By BRIAN HORN - SANDUSKY REGISTER ARTICLE 06/08/06
brianhorn@sanduskyregister.com
MILAN
- Maybe it should be called "Cheers" and not the
Wonder Bar. After talking to owner Doug Nottke, and hearing
him name many local business owners past and present, it
wouldn't be a shock if he knew everyone's name in his bar.
But that camaraderie and familiarity seems to be what has
made the downtown Milan district thrive. The downtown square
is so popular it even has a waiting list for businesses
to move into the area, according to Kelly Guseman, owner
of Kelly Graphics and secretary of the Milan Chamber of
Commerce.
"People want to be on the square,"
she said while looking out of her business in the square.
Nottke, who has owned his bar for almost 30 years, said
the buildings in the square have been well maintained, which
doesn't happen in some smaller towns. He added the rent
is cheap, square-footage wise, compared to other cities,
contributing to the full vacancy rate. But it takes customers
to keep a business district vibrant, and, according to Chamber
of Commerce President, Gloria Gentry, Milan residents like
to patronize Milan stores. Guseman said she sees the loyalty
on a daily basis.
"I get a lot of repeat business
from locals," Guseman said. Nottke said the location
of the square makes it easy for tourists and residents to
shop and then see some of the sights, such as the Edison
Birthplace Museum.
"You can make an afternoon of it,"
he said. "Everything is accessible from the square."
New kid on the block, Marcia Dawson,
who opened Hidden Creek Pottery in March, said she looked
all around the area, but found Milan to be the best fit.
Dawson was selling pottery in a barn next to her house in
Norwalk before opening in Milan.
"This town has stuff going on all
year round," Dawson said. She was also attracted to
the nostalgic feeling that makes Milan almost a throwback
town.
"It's sort of like you stepped
back a decade, or two or more," Dawson said. "You
don't see too much of this," Nottke said of the old-time
feel. Both Guseman and Dawson actually moved away from Milan
for awhile. Dawson moved to Michigan for a bit, and Guseman
moved to a number of different places, but both landed back
in Milan.
"There's something about this small
town," Guseman said. Guseman had her business in Sandusky
for awhile, before moving it to Milan. She then moved from
one spot in the square to a larger one. The former tenant
of her current location then moved to another location in
the square. "We called it the Milan shuffle,"
she laughed.
Guseman said she's actually done better
in Milan than she did in Sandusky. "It's hard to tell
what keeps a business in business," she said. As far
as the square goes, Gentry reiterated it all comes back
to one thing. "I think the people in Milan support
Milan businesses," she said.
