Let’s say you have a great new concept for a restaurant. You have the perfect chef on board, a rough draft of the menu, and you might even have a few logo mockups and a catchy name. You are considering a location in a dense little strip of an urban neighborhood but you’re not sure if the rent is affordable …
One of my favorite parts of being a designer is seeking out unique vendors and products. I am always on the hunt for something a little different for my clients. As a first time attendee of High Point Market, I really had no idea what to expect. This is where interior designers go to find new product and preview upcoming …
Main and Six Brewing Company is one of the most welcomed additions to Main Street, in Historic Springfield. It has the style, ambience and upscale nature rarely found in craft brewery taprooms and that was the vision from the start. Co-Owners Cindy Lasky & her son, Dennis Espinosa, (Head Brewer) encountered hurdles from the Zoning Department when they first announced …
In 2014, BMor Creative teamed up with Springfield-resident and restaurateur John Crispens to bring his dream of a local eatery to life. Crispens was in search of a unique venue he could transform into a local hotspot, and found the perfect opportunity on Main Street. The former Akra Bros Department Store – a gem of Main Street in the 1930s …
Designers can make your space look great, but can workplace issues be resolved through design? The focus on how people respond to and interact with their surroundings is known as Environmental Psychology, and it’s one of my favorite research subjects. I enjoyed taking this course so much that I later returned as an instructor. I found it infinitely rewarding watching …
Paint and color are one of the least expensive and most impactful ways to customize your space. Color is not simply used to dress up a room. Color is used to shape energy and sway emotions. It can reflect a person’s personality, express individuality, and can shift a person’s mood. Color can be what helps set your space apart, and …
Dennis Espinosa now co-owns Main and Six at 1636 Main St N. with his mother, Cindy Lasky. The building will have about 90 seats and is just under 3,000 square feet, with 900 square feet of brew space. The build-out cost about $300,000, not counting the brand-new brewing equipment. Becky Morgan, an interior designer with BMor Creative, said she drew design inspiration …
Becky Morgan has been running her commercial interior design company for three years and now, she’s setting up a storefront of her own. Morgan, the owner of BMor Creative Inc., whose clients include planned restaurant and mixed-use space Crispy’s and the Happy Grilled Cheese in Five Points, is opening a studio at 157 E. 8th Street soon. As a resident of …
The renewal of Springfield has had its share of obstacles the last two decades. Today, skyrocketing home values and substantial Main Street business investments indicate the current turnaround may be sustainable. After the 1960s, when the urban middle class began to flee to the suburbs, Springfield experienced decades of neglect. But the neighborhood always had its charms. Changing perceptions In …
By May, John Crispens hopes to renovate his vintage Springfield building at 1735 N. Main St. into Crispy’s, a restaurant, bar, art gallery and dry-cleaning service. “I’ve been wanting to start a business in Springfield for quite a while,” said Crispens, 46, who moved to Jacksonville from Long Island, N.Y., in 1992 and has been a Springfield resident for more …
