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Several Roswell business owners and local leaders were recognized during the 2019 awards program through the Greater North Fulton Chamber. We are proud of the positive impact these individuals have had on the community. Congratulations, everyone!

2019 Small Business Person of the Year – Brian Martin, Righteous Guitars

In 2015, Martin founded Righteous Guitars with the vision of building the finest guitar store in the Southeast and one of the top 10 guitar stores in the world. The National Association of Music Merchants has recognized Righteous Guitars as being one of the Top 100 Music Stores in the world for the past three years. Martin has put his stamp on the high-end guitar market with a deluxe showroom, over-the-top service, and an inventory studded with exclusive models from Gibson, Paul Reed Smith, and others. 

Two additional Roswell business leaders were recognized with high honors through the program. Congratulations to Bonnie Mauldin of The Mauldin Group, and Harry Maugans of Clickagy, for both being named Business Person of Excellence Award Winners.

2019 Nonprofit Leader of the Year – Dr. Steven Palmer, The Cottage School

Palmer has served at every level at The Cottage School, from teacher to superintendent. Under his direction, the school has grown significantly as it continues to expand and advance to meet the needs of every child who may find success in a non-traditional learning environment. The Cottage School has been recognized for excellence by distinguished educators, counselors and psychologists and was named by the Masters in Special Education Resource Guide as one of their Top 50 Best Private Special Needs Schools in the United States.

Also in the nonprofit arena, two more Roswell nonprofit leaders were honored for their impact on the community. Congratulations to Chris Nelson of the Chattahoochee Nature Center and Amy O’Dell of Jacob’s Ladder Neurodevelopment School and Therapy Center for both being selected as Community Impact Award Winners.

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To see the full list of winners and to learn more about the awards, visit gnfcc.org. 

Last month, we hosted the city’s first ever Hospitality Career Expo, where Roswell restaurants, breweries and hotels connected with job seekers from around the Metro Atlanta region. Since the event, several businesses have expanded their workforce through connections made during the expo.

The Computer Museum of America will host its official grand opening on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the museum located at 5000 Commerce Parkway, Roswell, GA 30076. The event is open to the public and will begin Saturday at 10:00am. Operating hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm. 

Over the past fifty years, computing has grown from a few gadgets to an almost universal extension of human life. Yet while computing has become commonplace, the history of its innovation is being lost every day as ‘old’ technology is discarded, recycled or consigned to a landfill. The Computer Museum of America was created to preserve this history and educate visitors on the past and future of computing, empowering the innovators of tomorrow. 

“Anything that is in the collection, no matter how primitive, is magic,” says Lonnie Mimms, CEO of Mimms Enterprises. “We want the Computer Museum of America to be a center of inspiration for all generations to be encouraged to go out and do something great.” 

Tickets to the grand opening event are priced from $12-$15 and will give attendees access to exhibits such as A Tribute to Apollo 11 featuring a replica of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, Vanquishing the Impossible: a collection of super computers illustrating how these remarkable machines led to dramatic improvements in weather forecasting and national security, and the Historical Timeline exhibit that shows the advancements in information and data technology – from the early abacus and slide rule up to the ubiquitous “super computers” we call smart phones. 

With 10,000 square feet of state-of-the-art event space, the Computer Museum of America will soon also offer a unique environment in which to host corporate or social events. 

For more information, please visit: https://computermuseumofamerica.org/ 

About Computer Museum of America: Developed from the passions of an avid lover of computers and technology over a period of 40 years, the Computer Museum of America has evolved into one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of computing artifacts, preserving the history of computing for future generations. These artifacts of the digital revolution are beautiful and valuable in their own right, and even more valuable as a permanent record of the innovation process and market experiments that drove discovery forward. From this collection we have curated engaging exhibits to share the stories from the history of computing, while also allowing us to loan rare artifacts to other museums including the Smithsonian Institution. 

Last month, we hosted the first ever Veteran Business Expo of Georgia in partnership with the National Veteran Supplier Diversity Coalition, a Roswell-based nonprofit. Nearly 200 veteran businesses attended and got to connect with 30 corporate purchasing professionals from companies like Lockheed Martin, Southern Company, and Synovus.

To learn more, visit nvsdc.org.

Summer Sippin’ Roswell returns to celebrate the creative craft beverage-making skills of Roswell restaurants, cafés, breweries, and coffee shops from June 1 to July 31, 2019. This year’s competition includes 46 participants from around the city, all of which have created and will launch a unique alcoholic or non-alcoholic specialty drink not already featured on their menus.

During the two-month event, patrons are invited to rate each sip they try. At the end of the event, based on the drink ratings, one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic drink will both be crowned “The Best Sip in Roswell 2019” in their respective categories.

New this year, patrons will be able to submit their drink ratings through both the Summer Sippin’ app and the Summer Sippin’ website. Each user account will be synced and work seamlessly between the two platforms, allowing patrons to view an updated list of the sips they’ve tried and rated in either location.

In its fourth year, Summer Sippin’ is one of the industry support programs created by Roswell Inc, the economic and business development organization for the City of Roswell.

“Summer is one of our favorite times of the year because we get to celebrate and promote the creativity and innovation of our food and beverage businesses through Summer Sippin’.” said Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc. “This event not only supports our hospitality industry, which is one of Roswell’s largest, it also positions us as a destination for other restaurant and craft beverage entrepreneurs.”

Participating restaurants for 2019 include:1920 Tavern, American Pasta Factory, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, The Big Ketch Canton Street, Bistro VG, Brookwood Grill, C&S Chowder House, Chipper’s Club, Crazy Love Coffeehouse, Deep Roots Wine Market, Fellows, The Fickle Pickle, Flama Pizza Co., Foundation Social Eatery, Fresco Cantina Grille, From the Earth Brewing Company, The Gaslight, Gate City Brewing Company, Gracious Plenty Bakery & Breakfast, the grub gastropub, Gypsy Rose Music, HOLA! Taqueria & Bar, Hugo’s Oyster Bar, Ippolito’s Neighborhood Italian, Land of a Thousand Hills, Local on North, Lucky’s Burger & Brew, Marlow’s Tavern, The Mill Kitchen & Bar, Monkey 68, Monterrey Roswell, NOCA, Osteria Mattone, Pinkies Up Beer & Wine, Plum Café, PURE taqueria, Scooter’s Coffee, Sublime Tree, Sugar Shack in the Back, Table & Main, Tap & Six, Taqueria Tsunami, The Whiskey Project, Variant Brewing Company, Vin25, and Zest.

The full lineup of participating restaurants, drinks, descriptions and photos can be found at SummerSippin.com and on the Summer Sippin’ App, which is available in the Apple and Google Play stores.

Make sure to follow Summer Sippin’ on Facebook at @SummerSippinRoswell and Twitter and Instagram at @SummerSippin and use #SummerSippin2019.

Summer Sippin’ Roswell is sponsored by Gas South.

Canton Place Development LLC recently announced its partnership with Mainsail Lodging & Development LLC as co-developer for Historic Roswell’s new 125-room boutique hotel. Specializing in creating luxury hotel projects as distinctive as their locales, Mainsail is well known for its concepting, vision and innovative design. The Tampa-based hospitality company’s regional focus includes Florida, Georgia and the Caribbean, with other developments currently underway in Atlanta and Macon, GA.

“We are beyond excited to bring the expertise of Mainsail president, Joe Collier, and his team into the fold as our lead partner on the hotel’s development,” said Kevin Bryant, co-founder of Roswell-based Canton Place Development. “Their reputation and success as one of the hottest developers of boutique, lifestyle-branded hotels and resorts is exactly the right fit for the Historic Roswell project. They are good people, visionary developers, and experiential hospitality experts.”

“We approach each project as a rare opportunity to create one-of-a-kind experiences for guests and locals alike,” said Joe Collier, president of Mainsail Lodging & Development. “Uncovering what is unique to Roswell and bringing new life to this already thriving area and iconic destination while respecting its historic heritage is our goal.”

In the first quarter of 2019, Canton Place Development also closed on two land parcels that include the Wells Fargo bank, which will be home to the hotel as well as a newly-renovated iteration of the bank, and 26 Webb Street, which will house boutique retail and office space. The company released new design elevations for the corner of Magnolia Street and Mimosa Boulevard that include the redevelopment of the Wells Fargo bank currently on site.

Content courtesy of Full Tilt Consulting.

5/4 Meadery is set to become the newest addition to Roswell’s growing craft beverage industry since signing an 1,800-square-foot lease at 23B Oak Street in Roswell, Georgia.

Once open, the meadery will manufacture and sell a variety of unfiltered, still to sparkling meads and ciders with dry, semi-sweet, or sweet variations—both with and without fruits and spices. The meadery space, located in the back of the same building occupied by Tap & Six and The Whiskey Project, will house both production facilities along with a public-facing storefront for tastings and direct-to-consumer sales.

Mead is a unique alcoholic beverage made from honey that predates both wine and beer. To honor the ancient origins of the drink, 5/4 Meadery will be using traditional processes for both its meads and ciders in addition to using natural, locally sourced ingredients.

Starting this business has been a labor of love, innovation, and creativity for the owner, who came up with the name for the meadery during the initial testing phase of the company’s first meads.

“5/4 is a time signature in music, one with an unusual number of beats in a measure,” said Sean Walcek, owner of 5/4 Meadery. “Believe it or not, first tastings of our experimental dry mead recipe elicited delightful comparisons with creative music innovators. It didn’t take much deliberation to accept a name that incorporated the 5/4 signature written into many original and exciting compositions.”

According to the American Mead Makers Association, mead presently enjoys the same status that craft beer experienced a few decades ago, with strong growth that includes a 42% increase in mead makers who increased their gross revenues by 85% from 2014-2015.

“Mead’s growth in popularity makes this meadery a welcome and exciting addition to Roswell’s craft beverage industry,” said Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc. “We were honored to work with Sean and all those involved to help bring this project to Roswell, and we look forward to the way it will continue to strengthen Roswell’s economy and our city’s identity as a destination for craft beverage entrepreneurs.”

“We cannot wait to share our passion for meads and ciders with the community,” said Walcek. “Our hope is to establish ourselves as a premier maker of inventive mead and original fruit fermentations, and along the way, help cultivate a deeper awareness of, appreciation for, and love of meads and ciders in our community.”

As of this month, construction is complete and signage is up for all four new tenants in the new 9,000-square-foot outparcel development in the Roswell Corners shopping center on the corner of Highway 92 and Hardscrabble Road—where the Target and Fresh Market are located.

Deka Lash, an upscale eyelash extension studio, has officially opened its doors to the public.

The three remaining tenants—Five Guys, 1,000 Degree Pizza, and Sirius Day Spa—should all be open within the next 60 days.

The outparcel development has been under construction since summer of 2018.

From Sir with Love, a new custom gift and stationery store, will officially open its doors in Roswell on March 19. Located on Atlanta Street on the east side of Roswell’s historic town square, in the building previously occupied by Salvage Bee, the shop will offer unique, high-quality gifts and stationery services for weddings, corporate clients, and individuals.

The shop’s owner, Sirmantha Ellison, began her business in 2011 out of a love and passion for creating elegant and tasteful gifts and memories. What began as a small studio called Paper Parfait quickly grew over the years, causing Ellison to rebrand to From Sir with Love and begin looking for a brick and mortar space for her business last year.  

With Roswell ranking number two in the State of Georgia for wedding destinations, Ellison strategically chose to open her business in Roswell, knowing it would be the perfect market for her product. She also knew the city’s strong culture for supporting small businesses.

“I’ve always admired Roswell’s Southern hospitality and friendliness, which made it the perfect place to set up a shop for my curated and personalized pieces,” said Sirmantha Ellison, owner of From Sir With Love. “Every city needs an organization like Roswell Inc. From helping me navigate city hall to making necessary business connections, Roswell Inc was my biggest cheerleader and played a vital role in opening my storefront.”

“Small businesses like From Sir with Love are the core of Roswell’s entrepreneurial culture,” said Debra Ewing, business development coordinator at Roswell Inc. “At Roswell Inc, we enjoy helping small businesses get off the ground, and it was an absolute honor to work alongside Sirmantha throughout this process. We are thrilled to have her join Roswell’s thriving business community.”

For more information about From Sir With Love, visit fromsirwithlove.com.

As of this month, two of Roswell Village Shopping Center’s new tenants, Ross Dress for Less and Marshalls, have officially opened their doors to the public. Crunch Fitness is currently under construction and actively accepting memberships pending its opening this summer. Starbucks, one of the other announced tenants in the shopping center, is also under construction with an anticipated opening at the end of 2019.

Located on the corner of Alpharetta Highway and Holcomb Bridge Road, the Roswell Village Shopping Center is owned by Sterling Organization. The 149,261-square-foot center has been undergoing redevelopment since April 2018.

Our team has been working with Sterling Organization throughout this process, from helping to recruit tenants to assisting with navigating city hall for signage and permitting, and we will continue to partner with them as they finalize tenants and finish the project.  

For more information about the development, visit sterlingorganization.com/properties/181.