In rural Downsville, a building that used to be a creamery and was home to a popular restaurant for many years has been turned into a stylish store and event space.
When you walk into The Creamery Boutique, you’ll probably be welcomed by the owners, Sheri and Adam Laurent, and their golden retriever, Porter. The boutique itself is also very well put together.
“I like to use the words ‘timeless’ or ‘classic’ to describe the style,” Sheri said as she sat next to the fireplace in the old restaurant. The Creamery Boutique has clothes for women, home decor, jewelry, body care products, toys, supplies for pets, and gifts. There is also a growing pantry area with local goods like maple syrup and honey.
Sheri might have called the shop “A Few of My Favorite Things,” which is a good name for what it sells if “The Creamery” wasn’t already great.
The Laurents found the property through an online ad; it had been empty for years. They bought it in November 2019 and moved from Madison the following March, just in time for the pandemic lockdown to start.
They fell in love with the property’s potential and started the hard work of rebuilding it, making room for events both inside and out as well as their own cozy living space. On the second floor, there are five guest rooms that are rented month-to-month.
The couple chose to open a business that would go well with the event space and chose a store. The store opened in May, and in August, there was an official ribbon cutting.
Over the past few months, they’ve had a lot of customers come in to check out the new shop and talk about good times they had in the old building. Sheri says that the smiles they give her hurt her face by the end of the day.
The first building was made in 1904, and until the 1950s, it was a creamery. The Thomas family opened The Creamery as a restaurant, bar, and inn in 1985, after a lot of work, including adding a second floor.
There were many people who loved going there for good dining and special events in the country for more than twenty years.
The Laurents didn’t want to reopen The Creamery as a restaurant because of how well-known it was: nothing could match the memories that people have of eating there. They want to help people make new memories instead.
So, the Laurents have big plans for making the event area fun both inside and outside. They say it’s great for parties like wedding showers and anniversary celebrations, and they want to get people to come to parties both inside and outside all year long. It’s nice to have a booze license because people can enjoy the view outside with a beer or glass of wine.
“I’ve worked hard on it out of love,” Sheri said. “We hope everyone else enjoys it too.”