DOWNTOWN GALVESTON CONTINUES TO THRIVE
Written By Mary Beth Bassett

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life,” so said German novelist, Berthold Auerbach. If that’s the case, then downtown Galveston came clean on May 5 with the post-Ike resurrection of The Old Quarter Acoustic Café. Owner Wrecks Bell said going through Hurricane Ike and watching his patrons and fans rally to return it to life was a very humbling experience.

“Our getting open was a miraculous undertaking,” Bell said. First, he had to make sure the building was structurally sound. The 92-year-old building at 413 20th Street turned out to be in good shape. The next step was renovating and furnishing the space. He and legions of Old Quarter fans made it happen.
“The fans were determined not to let it go down,” he said. “Fans from here and in three different states had benefits for us. I didn’t have to spend any of my money out of pocket to rebuild.”

Bell said he turned down additional benefits once he was back on his feet. Instead, he asked those willing to help to donate their time and money to the Galveston Island Humane Society, a cause near and dear to Bell’s heart.

The Old Quarter Acoustic Café is near and dear to its fans hearts, too. “It’s important to Galveston,” Bell said. “There are so few listening rooms here. People come here to listen to music. There are no distractions. No TVs, no pool tables, just acoustic music.”

Some popular headliners at the café include Sisters Morales, Jessie Dayton, Larry Joe Taylor and the Paula Nelson Band. Check the web site oldquarteracousticcafe.com for listings and more information.

As for Galveston’s post-storm prognosis, Bell puts it this way. “I think there are two groups: the pessimists and the optimists. I’m an optimist. I see more businesses open up and I know they all need employees. We were hurt bad but I see us coming back.”

Another recent downtown comeback is Luigi’s Ristorante Italiano at 2328 Strand. Luigi Ferre, family members and his staff officially opened the restaurant on June 11. Born in Italy and raised in Uruguay, Ferre said he grew up learning to do two things - “Cook and make wine.”

Some of the dishes he learned from his mother are on the menu at Luigi’s. He and his staff prepare them in a brand new state-of-the-art kitchen. Diners can expect new items plus a healthy helping of their old favorites. And, Luigi knows to listen to his clientele. “I’ll make specials and if the people like it, I’ll make it a menu item,” he said.

Like many downtown merchants, loyal patrons urged the Ferres to come back. Luigi’s wife, Marta, said she received tons of emails offering encouragement and prayers.

“I saved all of the emails and replied to every one,” she said.

Another Strand comeback is the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at 2225 Strand. The sweet shop reopened on May 8 and has been in Galveston for 12 years.
Owner Lyle Roberts said his return wouldn’t have happened without the generous support of his landlord, George Mitchell. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it all on my own,” Roberts said. The space was inundated with nine feet of water.

Based out of Durango, Colorado the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has stores across the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The Galveston location has consistently ranked in the top 10% of performers, Roberts said.

In fact, from September to December of last year, the Galveston location was among the top 21% of all franchises. Remember, the store was closed all but two weeks of that time period.

Post-storm, the trend has continued. “Business is very good. We are ahead of our numbers compared to last year,” he said.

It’s easy to see why business is booming at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. There’s a huge selection to choose from and candy sizes are substantial. Patrons can watch as apples are dipped into golden caramel and sprinkled with nuts and other confections. An array of prepackaged gifts makes buying souvenirs a no-brainer.
Businesses are making their way back all over the downtown area. On Postoffice Street, the Antique Gallery has reopened and, business is very good. Teresa Ouellette, the gallery’s owner said she has hand picked the dealers and 90 percent of the space is rented.

“There’s a good array of things here – very eclectic,” she said. Furniture, jewelry, antiques, glassware and collectibles await the treasure seeker.
Ouelette said the storm could have brought out the best or worst for this town. An optimist, she said she thinks it has brought out the best