Around Towne
by Cherryl Greenman

What's New

Hillside United Methodist Church recently was named Mother Church of the Year for establishing and "parenting" Liberty Hill United Methodist Church in Canton. Congratulations!

Oasis Cafe/Diner recently opened its doors in the space vacated by YoYo's. Owner Manuel Varillas says, "I know the reputation this place has, restaurants opening and closing all the time, but I'm here to stay. I come in at 5 a.m. and close around 12 p.m." The café/diner is open from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Manuel plans eventually to be open 24 hours. For more information, please call (770) 852-7214.

Dr. Rennie Alampi has opened her new chiropractic office at 114 Towne Lake Parkway near Main Street in downtown Woodstock. The office is a vitamin store in addition to a chiropractic-healing center. For more information, please call (770) 926-0123.

The Bark Park, a dog daycare and training facility, recently opened at 6625 Commerce Parkway. The Bark Park offers a healthy alternative to leaving your dog at home alone while you are at work or when the repairman is coming. The facility is located just off Bells Ferry Road, approximately one-half mile north of the new Wal-Mart Super Center. For more information, please call Joanne Hamilton or Debbie Rodgers at (770) 591-3773.

Custom Glassworks SGO has recently opened its doors on the corner of Towne Lake Parkway and Main Street in downtown Woodstock. The shop features custom stain glass windows made with tempered safety glass for shower doors, entryways and mirrors. "We do everything here in the store, from designing to staining the windows," owner Jim Gough said. For more information, please call (678) 494-1717.

A Yoga and Massage Studio also has recently opened its doors at 8632 Main Street in downtown Woodstock. Owners Ann Pauley and Shalan Hill are excited to be in the historic Johnston Building and offer gentle yoga with advanced pain-free massages. For more information, please call (678) 494-3450.

BodyPlex Fitness recently opened a family-oriented fitness center on Highway 92 across from the Super Target next to Big Lots in the former Cub Foods location. The center features group fitness classes, all new cardio and strength equipment and a fitness childcare facility. They are offering free five-day guest passes. For more information, please call Dan Foley at (678) 494-1919.

Earth, Paint and Fire will soon open its doors in the new retail shop, which faces Buckhead Crossing. Owner Lisa Delosh will offer special events each day as well as several different bisque pieces for customers to paint and fire.

Dance Imagination announced they are moving to the Cherokee Recreation and Parks Authority center on Main Street in August. Director Maria Johnson said, "We will now be able to offer more classes consecutively. We also will have a playroom and a playground for children not dancing." For more information, please contact Maria at (678) 445-2734.

Steps Dance Center is expanding their studio to include a new third dance instruction studio. The center's expansion will encompass part of the space which was vacated by Golden Café. Owner Amy Howard said they are scheduled to be completed by August 1 with classes resuming August 16. For more information, please call Amy at (770) 516-1363.

What's Ongoing

The Wal-Mart Super Center, located at Bells Ferry Road and Eagle Drive, is going up fast. The walls are partially up and completion is still expected by August.

Cherryl is the Editor of The TowneLaker magazine. She lives in southwest Cherokee with her son Dale and daughter Lori.

Georgia Landscape Depot, located on Bells Ferry Road, just south of Towne Lake Parkway, will hold its Grand Opening on July 10 at 12 noon. The store will offer several free giveaways as well as information on their new design center and landscape supplies. For more information, please call (770) 516-9989.

The new office building located at Towne Lake Parkway next to South Bank is still in the planning stages. The project is co-owned by Andrew Hartman, Towne Lake orthodontist Dr. Michael Williams and Hartman's law partner James Imbriale.

Allen Temple, AME Church, located on Arnold Mill Road will be moving into their new church soon. The new church is located just east of their current church. For more information, please call Pastor Carl Moore at (770) 926-6348.

Towne Lake Diner
Woodstock Coffeehouse
by Kara Kiefer

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's nice to know there's a refuge where the coffee is outstanding, the food is tasty and the atmosphere is inviting and comfortable. The Woodstock Coffeehouse is such a place, and their motto says it all, "A Unique Community Gathering Place."

Whether you're stopping by for breakfast, lunch or dinner or simply want to sip something hot or cold, owners Fran and Kevin Young want their customers to feel comfortable and rely on the coffee house as a place to relax and hang out. They've had the dream of owning a coffee house for many years. Their dream became a reality when Kevin was offered a severance package from his employer, Fed Ex. The Woodstock Coffeehouse opened for business in March, 2004. Towne Lake was the perfect location for them because, as Kevin describes it, it's "ground zero for all the activity in the area."

Kevin touts their coffee as their specialty. They also serve Chai, herbal and iced tea and smoothies. The coffee is everything Kevin said it was, but if you're looking for something more substantial, try them for a meal. They recently started serving breakfast sandwiches, which have become quite popular. Their lunch menu features homemade soups, made to order sandwiches and salads.

What sets them apart, according to Kevin, is their flexibility. "We will do whatever it takes to make the customer happy," he said. Because their sandwiches and salads are made to order, Fran said there's flexibility for the customers.

For the sweet tooth, they offer an abundance of desserts, some prepared by Fran herself and 13 variety of frozen drinks. They also have several low carb and sugar free options. On Saturday nights, they offer live music from 8 - 11 p.m., the perfect ending after dinner or movie!

It's hard to say what we enjoyed more on our visit. Maybe it was the warm ham and cheese panini or the chicken salad wrap. Perhaps it was the fresh and very flavorful smoothie. The peanut butter pie and turtle brownie were simply sinful. We enjoyed it all, and enjoyed the friendly service and warm atmosphere. We certainly wanted to play hookie the rest of the day and hang out on their inviting couches!

Come in out of the crazy world and take a load off! After all, who deserves it more?