kline Plaza LLC & Ryan LLC Tax Compliance to Kline Plaza LLC & Nassimi Realty LLC, $8,700,000

S. Front St., 315: S. Eicher to K. Campbell, $144,000

State St., 231, Unit 101: LUX 1 LP to Commonwealth Entrepreneurs LLC, $362,500

State St.,. 1720: Vista Properties LLC to J. Virbitsky, $82,300

State St., 1812: R. Burnett to R. Burnett Sr., $55,000

State St., 1934: D. Schneider to Wilton Hampshire LLC, $85,000

Swatara St., 1914: P. Miller Sr. to A. Padua, $31,000

Swatara St., 2144: D. Selvey to K. & F. Pichardo, $94,000

Woodbine St., 420: T. Griese to J. Cheatham, $51,500
Harrisburg property sales for December 2018, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Surrounded by friends, Elementary Coffee founder announces new location, new home.

January 10, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The future home of Elementary Coffee Co., currently under (re)construction.

Andrea Grove stood amidst piles of boards, debris and other signs of an active construction site.

She also stood among friends.

Last night, Grove invited a small group to an in-progress storefront on North Street in Harrisburg to announce the first standalone location for Elementary Coffee Co., her 4-plus-year-old, Harrisburg-based roaster.

As candles flickered, a cork was popped and champagne poured. There was no electricity or heat in the icy room, but that didn’t mar the celebration.

“I can’t believe it took us this long,” Grove said, as a circle of supporters raised their glasses. “But I’m glad it did because now we’re all here.”

This spring, Grove will open a 1,040-square-foot roaster and retail location at the corner of North and Susquehanna streets. She had just signed a lease to move into the ground floor of a building whose last occupant departed nearly three decades ago.

Since the early ‘90s, when a French restaurant called The Coventry closed, the twin buildings at 254 and 256 North St. had done nothing but deteriorate. Boarded up, with their roofs collapsing and bricks popping out, they were marked for demolition—a fate that seemed all but certain.

Then, last spring, attorney Matt Krupp, who lives across the street, bought them from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority.

At first, Krupp wasn’t exactly sure what the buildings would become. But he and his business partner eventually settled on a plan for two apartments upstairs and retail space on the first floor. Since then, a total renovation—more like a reconstruction—has been bringing back the small, mid-19th century brick-and-clapboard structures that had been given up for dead.

For her part, Grove had been seeking a location separate from her stand at the Broad Street Market where, on most Saturdays, a long, friendly, if chaotic, line forms to grab cups of her single-origin coffees and specialty drinks. She plans to retain the market stand, but will move her roaster from the market to the new space.

One thing she loves about her future shop, she said, is the location, as it sits at the seam of downtown and Midtown, just steps from the Capitol Complex.

“This area really is a merger of downtown and neighborhood,” she said. “It’s not either or—it’s both.”

Last night, amid the dim candlelight, Grove gestured to this and that—where the tables will be, where the roaster will sit. She pointed to an area that can be cleared out easily for musicians and even dancing, especially on weekends and during 3^rd in the Burg nights.

In good weather, there also will be outdoor seating, she said, both on the wide sidewalk out front and on the rooftop deck.

Grove said that she isn’t planning any major changes compared to her market stand—just more. More coffee availability, more simple food options, such as bagels and baked goods, and, of course, far more seating.

She’s also happy that she’ll be able to extend employment to her staff, who now work for her just three days a week due to the limited market hours.

Décor-wise, Grove described her future interior as “industrial contemporary”—faux leather, wood, raw materials. The interior is being framed out, so, with a little imagination, one can even imagine the tables, the counter, the people.

“We want to make this a space where everyone will be comfortable,” she said. “We want everyone to feel welcome.”

For more information about Elementary Coffee Co., visit www.elementarycoffee.co.

A Very Harrisburg Holiday: This Christmas, shop for gifts that are not only sold locally, but made locally.

November 30, 2017 | by Ann Knaus

For years, professional shoppers and last-minute gift-buyers had few choices but to hop in the car and travel to the local malls or big box stores to stock up on holiday presents and other seasonal goodies. What they found were the same offerings over and over, from store to store. It could leave even the merriest uninspired.

This year, break the mold and explore some of the unique local businesses that are bringing new life and new ideas to the holiday season.

It’s possible to shop for almost everyone on your list with a single visit to the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, where an array of vendors offers everything from food products to beautifully handcrafted items.

Popped Culture in the stone building is owned by attorney-turned-entrepreneur Mark Wieder. For the holiday, the artisan popcorn business is featuring Chocolat à L’orange, (dark chocolate with orange), Caspers’ Peppermint Bark, (white chocolate with peppermint bits) and Gingerbread Pop (just like the cookie). They are also introducing POPelicious popcorn spice blends so fans of the popcorn can recreate Popped Culture popcorn at home. “We are really excited to bring some holiday flavor and flair to the Broad Street Market,” Wieder said. Guests are invited to stop by for a popcorn demo this month.

Over in the brick building, be sure to check out the offerings at Elementary Coffee Co. “We’ve garnered a really good following at the market,” owner Andrea Grove said about the 3-year-old shop, which is partnering with Fennec Design, located across the street in the Millworks, to create enamel coffee mugs for gift-giving. “We had some merchandise the past couple of years, but (this year) we wanted to do something unique and are really excited about this. This is the only place in town you can get this type of mug.” The mugs retail for $15, and shoppers can choose from the simple Elementary Coffee logo and a more intricate flower design. Later in December, the shop also will carry MiiR travel mugs for coffee-drinkers on the go. Need a drink now? Elementary is serving up eggnog lattes made with steamed Apple Valley Creamery (East Berlin) eggnog and the ever-popular Midtown Ginger drink: a maple syrup-based latte with Apple Valley Creamery whole milk, topped with Calicutts (Lemoyne) fresh ginger and cinnamon spice mix. The shop also serves a peppermint ganache mocha, a warm, dark chocolate mint ganache mixed up daily and ladled out of a crockpot topped with Apple Valley Creamery milk and dusted with cocoa powder.

Vie Chevre owner David Kern is making it easy for shoppers to find just the right gift. The goat milk soap company in the market’s brick building has grown by leaps and bounds in the past year. Kern made “gifts on a budget” the theme this holiday season, making it easy for shoppers to buy everything from Secret Santa gifts to the unique objects for that special someone. Candles, a main staple item at the shop, will feature three specialty scents: On an Open Fire, Winter’s Chill and Home and Hearth, with each evoking warm and familiar fragrances of the season. Additionally, reasonably priced and ready-for-gifting are mason jars complete with to-and-from cards that include Vie Chevre’s famous Goat Milk Soap, Lip Balm and samples. Small jars are $7 and large jars are $10. “The week before Christmas, we will also be doing a full-push, last-minute gift sale,” said Kern, anticipating a bustling season.

If you have a sweet tooth or someone in your life adores anything that resembles Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, then Fudge-O-lutely is not to be missed in the brick building. The demure shop packs a punch of color. Visitors’ noses are overwhelmed by the delicious smell of chocolate wafting over the counter. Owner Jessica Kost says it all started with her grandma’s fudge recipe. “I used her base recipe and played around with ingredients to come up with new flavors. More recently, I started adding other products like marshmallows and cotton candy,” she said. Her holiday flavors include peppermint bark, gingerbread and eggnog. Other treats are handmade peppermint marshmallows dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in crushed peppermint candy. The shop also offers gift samplers and a mug set including Fudge-O-lutely handmade marshmallows and Frederic Loraschi (Colonial Park) gourmet hot cocoa mix.

Eight Oaks Distillery is a new kid on the block at the Broad Street Market, and owner Chad Butters is feeling at home. “The community here is so supportive,” he said. The New Tripoli-based business set up shop in the brick building a few months ago and hit the ground running. Serving American vodka, authentic applejack, colonial rum, American gin, Pennsylvania rye whiskey and bourbon whiskey, Eight Oaks is using traditional distilling methods to create its Pennsylvania-based products. Three new releases this month include pinot bourbon, aged rum and aged applejack. For anyone looking for gifts for that person on your list who likes to imbibe, two gift packs will be available: one with a bottle of vodka, Moscow mule cup and recipe, and another with applejack, a cocktail glass and recipe.

Speaking of the hard stuff, Harrisburg’s own Midstate Distillery is just a few blocks from the market. The distillery, located at 1817 N. Cameron St., offers a wide selection of spirits, including bourbon, vodka, moonshine and rum, for drinking on site or gifting. It may be the perfect place to unwind with your out-of-town visitors following that mandatory tour of the state Capitol.

While in the city, be sure to stop in at Matangos Candies, which has been in business for 60 years. Peter Matangos, the grandson of founder Chris “Pop” Matangos, is the face of the business these days. The old factory store at 1501 Catherine St. has remained the same since it opened its doors. This year, customers can buy old-fashioned clear toys as candy-lovers enjoy chocolate straws, chocolate Santa molds, Christmas crystal creams, peanut brittle, black walnut brittle, cashew brittle, black walnut hash and Roka, which is a cashew butter toffee rolled in milk chocolate and chopped almonds.

Just over the river, Market Street in Camp Hill is like something from a Norman Rockwell painting. Lined with small shops and restaurants, this centerpiece of the community looks like it belongs in a snow globe. At the center of it all is Cornerstone Coffeehouse at 2133 Market St., a community favorite since 1994. Stop in to get your caffeine fix and pick up some great gifts, including coffee mugs, 25 different teas, tea steepers, tea infuser mugs, T-shirts and other coffee supplies like French presses. “We carry so many items, but it’s what our customers want,” said General Manager Nicole Miller, who has been at Cornerstone for seven years. The shop also will be offering Christmas coffees that include Kringle Crunch, Santa’s Toddy, Jingle Bell Brew, Peppermint Mocha and fan favorites egg nog and egg nog lattes. Quiches will be available made-to-order for Christmas morning, and Chef Chuck LaPorta will offer a Feast of Seven Fishes class. Beyond the gifts and treats, it’s still about the people. “We are very community-oriented and our customers love our barristas,” Miller said.

A few blocks away is One Good Woman at 1845 Market St., specializing in coffee, loose-leaf tea and gourmet foods and gifts. “We have an ever-changing inventory so there is always something new to look at,” co-owner Mechelle Webster said. This season, the store offers baskets as personal, business or corporate gifts. Customers have the option to select the items for the baskets themselves or have them selected by staff. Despite the name, One Good Woman carries gifts for men, women and children. Be sure to check out the fine, handmade jewelry and the wide range of One Good Woman-branded items.

This is just a small sample of craft, bespoke and local products from Harrisburg-area shops. Be creative in discovering your own. You’ll find the search fun, the people friendly and the results better, more creative and more delicious than anything out of the big box.

Author: Ann Knaus

A Place at the Table: The faces behind Harrisburg’s women-owned food businesses

April 28, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

Photo by Hartman Benzon Media

They’re newbies, seasoned veterans and family members continuing a culinary legacy. These women happily find themselves part of a boom of female-owned food businesses in Harrisburg.

For a long time, Harrisburg didn’t have much of a dining scene.

Then, in the early 2000s, a few pioneers took a risk, mostly downtown, and, over the past few years, another wave of restaurants opened. But one thing was different this time around—many, perhaps most, were owned and operated by women.

A few women said they entered the business to continue a family legacy. Others said they wanted to work for themselves. Then there are those who, like many business owners before them, simply had a dream to do it.

They pull long workweeks, doing everything from preparing meals to washing the dishes to managing the finances.

“I’m under the sink with a wrench,” said Kristin Messner-Baker of the Vegetable Hunter, a vegetarian restaurant downtown. “It’s not glamorous.”

Some said they’ve encountered sexism on the job, from customers or in a business setting.

“I go into a place, and I have to spend the first 15 minutes to half hour convincing people that I’m worth listening to,” said Andrea Grove of Elementary Coffee, adding that customers sometimes think her male employees run her popular stand in the Broad Street Market.

Though their jobs are stressful, challenging and risky, these owners and co-owners said they wouldn’t have it any other way. In the following pages, we briefly introduce several of the women shaking up Harrisburg’s food scene.

Staci Basore, Elide Hower and Qui Qui Musarra: Rubicon, Mangia Qui and Suba

Though in charge of five menus, four kitchens and three restaurants, the owners of Mangia Qui, Rubicon and Suba still find time for afternoon adventures.

“We like to go biking, kayaking, play golf,” Staci Basore said. “If we can squeeze an hour in between lunch and dinner service, we’ll do that and come back.”

These seasoned restaurateurs thrive in the freedom that comes with self-employment.

“We answer to each other,” Qui Qui Musarra said.

They chuckle at romanticized visions of running a restaurant. Each woman clocks in 60 to 70 hours per week. Plus, working weekends “comes with the territory,” Basore said.

The trio opened Mangia Qui nearly two decades ago. They credit consistency in a quality product for sustaining a supportive customer base, “vital members to our families,” Basore said.

Each woman came to Harrisburg with professional restaurant experience from across the country and world. Their three restaurants’ internationally inspired menus and drinks reflect this.

They stay abreast of food trends, adapting as needed. Unceasingly, they stay true to themselves.

“It has to come from within,” Musarra said. “What Staci does, what I do, what Elide does—it’s all based on who we are.”

And that’s another reward to running an independent restaurant.

Andrea Grove: Elementary Coffee

Running a lemonade stand with her brother at 8 years old taught Andrea Grove her first business lesson.

“You can’t drink the lemonade because that’s drinking profits,” she said.

Since starting Elementary Coffee at the Broad Street Market in 2014, the former English major has learned a few more.

“When it comes to how to run a successful business, it comes down to meeting people and connecting with them,” she said.

Her shop partners with local businesses such as Calicutts Spice Co. in Lemoyne and Frederic Loraschi Chocolate in Colonial Park. These relationships extend internationally, too. Grove is developing a partnership to bring in ethically sourced coffee from Ugandan farmers.

She wants her specialty coffee shop to connect with all members of the community.

“Coffee shouldn’t exclude anyone,” she said. “You can almost leave people behind, based on price point or … based on atmosphere,” she said.

A small cup of specialty coffee costs $2, with creative espresso drinks a buck or two more. The market location attracts folks from all walks of life.

Though she initially hesitated to open in the Broad Street Market, seen as risky before its remarkable renaissance, the community has embraced Elementary Coffee, she said.

“I feel like this is such a self-supporting community,” she said. “I feel like, in general, people are warm and really willing to help.”

Leena Shenoy: Passage to India

Leena Shenoy likes to share a story that shows just how much Passage to India has become an essential part of the Harrisburg community.

For decades, one special guest celebrated his birthday at the Shipoke restaurant. Ten years ago, after marking his 90th, he told Shenoy, “I don’t know if I’ll see you next year.”

This past April, the day of his 100th birthday, he said the same thing after Shenoy brought his favorite dishes to a birthday celebration at his senior living facility.

“He was so happy to see us,” she said. “To do something like that was the best thing I’ve ever felt in my life.”

Over the course of the restaurant’s 24 years, she’s met some guests as newborns, and, now, they’re married. The restaurant has also hosted countless Indian wedding ceremonies with “nothing less than 300 people,” she said. Meeting guests and learning their stories keep the restaurant business fun.

“That’s what puts me back into my shoes,” she said.

Her husband, Vishnu, ran the business until his sudden passing in 2011. She said he emphasized treating guests as if they were royalty. Now, as the owner, she carries forward this vision.

“Every guest is like god, and you have to treat them like a god,” she said. “That’s what we believe in our customs. That’s what I believe.”

That’s what keeps customers coming back.

Nora Proctor: P&R Bakery

Nora Proctor’s mother always prepared her southern sweet potato pie from memory, never considering this dessert to be special. But to Proctor, her husband Ed and customers at P&R Bakery, the pie was an instant favorite.

Eager to replicate the dessert, she watched her mother closely. Then, she spent a whole day in the kitchen figuring out the recipe. “I think I got it!” she told Ed when he came home that evening.

“He blew my bubble,” she said, smiling. “He said, ‘You don’t know if you got it until I taste it.’”

He confirmed it. She had discovered her mother’s recipe.

Since then, this recipe has been a mainstay in their decades of selling homemade pies, cookies and other baked goods.

P&R Bakery sustains her mother’s legacy in more ways than just the pie. After her mother passed away, the couple took a “leap of faith,” as Ed called it. In 2006, they opened in the Broad Street Market. Six years later, they moved to Midtown Scholar Bookstore.

The consistent quality keeps customers coming back, she said.

“We use the old-fashioned ingredients,” she said. “Real butter, eggs.”

Plus, the sweet potato pie hasn’t changed significantly since the moment Proctor put the recipe to paper.

Elodia and Ana Saenz: Mexico Lindo

To sisters Ana and Elodia Saenz, preparing tacos from authentic recipes keeps family traditions alive.

The co-owners of Mexico Lindo, the taco truck parked at 15th and Market streets, serve cuisine derived from the region their father Eloy calls home. After two decades of serving the people of Harrisburg, he retired to his native Michoacán four years ago.

That’s when the sisters stepped up to run the family business.

They use fresh ingredients to prepare tacos from scratch, “because that is the Latino way,” Elodia said.

Customers appreciate the authenticity. Many find the truck through word of mouth. Some have eaten Saenz family tacos since 1990, when Eloy opened shop.

“They’re like part of the family,” Elodia said.

Knowing they’re continuing a family business motivates the sisters to each work about 70 hours per week. Ana’s daughter and Elodia’s son work weekends to “make some money and eat,” Elodia said.

A third generation may take over the shop. Elodia’s son studies hospitality management at Penn State, after being inspired by his grandfather and the family business.

“Because my father began this, I don’t want this to die,” Elodia said. “I can pass it on to my family.”

Mihye Pak: Yami Korean Food

Mihye Pak runs her stand at the Broad Street Market “the hard way,” she said.

She starts each week driving to Baltimore to purchase ingredients at a Korean market. Then she and her four employees hand-cut all the vegetables (because there’s more crunch and flavor than machine-cut, she said) and prepare fresh sauces (“So I know what’s in there.”).

She does all this work so that, when the market is open, Thursday to Saturday, she is able to serve authentic, home-style Korean food.

“When you make things the easy way, you’re not going to last long,” she said. “Customers, they know.”

She’s owned Yami for four years, after the previous owner reached out to her. Though scared, she said she would try it.

When Pak took over the shop, she swapped the old recipes—prepared with shortcuts and unhealthy MSG—with a new menu of dishes cooked as the customer ordered it.

She’s picky, she said. Her employees know this, too.

“I tell employees, ‘If you don’t want to eat it, don’t give it to the customers,’” she said.

Though, she admitted, if she cut corners, she could work less.

“I’m the last one to leave [the market’s stone building],” she said. “I never shut down unless the market shuts down.”

Kristin Messner-Baker: The Vegetable Hunter

Adaptability serves Kristin Messner-Baker well.

She studied creative writing, practiced law and entered motherhood, all while nurturing a dream to open a café.

Then, in June 2014, she and her husband John seized an opportunity to open a vegetarian restaurant called Crave & Co. on N. 2nd Street.

As the co-owner, she does everything from manage employees to fix what needs fixing.

Most importantly, she stays flexible.

Over time, the café evolved into the Vegetable Hunter, the name better reflecting its focus on vegetarian and vegan dishes. It even recently started selling its own craft beer. Messner-Baker plans to roll out a new menu, too.

“If you are stubborn and stick to one vision, and it doesn’t work, you are out of business,” she said.

Crave & Co., she believes, sounded too generic. The new name positions the businesses well for its future, she said.

The Vegetable Hunter feeds a hungry niche of veggie lovers in the Harrisburg area. Throughout the changes, the friendly atmosphere and quality food have remained the same.

“I love creating this atmosphere of a happy home,” she said. “[I love] meeting different people. Everyone’s friendly.”

Author: Danielle Roth

Food Network: Harrisburg’s craft food producers have formed a culture of cooperation, a web of support.

May 31, 2016 | by M. Diane McCormick

Urban Churn Ice Cream

Maybe the chalkboard notice at Zeroday Brewing Co. says it all. “Add a scoop of Urban Churn vanilla to any beer/soda!”

Or perhaps it’s the Elementary Coffee mocha made with Frederic Loraschi chocolate. Oh, and you can enjoy Yellow Bird Café cookies at Midtown Cinema, and One Good Woman coffee at Yellow Bird Café. Can’t get to Little Amps for coffee? Enjoy a sip at Garlic Poet restaurant or at the new Dalicia Bakery. If you haven’t made it to Midstate Distillery yet, try their Iron and Ice vodka on Café 1500’s summer cocktail menu.

As the Harrisburg-area craft food scene reaches a nice al dente, more and more vendors are partnering up to serve products created by their neighbors. They aren’t just sourcing from local suppliers. They’re cooking up new food pairings, cross-marketing their names, and cultivating new audiences hungry for unique tastes.

Through it all, they say, they’re lifting the city’s entrepreneurial spirit to new heights of innovation.

Support Group
Andrea Grove dreamt of more than just roasting coffee. The founder of Elementary Coffee Co. sought “to functionally be part of a community, and, with that, is finding solid partners to meet up with.”

“There’s a lot beyond just local ingredients,” said Grove at her Broad Street Market stand. “You become more than business partners. You become friends.”

Grove flavors her hand-roasted beans and brews with spices from Calicutts Spice Co. in Lemoyne (“You can smell the difference,” she says). Elementary Coffee is served at such establishments as the Millworks, City House B&B, Midtown Cinema and Chris and Val’s Café in Lemoyne. And the hot chocolate and mocha on the Elementary Coffee menu are flavored with mixes from the local, nationally known Frederic Loraschi Chocolate.

Grove reached out to chocolatier Loraschi before launching her business in 2014. She found they could talk about business and life, establishing the kind of supportive friendship that justifies one-on-one dealings, instead of contracting with big suppliers for everything.

“It divides your focus a little bit and divides your time, but the payoff is there, because you’re establishing something that gives longevity to your relationships and loyalty to the product as you move forward,” she said. “When you grow, you can grow together.”

Loraschi was well established, with customers in dozens of far-flung hotels and restaurants, when Grove called. Though Elementary Coffee Co. constitutes a tiny portion of Loraschi’s accounts, “sometimes it’s not about business,” Loraschi said from his pristine shop in Colonial Park. “It’s about connections with people, connections with the community.”

Through collaborations, food specialists bond with like-minded entrepreneurs, the kind who work long hours and have a passion for their product, said Loraschi. Starting a business “takes a lot of courage.”

“You don’t know how it’s going to work,” he said. “You give it your best try. When there is a young entrepreneur like Andrea, you want to help that person. You want to give advice. It was the excitement of helping someone start something new.”

Idea Exchange
Balsamic vinegar and kumquat ice cream, anyone? Sure, said Urban Churn founder Adam Brackbill. It’s a favorite of his, and Garlic Poet chef Kurt Wewer inspired it. Exchanging ideas and customers is a welcome byproduct of collaborations.

“I get a lot of ideas for creative flavors from him,” said Brackbill, who founded his business to bring old-fashioned churned ice cream to city living.

At Zeroday, Urban Churn is ready for floating in a brew or soda. In turn, Zeroday brews can be found on tap, depending on the rotation, in such restaurants as Garlic Poet, Café 1500, Rubicon and Home 231. By working together and “figuring out ways we can intertwine products, it is allowing us to access a broader customer base,” said Brandalynn Armstrong, Zeroday co-founder with her husband, Theo.

“Rubicon has a customer base that we may not get, and we have a customer base that Rubicon might not get,” said Armstrong as she prepared to open the Midtown tasting room for the evening. “By working together, it expands our footprint, our marketing, our branding. We’re all small businesses. Huge advertising budgets aren’t really there. By supporting each other, it helps us all.”

Changing Habits
When Grove serves a Frederic Loraschi-flavored mocha, “There’s a story behind his product that I can tell to customers, if they’re interested.” It goes something like this: Loraschi is French, world renowned, and “everything he creates is very pure. We know what goes into his chocolate.”

“It creates a larger picture, which is where the trend is going,” she said. “People want to know the story behind their products. We can honestly tell you what’s in it, but it’s also neat for the customer who’s buying it. They say, ‘I’m part of something larger,’ and they’re invited to enter into that story.”

Sprinkling unique, lovingly crafted products around town encourages shoppers to escape the grocery-store grind, say vendors.

“We’re going back to having the butcher,” said Loraschi. “We’re going back to having the baker. There is a resurgence. People want to know more about where their things are coming from, how they’re made, who makes them.”

Even Midtown Cinema taps into the craft food scene. The lobby is Urban Churn’s scoop shop. Java comes from Elementary Coffee Co. (“The ‘Elixir’ is delightful,” said Director of Operations Adam Porter, referring to the cinema’s espresso/ice cream/spice concoction). Zeroday acquired a can sealer that allows moviegoers to exit Zeroday’s tasting room and enter Midtown Cinema with an unopened can of craft beer (thank you, Pennsylvania liquor laws).

When customers can indulge in local tastes and BYOZ—yes, that’s “Bring Your Own Zeroday”—they get “an experience they can’t have at home or the megaplex,” said Porter. Naturally, a movie theater must serve popcorn (Midtown Cinema’s comes from Ephrata, by the way), but supplementing with local fare amps up the excitement and benefits all businesses “from a rising-tide standpoint,” he said.

Right Direction
Collaborations bring together people driven by “new energies,” said Armstrong. “You get to meet really awesome people who have the common core ideal of, ‘How can we make Harrisburg better?’ Sustainability can come from people living in the city, but growth comes from attracting outsiders to the city.”

The expanding “web of relationships” benefits businesspeople and customers, said Grove. Shoppers enjoy new tastes. Businesses find more opportunities in an ever-growing pool of potential partners.

“More than anything, you always hope with Harrisburg that momentum’s going to continue, but the fact that more and more people are moving in here and focused here and willing to start up businesses here is proving that Harrisburg is moving in the right direction,” said Grove.

Today’s entrepreneur-driven renaissance “is probably going to stick better” than the mega-project mindset of past city redevelopment “because there are so many people doing projects independently of one another, but all with the same goal of making this neighborhood and this city a cool, fun place to be,” said Porter.

As a roaster, Grove occupies the heart of this foodie ecosystem because coffee is “a focal point for everything that’s happening around it, whether it’s just conversations or revolutions rising up over a cup of coffee or the fact that there are a lot of ingredients involved.” And whether shoppers buy local coffee, chocolate, beer or ice cream, they are community-oriented and “meeting over food.”

“You’re part of a larger picture, a larger meal that’s happening, a part of a larger drink that’s going on,” Grove said. “That’s exciting.”

Where Can I Find?

Elementary Coffee

Chris & Val’s Café
City House Bed & Breakfast
Midtown Cinema
The Millworks

Frederic Loraschi Chocolate

Elementary Coffee Co.

Hummer’s Meats

The Harrisburger

Little Amps Coffee

Al’s of Hampden
Café Uovo
Dalicia Bakery
Garlic Poet
Radish & Rye
Rubicon

Midstate Distillery Spirits

Café 1500
Home 231
Lancaster Brewing Co.
Mangia Qui
Bistro and Winebar

One Good Woman Coffee

Yellow Bird Café

Pizza Boy Brewing Co. Beer

The Millworks

Popped Culture Popcorn

Abbey Bar/ABC
Little Amps Coffee Roasters
Midstate Distillery
Zeroday Brewing Co.

Short & Sweet Bakery

Little Amps Coffee Roasters
One Good Woman

Urban Churn Ice Cream

Evanilla Gourmet Donuts
Garlic Poet
Grain and Verse
Lancaster Brewing Co.
Midtown Cinema
Zeroday Brewing Co.

Yellow Bird Café Cookies

Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Tag Archives: Andrea Grove

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