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 …
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 …
