Yesterday I walked the kiddos (2 year old twins and 2 month old newborn girl) up to my in-laws house to give mama her first kid-less break since Clara was born on June 23rd.  I was talking to my father-in-law, Jay Gordon – executive vice president at Willamette Valley Multiple Listing, about housing and business in our community.  We were in conversation about the growing business of my uncle Dino’s place downtown (Venti’s Cafe and Basement Bar) and he suggested I watch the below clip from KATU that was aired early evening yesterday.  After getting through bedtime and kitchen chores I sat down on the couch and watched the clip below.

Initially I was a bit frustrated with this clip.  The mind is a powerful tool and if a seed is planted about business being slow in downtown Salem and you don’t work and/or live in downtown Salem then the perception may become a reality in one’s mind.  Downtown is busy and vibrant and is continuing to grow.  My office is close to downtown and I plan all my out of office business meetings in the core of downtown. I’d like to make clear that this video does not portray all business in downtown Salem.

The term “Buy Local” quickly came to mind.  As we begin to hear more news about the inevitable state budget woes and potential furlough and/or layoffs the theory of less money spent in our community will come to fruition.

Buy Local

Buying local has never been so much fun in the Salem area.  Specifically the core of downtown Salem has a very good thing going on right now.  Obviously I am partial to the food, drink and entertainment of Venti’s Cafe and Basement Bar, but there are many other great locally owned restaurants we can support in downtown Salem that are all focused on bringing quality food, service and entertainment to our community through their venue. Not to mention the involvement and focus from each owner to return the favor and buy local and pour love back into our community.

Some great places downtown that I adore, both from as a foodie and as an involved member in our community, include:

La Capitale: Chef/Owner David Rosales (@kidcapitale on Twitter) is an amazing contributor to our community.  Culinary expertise runs through his blood as his dad, Pedro Rosales, has owned/run La Margarita (also downtown), one of Salem’s best Mexican restaurants, for years.  David has done a great job of connecting with our community and obviously makes it a priority to integrate fresh, local ingredients into many of his menu and special items.

Wild Pear: Chefs/Owners/Sisters Jessica and Cecilia Ritter (@wildpear) truly care about our community.  I actually worked the catering side of things with Wild Pear right when I came on board with Landmark  in the summer of 2006 to help generate income for health insurance, etc while taking on a 100% commission career.  It was a great experience to work with Jessica and view how much she truly loves her community and every single one of her customers.

Downtown Waffles: Creator/Owner James Cloyd (@downtownwaffles)is the newest addition to my food entourage with his waffle cart on the corner of Liberty and Chemeketa downtown.  I’ve known James for years and I love his new venture.  James offers fresh waffles touting a variety of toppings including many great additions from the local farmer’s markets.

Venti’s Cafe and Basement Bar: Chef/Owner Dino Venti (@ventiscafe / @leslieventi / @conradventi) has never been more passionate about our community and the core of downtown Salem.  Dino is constantly looking for ways to improve the economics and livelihood of downtown Salem, not to mention his overwhelming passion for bringing good food, drink and atmosphere to his eclectic restaurant and bar.

Salem Saturday Market and the Wednesday Farmer’s Market: The Friends of Salem Saturday Market put a considerable amount of effort into planning and organizing the mid-valley’s most community centered market.  Both the Saturday Market and the Wednesday Farmer’s Market are hosted downtown and provide a connection between the residence and local farmers, artists and craftsmen.  Kari and I enjoy weekly outings with the kids to the market to hunt down produce needs and meet-up with friends.

There are many more community focused businesses, restaurants and organizations in the core of downtown Salem, but these stand at the top of my list as places I love and frequently visit.  The story aired by KATU packs a powerful punch in with the reality of our State’s budget crisis, but we can hedge the storm.  Each one of us can make an impact to avoid a “double dip recession” with a focus on our community and spending our money locally.

As the beautiful sun begins to show itself again we are refreshed with thoughts of summer activities. It’s always fun to stay around the Salem area when the weekends roll around. A growing trend in our community is the weekly visitation to the Wednesday Farmer’s Market or the Salem Saturday Market. These two markets offer a great opportunity to buy locally grown food and support local small businesses.

Saturday Market Gang (courtesy P. Lopez)

A few weeks ago K and I decided it would be fun to venture down with M&N to walk around the Saturday Market. We saw a Facebook update from a friend saying they were going to be there as well. When we arrived the place was packed. We’ve visited the market several times in recent years, but this year the market really seems to have taken off. We texted our friends and ended up running into about 6 families we knew. We thought it’d be fun to grab a quick photo of our gang.

Salem Saturday Market
Every Saturday April through October 9am-3pm state parking lot at the corner of Summer and Marion Streets NE
Wednesday Farmers’ Market
Every Wednesday May through October 10am to 2pm Chemeketa Street NE between High and Liberty Streets

If you have not been to the Salem Saturday Makret or the Wednesday Farmers’ market, you are missing out! Spring is in the air and the harvests are plenty. These two markets give us plenty of opportunity to purchase healthy locally grown fruits and vegetables.

The mission of Salem Saturday Market is to provide growers of agricultural products, producers of locally prepared foods, artisans and crafters with the opportunity, services and sites to market their products; to provide all members of our community with a vibrant gathering place; and to strengthen and encourage community support of local, sustainable agriculture in order to help preserve the Willamette Valley’s unique agricultural heritage.

Bishop building - 145 Liberty St Salem, OR 97301 - Future site of Bishop's Grocery and Deli

There has been a new revealing in recent weeks of a much needed grocery development in downtown Salem.  Owner and developer of the Bishop Building located at 145 Liberty St in downtown Salem, Scott McKinney, is planning a summer opening of Bishop’s Grocery and Deli.

As many of the downtown residential developments are at or begin to near completion, this grocery/deli project will fill a gap for those looking to reside in the core of Salem.  Scott McKinney and business partner Roy Carmen are also responsible for several redevelopment of historic buildings in downtown Salem which have created mixed use (residential/commercial) properties for sale or lease.  Other notable residential projects that will benefit from the grocery store will be The Rivers Condos, 295 Church St, and The Meridian.

The continuous growth and development of the downtown area is encouraging.  The community in our beautiful and historic downtown area is thriving with successful restaurants, boutiques, and businesses.  The development of Bishop’s Grocery and Deli will only strengthen the synergy of the residential living in downtown Salem.  I know I’m excited to check it out!

View Larger Map