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2017 Best Historic Rehabilitation Project
Garner, NC
Garner entrepreneurs Patrick and Michelle Byrd completed a full renovation on a c. 1910 historic bank building located at 141 West Main Street in downtown Garner. The under-utilized, deteriorated property, last used as a barbershop, was renovated for the Full Bloom Coffee and Craft Cafe. The owners preserved the original vault in the building for their cafe kitchen, rehabilitated the original windows, renovated the original pine hardwood floors and completed infrastructure repairs and upgrades to bring the building up to code. The false facade was removed and the exterior brick that had previously been painted was repainted, leaving the brick that was unpainted, natural. The owners also built a custom bar area and a limited kitchen to serve customers and added seating for more than fifty to the first and second floors.
The $260,000 renovation was funded through a $75,000 Main Street Solutions Fund grant, a $5,000 facade improvement grant from the Town of Garner, and a $180,000 investment from the Byrds. Downtown Garner has no restaurants and Full Bloom filled that gap as a walkable destination for locally roasted coffee, craft beer, and artisanal sandwiches.
The project added 2,100 square feet of usable space to downtown. Full Bloom Coffee added 3 full-time jobs. The Town of Garner is also investing $2.5 million to build a 40,000 square foot recreation center adjacent to the cafe and the property on the other side of the café is being renovated for two upper-story loft apartments.
