By Sue Moore
The Rosewood Café is celebrating its opening at 118 S. Main Street in Vicksburg in a building that has housed several other eateries, going way back to Bill’s Saloon in the 1800s. The offering in 2013 focuses on specialized coffees, bake goods and sandwiches, according to Jill Lindley, the owner.
“We are happy to offer something different so people in the village have a variety of choices each day,” Lindley explains. She is also the owner and designer of the Rosewood Flower Shop that operates in the back of the restaurant. Her décor in both parts of the 130-year-old building centers on photographs of the village as it appeared many years ago, wrapped in clever design elements from the flower shop. The Historical Society was a big help in finding photos that feature the village of Vicksburg as it was in days gone by, Lindsley says.
She has preferred to feature local artisans, especially the shiny stainless steel tabletops that were fabricated by Houghton Manufacturing and electrical work that was completed by Oswalt Electric, LLC. The two people running the Café are also local, with manager Scott Krieger a 2008 graduate of Vicksburg High School and the baker and chef, Heidi Powell, who has been heavily involved in volunteer work in the community.
Their coffee is roasted by Lucky Duck, a company out of Grand Haven. It is brewed in a fancy espresso machine recently purchased. They also have a Rosewood coffee mug deal for those who can’t get their fill with just one cup each day. All the food is homemade, primarily by Powell, with the smell of baked goods greeting customers as they walk through the door, specialty salads and soups are offered on the menu each day. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.