Last Thursday, I ate lunch at the Paris Soda Shoppe. As is typical most weekdays at 11:30 a.m., the restaurant was practically empty when I got there, but about five minutes after I sat down, there wasn’t a vacant table in the restaurant.

The two girls working that morning quickly became overwhelmed, with one cooking the meals and the other working her way from person to person to receive food and drink orders.

A handful of impatient people left before the waitress made it to their tables, but in no time others filled their seats. Soon, there was a line waiting at the door of people waiting to be seated.

Just as I thought the poor girl was going to throw in the towel and walk out the door, the owner of Bella’s Gifts and Memories, located next door, walked in the door and straight to the back of the restaurant where she promptly began filling baskets with popcorn to serve the people waiting for their food.

Though a simple gesture, I couldn’t help but notice this good deed that epitomizes the atmosphere of the downtown area that I’ve grown to love during the past year.

This shopkeeper did not have to leave her own business to come help her neighbor. Could you imagine a cashier at a clothing boutique in the mall walking next door to alleviate a long line in the food court? It would never happen.

But this woman, like so many other downtown merchants, appreciates the value of working in the environment that she does. She knows that if she were in a bind, other shopkeepers would come to her rescue or help however possible.

It may be easy for us to get aggravated or impatient when it seems it is taking a long time for a meal to be prepared, but we quickly forget that these cooks are preparing food by hand, not throwing frozen foods in the deep fryer or microwave for three minutes.

We may get frustrated when the store downtown doesn’t have the top we like in our size, but I’ll bet that the shopkeeper bends over backwards to help us find another shirt, or order another in our size.

My point is, since I’ve begun working in downtown Niles, I’ve grown a new appreciation for the people who put the effort into keeping local business alive. I have great admiration for the people who appreciate the value in giving area residents the option to shop for unique goods without having to travel too far to find them. The ability to shop local is a huge asset to our community, and our patrons would do well to take advantage of it.

 

Ambrosia Neldon is the managing editor at Leader Publications. She can be reached by email at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com, or by phone at (269) 687-7713.