New businesses filling empty store fronts in Waldport
The Chocolate Frog
101 @ 34, downtown
New sprigs of business green are protruding up along Waldport’s main drag, hopefully reversing a long winter of empty buildings and store fronts.
Ken and Leslie Hohstadt, who used to run the Waldport Moose Lodge, have turned their considerable energies on a store of their own – The Chocolate Frog – right on the southeast corner of Highways 101 and 34. Or Airrow and Hemlock for veteran locals.
Ken Hohstadt said they’ve open just a short time but already they feel welcomed and supported by other businesses on the main throughway as well as by happy customers who obviously love chocolate. But of course who doesn’t?
Hohstadt says they carry a wide variety of chocolates that are quite affordable as well as chocolates for the “expert connaisseurs” of the sweet brown magic that satisfies.
Hohstadt says in addition to chocolates The Chocolate Frog carries yummie candies – including vintage varieties that will hijack your mouth for some heavy duty way-back time traveling.
For the “frog collector” in all of us…
The Chocolate Frog is also assembling a considerable array of gift items, including collector frogs. Hohstadt says the store is going to fill up even more so than it already is. He said depending on how things go, he and his wife Leslie would like to explore taking over the store space next door on the south side.
Logical Response
Expert Firearms Training and Hand-to-Hand Combat
Then just a little down the building there’s another new business that’s about to open called Logical Response. It’s being opened by recently retired Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Miller whose business license indicates he will be providing a kind of finishing school for highly motivated officers who want to become more competent with hand to hand combat as well as expert use of firearms. All live firearms training will be done off premises at secure shooting ranges. Miller is expected to draw customers from law enforcement throughout Oregon who want and often need advanced training with courses that span a number of days.
Old C&K Market becoming a Vancouver based franchise of Hi School Pharmacy and Variety
Across 101 and a little farther south, Waldport Drug and Gifts is moving into the old C&K Market which was partially taken over by Pharmacy Express. Pharmacy Express will be teaming up with Waldport Drug and Gifts to secure a Hi School Drug and Variety Store franchise. They’re in the process of making the renovations inside the old market building and anticipate a grand opening fairly soon. Already a “For Rent” sign has gone up on the soon to be former Waldport Drug and Gift store at the corner of Highways 101 and 34.
Medical Marijuana Dispensary between the Shell Station and the Waldport Flea Market
Just down the street from the future Hi School Pharmacy is a slightly different kind of pharmacy – in fact under state law it’s referred to as a Medical Marijuana Dispensary that was recently opened by Waldport Flea Market owner Pauline Gates, who also happens to be a Waldport City Councilor. Another dispensary is poised to open just south of town across from Range Road.
BJ’s Ice Cream
South end of the downtown
And finally, we have discovered why the Central Coast has been enjoying so many sunny and almost genuinely warm days in a row. It’s because of this cute little store that just opened called BJ’s Ice Cream, right next door to Fresco Family Restaurant. BJ’s offers up yummy ice cream varieties sure to please everybody. You can even sit outside with family and friends to carry on our nearly month-long tradition of MOSTLY sunny skies!
On the Highway 34 side of the building at 101.
Hopefully maintaining the momentum for new businesses…
That’s the news on the main drag of Waldport but a little birdie told us that there’s been some serious roof work done on the storefront building just east of the Chocolate Frog. That could portend a motivated building owner to land a business or two in that particular space which has been empty for a very long time. There’s a ‘For Rent’ sign in the window! That’s a good sign!
