WSTB

Caught lunch at Mary's today and saw a plumbing/electrical contractor working on the old Salvation army store on N Trade near Seventh that Peyton Smith wants to turn into a gourmet pizza place.



http://www.journalnow.com/relishnow/din ... f6878.html

That's the old W-S Rescue Mission Outlet Store. It was originally a grocery. I hope the vinyl siding is removed from the stucco exterior, if it hasn't been already.

An update sure to warm The Possum's heart, the vinyl siding at 703 N. Trade (pizza restaurant) is coming down as I write this.

In other news: Unfortunately, noticed that the shoe store in the Lowey Bldg on W. Fourth is running a store closing sale....So far the tally is Women's clothing store, shoe store, home décor store all in the Lowey Bldg, a building that has FREE PARKING What other retail closings Downtown am I missing???

Courtesy of the Winston-Salem Journal:

Small Batch Beer Co. is going into the former Kopper Kitchen space on Fifth Street in downtown Winston-Salem. The nano brewery is owned by friends Tim Walker and Ryan Blain of Winston-Salem, and Cliff Etchason of Clemmons. Walker said that beer will be made on site and folks will be able to see the brewery operation from the street. The business will also have a 1,500-square-foot bar, and offer craft cocktails and a few local and regional wines. The business is expected to open by September.

I guess for now, if you want to have retail downtown, stick with Burke St and Arts District until they are all infilled before you go to Fourth St

K. Leigh's Collection, a high end plus size consignment boutique for women, is setting up shop at 843 Burke Street at the corner of Burke and Brookstown. After talking to the owner yesterday, the store, for now, will be open three days a week to take in consignments with a grand opening planned for early June. The store also sells new, upscale brands of handbags, purses, wallets, and iPad cases from Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and other designers.

Best of luck to Small Batch on 5th! I'm so happy downtown in getting another brewery. I just wish they chose a more attractive building. The logo should look cool on top.

https://twitter.com/smallbatchws/media/grid

Very exciting - 2 breweries downtown!

Forno Moto will be one of the most exciting restaurant developments in center city for years. Peyton Smith, the owner of Forno Moto, will open the restaurant at 703 N. Trade St. Forno Moto is a catering business that provides pizza with its mobile wood-fired oven.

Forno Moto
April 18
Got permits from the city this week. Construction meeting next week, then start building a restaurant. Look for it on Trade St. this summer.

Definitely good additions to downtown! Craft brews AND pizza?!?!?! Hard to argue with that.

I have never seen a mobile wod-fired pizza oven. I don't get out much

Spotted this advertisement of a new nightclub/lounge coming to Downtown Winston in today's edition of Yes Weekly. Thinking it must be going into the old Allure space (formerly Rana Loca)... Anybody else heard anything on it?

http://npaper-wehaa.com/yes-weekly#2013 ... le=1906708

^Clubs have such a short lifespan. I hope this one lasts.

follow Forno Moto's progress:
https://www.facebook.com/FornoMoto/photos_stream

follow Hoots Roller Bar and Beer progress:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoots-Ro ... tos_stream

WSJ has an update on Status:

A co-owner of Ziggy’s nightclub is renovating space downtown for a new video bar/dance club. Charles Womack and his sons, Alex and Eric, plan to open Status by the middle of the month and have a grand opening event at the end of the month. Womack expects to create six or seven jobs. Womack, the owner of Yes! Weekly, also operated the former MOD bar on West Fourth Street. Mod closed in August 2012 and is now Bull's Tavern.

Status is going into the former Elixir nightclub space, beside Community Arts Café, in the building at the corner of Spruce and West Fourth streets.
The video bar/dance club has the capacity to hold 300 people on two levels and will feature live DJs. “We’ve got TVs everywhere that are going to be showing the videos that the DJs are playing,” Womack said. “They’re all covered in some type of fabric and mounted in the wall. They’re all lit up from behind.”

Status will have an industrial décor, featuring metallic, silver and red colors. The venue’s VIP room will have a black ceiling with LED lights to give the effect of twinkling stars. Status will offer a variety of drinks, including wines and champagnes. “We’re going to have a lot of craft cocktails and high-end martinis and signature drinks,” Womack said. “We’ll also have an expansive craft beer selection, probably 80 or more. He said that the cover charge for the club, which will be open to ages 21 and older, has not been determined.

Womack is considering inviting DJ and TV celebrities to host parties in Status. Rental space also is available for private parties.

BTW, not liking how the Community Arts Café is handling that restaurant space on the corner of Fourth/Spruce. That has one of the best patios in the City & they are not maximizing the potential of the space. With their limited hours as well as menu, I would rather they turn that space over to someone with more "ambition" to turn it into a more vibrant venue. Actually, I would really like something with late night hours or dare I say, 24 hours (at least on the weekends).

Is this in the space that was a downstairs lounge during the 80's, or a gay club in the late 90's, at Merchantile Plaza?
BTW, W-S needs a new gay dance club, or at least a mixed club, now that CO2 is closed. We can't have all the alternative people going to the other triad city at night.