Enter Through One Doorway, Discover Two Businesses

The former Apron Strings Café was recently rechristened as the Jenny Wren Café. Joining Jenny Wren in the corner storefront of the Woolson Block is re.Find, a thrift boutique.

Pictured at the ribbon cutting are Jennifer Grant (Executive Director, Springfield Regional Chamber), Ethan McNaughton (Board Member, Springfield Regional Chamber), Jenevieve Johnson (Owner, Jenny Wren Café), Andrea Carr (Owner, re.Find), and Jeff Perkins (Board Member, Springfield Regional Chamber).

The corner of the Woolson Block in Springfield, VT has a new look. In addition to recent installation of the Sly Fox, the twelve-foot high painting by local artist Jamie Townsend, there is a new business on the corner and another with a new identity.

The former Apron Strings Café was recently rechristened as the Jenny Wren Café. Owner Jenevieve “Jen” Johnson had originally planned on using this name and now, four years into ownership, she took a deep breath and implemented her plan. Changing a business’ name is never easy, but since Johnson has a loyal following among her customers, so she knew she could do it. “Jenny Wren” has special meaning, as it was a childhood nickname given to her by her mother.

Joining Jenny Wren in the corner storefront is re.Find, a thrift boutique. On July 20 re.Find held its Grand Opening and customers were able browse through racks of one-of-a-kind finds. Owner Andrea Carr, a transplant from Pennsylvania, tells how she spent time in Vermont while growing up. As an adult, she was drawn back to its “pace of life” and now has five years under her belt as Vermonter. She hopes that her shop will encourage local shopping, reinforcing a sense of community. While Carr is new to retail, she is not new to the realm of small business. Her family has a tradition of small business ownership that has stayed in her blood.

Johnson reports that the café has been doing an increasing amount of takeout, freeing up seating space that is now replaced by the retail space of re.Find. Operating the café has allowed Johnson to get to know her neighbors better, an experience that she now hopes to share with Carr. The crossover foot traffic will help both businesses. The owners joke that customers find the combination a homey one, as now it feels like both “your kitchen and your closet”.

re:Find is open Mon – Sat 10 – 6. Both businesses can be found on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/apronstringscafe and www.facebook.com/ refindthriftboutique