Kane County Country Market opens on Route 47

When the manager of a store says, "We have a little bit of everything," your first thought is such a statement can't possibly be accurate.

Then you check out the new Kane County Country Market at 4N250 Route 47 and you realize there is plenty of truth in that statement.

Open for just more than a week, the Kane County Country Market is drawing plenty of attention from those who want to visit what amounts to a general store on steroids, with a restaurant and coffee bar, and all sorts of other stuff on sale.

It means manager Mary Ellen Pound's contention the place has a little bit of everything is not a misguided comment. She has an even better way to describe the two-building complex that takes up more than 4,000 square feet.

"I call it an upscale Cracker Barrel, because the whole back building is nothing but a shopping area," Pound said.

That building features the "little bit of everything," from honey, oils and bath soaps, clothes and gifts to salsa jars and equestrian supplies. The front building features the cafe and coffee bar.

"We have a whole restaurant area and we serve breakfast and lunch," Pound said.

After 4 p.m., the restaurant area becomes an ice cream parlor over the next two hours.

On the outside, customers will find plants and metal outdoor art, as well as mulch, grass seed and garden tools.

It's all the brainchild of owners Bruce and Carol Vajgert, who leveled the land at that spot in late December of 2015 to begin construction.

But they had to endure a parents' nightmare - their son Elijah was killed in a car accident at Meredith and Beith roads last November - before getting everything back on track.

"It was a slow process trying to get back (to the business). ... It was really hard for them," Pound said.

But she's glad things are looking positive now. Bruce Vajgert met her when Pound was having a barn sale, and Vajgert liked the way she had it set up and decorated.

"He said I had a flair for this type of thing and asked if I would come to work for him," Pound said. "At first I was thinking no, but here I am."

Pound has heard so many positive comments about the new store that she is sure it is going to succeed.

"I hope it does well," she added. "Bruce and Carol deserve this."

More Arcada buzz:

Arcada Theatre frontman Ron Onesti has his fans buzzing again, this time over the potential that his new Arcada Family Theatre can have at Pheasant Run.

Yes, this guy, who pretty much works nonstop, has taken over the former Fox Valley Repertory site and will bring some more live theater into the area.

This seems to be a win-win for the Arcada and Pheasant Run, and we'll keep a close eye on the family-oriented entertainment he brings to that excellent site.

Wiring the Baker:

Melvin Peterson hasn't been on the Baker Community Center board in St. Charles for 74 years for nothing. At age 96, he still has a pretty good memory about who did what in that historic building.

So when he spotted my story about Rehm Electric in St. Charles wiring the Hotel Baker and also the Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, Peterson called to share a tale that supports Rehm's longevity in town.

"Rehm's did the wiring in the Baker Community Center when it first opened, and they did the rewiring last year on the remodeling project at the center," Peterson said.

For those doing the math, Rehm's has had a hand in keeping the electricity working in that building for more than 92 years.

Because running water is important in any building, Peterson also gave Wagner Plumbing a shout out, saying the company took care of the plumbing needs at the center since day one.

A retail boost:

Already a fan of Stein Mart and World Market stores on the east side of St. Charles, my wife announced to me the other day that, "Well, I'll certainly be shopping over there more often now."

That could only mean one thing. Some new stores are coming into that retail strip across Main Street from Charlestowne Mall. It's an area that has suffered quite a bit since Borders left years ago and Office Depot did the same.

Now, Ross and T.J. Maxx stores are going into that strip soon. It should be a nice lift for that area, one that signals a spurt around the Cooper's Hawk winery and restaurant that went in earlier this year near one of the Charlestowne entrances.

dheun@sbcglobal.net