Five new businesses are now calling Dublin home after a slew of ribbon cuttings over the weekend.
The Shops at Grafton, which contains Happy Belly Deli/Grafton Market, Austin Street Fabrics, Grafton Center and Little Authors opened to enthusiasm and a welcoming spirit when the Dublin Chamber of Commerce hosted ribbon cutting ceremonies Saturday, May 28. (A separate ribbon cutting was also held at 1.21GW Antiques.)
“We are opening in stages to make sure we can sustain everything,” owner Carmen Andersen said.
Carl Andersen and Joe Dummar made dreams a reality by aiding all of the shops with renovations and carrying out their husbandly duties to Carmen and Little Authors-Dublin owner Michelle Dummar.
Chamber Executive Director Amy McDonald spoke of the buzz of anticipation filling the town over the past several weeks.
“It does feel alive. Thank you all for investing in Dublin,” McDonald said during the ribbon cutting ceremonies.
Happy Belly Deli, inside Grafton Market, is offering a trio of sandwiches featuring homemade bread, Veldhuizen cheeses, local produce and ‘boozy jams.’
The sandwiches include the Tipsy Turkey (drizzled with Sangria jam), the Drunken Ham (with a salted caramel, bourbon glaze) and the Hammered sandwich (featuring the Sangria jam and candied bacon).
Citizens may want to check out the cooking classes or other take-home items such as homemade ice cream, bagels, chips and canned items. Grafton Market is also offering take-home meals with selections such as meatloaf and chicken spaghetti.
Located at 118 Grafton, the store will be open 7 days a week, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Sunday 1-4 p.m.
Opening its doors in an array of vibrant colors and welcoming personalities Austin Street Fabrics owned by Trudy Spears.
A 20-year dream was complete when Spears was able to open the only quilting store within an hour radius.
With quilting classes for all levels of quilters and premium quality cotton fabric, Spears said she is excited to be in operation at the Shops at Grafton.
“Just the opportunity for foot traffic and to work with these two is a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s going to be exciting to be in Dublin. It’s a vibrant little town with so much excitement.”
The store will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Though no stranger to Dublin, Little Authors (which operates as a ‘build-a-book’ for young aspiring authors to publish a physical story with provided materials) has found a new home at the Shops at Grafton with additional space to allow kids to spread out and be their best creative selves.
“We just have a lot more space. We’ve had customers come in and say we just love the energy of this place,” Dummar said.
The store will feature many summer activities including writing camps this year and the Zrobobinder is making its way from the former location into its new home ing the next few weeks.
The main hub of Shops at Grafton, Grafton Center, is being utilized to bring activities such as movie nights into Dublin and will be available to rent for gatherings such as baby showers, family reunions and more.
Its space is also being used by the talented dance teachers at Studio 6:14 with time set aside Saturday to register for classes.
The studio reports that it strives to create a positive learning environment for all types of dancers and performers. We offer a wide variety of dance and performance styles to fit boys and girls of all ages. For more information, visit www.studio614. dance/dublin.
Next year, Carmen Andersen will expand the facility to house the Dublin Underground Den, a gaming room where students can spend time hanging out with others in a safe space.
The grand openings also included live performances by a magician and musicians as well as a bounce house and water spraying fun with the Dublin Volunteer Fire Department.
For more information, visit shopsatgrafton.com.
—Citizen staff report