Downtown Cafe suffered a Class A misdemeanor
that lead to its closing.
LEAH WILLIAMS / THE DEPAUW
She made it almost a year, and even that was better than she expected. Former business owner Wendy Westfall ran Downtown Café, which closed on September 5. She took over the operations of the restaurant in Greencastle’s town square in November 2013 and didn’t know anything about running a business. In her 10 months as proprietor, Westfall says she learned a lot, with many lessons of how and how not to run a restaurant.
The café’s closing came about abruptly, as Westfall faced some personal difficulties that necessitated its immediate shutdown. She regrets having to close the restaurant because she knew how much people enjoyed the food she served, but her family had to take precedence over her business.
Visitors to the square in the past few weeks may have noticed a sign on the door on the Downtown Café’s former location placed by the Indiana Department of Revenue. It states that the business there is committing a Class A Misdemeanor by operating. Both Eric Wolfe, the building owner, and Westfall wish to clarify that they are not responsible for the sign’s placement. Wolfe is the building owner, not the business owner, and Westfall signed the business back over to a former owner after she closed its doors.
During its time of operation, the Downtown Café was a popular attraction for DePauw students, especially since students could use their Tiger Express cards to purchase items. Sophomore Casandra Carrillo was a fan, and says that she misses the food now that the café has closed.
“It was good food, I really liked it,” she said.
According to Westfall, the lack of students present in Greencastle during three-month summer break had a drastic effect on the success of her business.
Those who miss the sandwiches, soups, and other options served at the Downtown Café may be able to enjoy that food once again. Westfall is looking into setting up a catering business that would provide the same fare that the café once did. She would use the commercial kitchen at her church, and the only cost to her would be for the food items, a more affordable option than the storefront. Westfall hopes that this will allow members of the Greencastle community to continue to enjoy her food in a way that she can more easily manage.
Following the restaurant’s closing, Westfall broached the catering topic on the café’s Facebook page, but didn’t get much of a response.
Though the café no longer resides there, the building that housed it in the town square still stands. Known as the Fleenor Building, this location was the site of Eli Lilly’s first pharmacy; Lilly later went on to found a global pharmaceutical company. In the years since, it has been the home of many local businesses, including Treasures on the Square and the Downtown Deli.
Wolfe, assistant director and coordinator of fraternity life at DePauw, and his wife have owned the building for about five months. He hopes to have a new business in the space as soon as possible. He does not believe this will be a difficult task, owing to the site’s attractive location on the square and its proximity to DePauw’s campus.
“We’re looking for a business that would contribute to the square," Wolfe said. "
Hopefully, it will be somewhere that will encourage activity downtown in the evenings and on weekends.” He hopes it will be a place that will benefit both DePauw students and other members of the Greencastle community.
Since the café closed up shop, several potential new tenants have shown interest in opening their business in that space. Prospective businesses that have shown interest include a hair salon, a business that would use it as office space, and one unnamed national chain.
Though one chapter of the historic building’s story has concluded, another one eagerly waits to be written. Only time will tell what the next chapter will hold.