SIDNEY — New downtown businesses were highlighted at a recent meeting of Sidney Rotary Club.
Sidney Alive Executive Director Amy Breinich began her presentation by reviewing the reasons she is “bullish” on downtown Sidney.
“Millennials and young professionals are attracted to living in cities, being inspired by city life and the interesting people they can me. Young professionals want to live in a city, walk or bike to work, and work with other creative people,”Breinich told the Rotarians. “Locating downtown is sometimes associated with the ‘Buy Local’ movement, the idea that the community benefits if the businesses and consumers spend their money with independent, locally owned businesses. But, you don’t have to buy into this concept to position yourself as the friendly, local alternative to the big, national chain. Part of the way to do that is to locate in a cool space, in a historic building, for example, rather than a sterile strip mall or office park.
“All of that may seem counterintuitive. The Internet revolution was supposed to render space less important, even irrelevant,” Breinich said. “If we can all telecommute from our bedrooms, buy our supplies online and serve our customers over the Internet, why does that pesky and expensive office space or retail store even matter? The answer is a simple one. Humans are social beings, and all the time we spend at our computers makes us, if anything, even hungrier for real world interactions. The Internet, paradoxically, is making place even more important. Marrying great online services with an appealing, real-world presence will be the secret to success for many a company.”
Breinich introduced Betsy O’Leary, the proprietor of Moonflower Aromatherapy. O’Leary noted that she has always had an interest in science and became interested in aromatherapy because of her adverse reaction to cold medicines. She took the necessary coursework to become a certified aromatherapist. She is able to blend her own products.
“Aromatherapy is the perfect union of science and nature,” O’Leary told the Rotarians. “By using the natural essence of plants, we can help balance body, mind and spirit. Each variety of plant has its own unique chemical composition. Many of these chemical components have therapeutic properties.”
Breinich then introduced Misty Reese, the owner of Rebel & Rose Boutique. The store currently offers clothing and accessories for children and women, but is considering adding men’s clothing.
“We have unique gifts, trendy accessories, stylish shoes and the latest in fashion and apparel,” Reese told the Rotarians. “We are affordable, stock sizes 0 to 3X and pride ourselves on customer service. Our select pieces ensure that you will be uniquely styled and not left looking like everyone else at whatever event you may be attending,” Reese stated.
Breinich then spoke about Bruno’s, the restaurant that opened in the former Murphy Building in the space that was previously occupied by Brew Nation.
“The restaurant has an extensive menu, and features wood fired pizza, calzones, paninis, wraps, and a host of other tasty treats,” Breinich stated. “There are over 1,000 people working in the nine-block historic downtown district.” There’s a lot happening in downtown Sidney. If you’ve not been down in a while, I would suggest you visit and see for yourself all the exciting things that are happening.”
