LaCrosse Cafe closes doors

The Teapot Cafe closed last week, leaving another vacant storefront on Main Street LaCrosse. Townsfolk, though, don’t intend to leave it empty for long.

Cheri and Steven Garrett closed the doors on the restaurant they have operated for more than the past decade due to personal health problems.

In response, LaCrosse Community Pride, the organization founded to bring back a grocery store to the town is now seeking a restauranteur to take over the cafe’s operations.

“We’re really sad to see Cheri close it down, but right now what’s most important is that she takes care of herself,” said Randy Myklebust, president of Community Pride.

Myklebust noted the cafe was booking solid receipts before it closed.

“It’s an important piece of the community. It’s been a place where people get together,” said Myklebust.

Carol Audett is taking information from potential operators at her post at Jasper Trucking on Main Street. Audett said she had fielded three inquiries about running the cafe as of Tuesday.

“It’s a pretty easy walk-in type operation for anybody that wants to take over,” said Audett. “It’s got everying in it except for the food.”

LaCrosse Community Pride purchased the cafe building when it bought the former LaCrosse State Bank building from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The FDIC took over the building after it shut down the Bank of Whitman, a branch of which occupied the bank portion of the building.

Neither the FDIC nor the banks that previously occupied the building charged rent to the Teapot, which has been a Main Street fixture for more than four decades.

Community Pride bought the building out of FDIC receivership last spring and leased it to Sterling Bank, which opened its LaCrosse branch in July.

The Teapot Cafe has historically been Santa Claus’ first stop in LaCrosse every December. Lois Startin of Startin’s Repair down the street said Saint Nick is still scheduled to make an appearance with free muffins and juice at 10 a.m. Dec. 8.

Across the street from the cafe, work progresses on the remodeling of the grocery store building. Myklebust said the store should be ready to open, under proprietor Wendy Holliday, next month. Startin said the linoleum will be laid inside the store next week.

“Whoever comes in will be able to join in the renaissance with LaCrosse,” said Myklebust. “They can ride the wave.”

LaCrosse Community Pride is still seeking donations to complete funding for the store project and to help draw more businesses into vacant LaCrosse buildings.

Along with donations of scrap iron, wheat, cars and cash, Myklebust said a house in town has been donated by Diane Gunning of Spokane. Community Pride intends to sell the house and use the proceeds to fund its revival efforts.