The Contagious Barbara Burns

Where do I even begin? Barbara could be in one of those movies; you know the ones… where the little shop owner has incredible treasures, one on top of another… drawers and shelves filled with trinkets and baubles, soon to be gifts and baskets.

Barbara owns Sweet Time Café & General Store. Well, it’s not really a cafe, but she does have dreams of opening an ice cream store some day. In fact, the antique churns are here in my basement along with more treasured merchandise.

Barbara is totally in love with East Ohio Street; she spent years as a councilwoman before settling into a shopkeeper’s routine. Her love of this street is contagious, and before I knew it, she was talking restaurants and connecting me to anyone she thought would speed up the process along.

I digress… it’s not like I was an unwilling participant. My job at ACAC had become more administrative, and God knows I love to cook, and talk, and talk to the people in my kitchen while I cook. The more I spent time in this little Deutschtown neighborhood, the closer I got to making a life time change. If I opened a restaurant, how many could people could we mentor, teaching job & life skills to make a difference? The potential was unlimited!