Main Street Eudora

Energizing history and a growing business base drive Eudora’s downtown merchants to invest in the city’s future.

Historic Downtown Eudora

“I really want to see Eudora thriving, and especially for the downtown quadrant to be revitalized,” she explains. “There’s so much potential here.”

Entrepreneurs such as Kathy Weld have made much of that in recent years, joining established banks, restaurants and businesses, and bringing new energy to the area. The growth is fueled partly by Eudora’s own—the city’s population grew more than 4 percent between 2010 and 2019, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Merchants also credit the city’s efforts to spur developments like the mixed-use Nottingham Center while keeping an eye on Main Street.

Downtown Eudora, circa 1920; Eudora Flour Mills, circa 1860; Downtown Eudora, circa 1915 — Courtesy Eudora Community Museum

“Without a strong downtown, you really put yourself in danger of disappearing,” says Karen Boyer, executive director of the Eudora Chamber of Commerce.

Eudora was founded in 1857. Its earliest businesses clustered on the north end of Main Street, and that’s where many of the newest are locating now. Kathy Weld’s building was built in 1915, and upon opening as Zeb’s on New Year’s Eve in 2018, it served as a meeting point for clubs, bible study groups and business owners. Then COVID hit.

Zeb’s was curbside-only from March to July 2020. Sales fell, and expenses rose. Kathy Weld reduced operating hours, discounted merchandise to boost cash flow, applied for various grants and sold a half-gallon take-home version of her popular iced vanilla latte in an effort to cover costs and keep part-time staff employed.

“I had nine people counting on me for their paycheck,” she says. “That was sobering.”

When conditions in Douglas County improved, Zeb’s gradually reopened. It’s on more stable footing now, allowing Kathy Weld to again pursue one of her priorities: to build a sustainable business that helps others.

With a background is in nonprofits, Kathy Weld uses Messenger Coffee and Hugo Tea in part because of those companies’ dedication to purchasing directly from farmers. Sales of Zeb’s apparel support The Bird’s Nest, a clothing closet sponsored by the Eudora School District. She donates a portion of Ruff House Print Shop stationery sales to the Lawrence Humane Society, where she and her husband, GW Weld, adopted Zeb’s namesake. She also showcases altruistic merchandise, such as MudLOVE mugs, and strives to foster a sense of connectivity within Eudora.

“I really see the coffee shop as a hub for the community,” Kathy Weld says. “My customers aren’t customers. They’re friends.”

Kathy Weld, owner of Zeb’s Coffeehouse; A busy Saturday afternoon inside Zeb’s Coffeehouse

Deep Ties Help Revitalize Properties

GW Weld’s ties run even deeper. He grew up in Eudora then returned from college determined to take part in the town’s revitalization. He and his partner and father, Glenn Weld, began buying and improving rental properties. They cut their teeth on small renovations, gradually expanding to take on projects such as one that includes 50 former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant housing units.

“I love investing and renovating to provide homes for people,” GW Weld says.

He also owns Cornerstone Property Management, which oversees mostly residential properties in DeSoto, Eudora, Lawrence and Tonganoxie. GW Weld wanted a Main Street address for Cornerstone, so he bought and restored another historic building. He did the same with a third building and sold it. A fourth building purchased more than two years ago is proving to be a bigger challenge, however.

Part of his 714 Main St. acquisition was constructed in 1860, making it downtown’s oldest surviving commercial building, according to the Eudora Area Historical Society. That means lots of character—and lots of problems, including structural decay and water damage.

“It’s in bad shape,” GW Weld acknowledges. “It can’t be saved if you’re trying to do it to make money. It’s really a labor of love.”

The project’s closer to fruition after receiving a $250,000 Kansas Department of Commerce Small Cities Community Development Block Grant. GW Weld hopes work on the 5,000-square-foot building will start this summer, is applying for a National Register of Historic Places designation and plans to eventually lease it as commercial space.

“(This building) is important for downtown,” he says. “Downtown can’t have any missing teeth.”

Elizabeth Knispel, owner of Twill Trade boutique poses by her font door on Main Street and works with a customer inside

Investing in Eudora’s Potential

That’s an especially extreme case, but other downtown entrepreneurs are likewise investing in their properties. Among them is Elizabeth Knispel, who earlier this year purchased the 1880s-era building housing her Twill Trade boutique and gave it a “mini-makeover” that raised ceilings, partially exposed the original brick walls and added new lighting. She and her family also sold their house and moved into the upstairs apartment about the same time.

It was good timing: The store was operating online-only because of the pandemic. Since reopening to in-person shopping, Twill has seen a steady return of customers from Baldwin City, Eudora, Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka who are eager to check out the mix of clothing, jewelry, accessories and gift items.

“We get everyone in, from little 3-year-old girls to their great-grandmas, and they come in all shapes and sizes,” says Knispel, who has five part-time employees. “We want them to come to a place that’s beautiful and shop with their friends.”

Knispel launched Twill in 2015 while living in Colorado then moved it to Eudora two years later when her husband began teaching at the University of Kansas. He divides his time between KU’s Edwards and Lawrence campuses, and Eudora proved the perfect location.

“Even when we were having down times, (the community was) buying online gift cards, placing online orders and doing curbside,” says Knispel, who also supports The Bird’s Nest. “Eudora is really supportive of small businesses.”

Courtney Gebauer poses by the large garage style front door to her eclectic Main Street shop, Eudorable.

A Supportive Community

That was evident in Eudora’s reception of Eudorable Home, opened by Courtney Gebauer in late April. Gebauer says people stopped by her 100-year-old downtown building throughout its renovation offering to help. A crowd turned out for her Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony, and someone even left an anonymous May Day basket at her door.

“The support here is phenomenal,” says Gebauer, who sells furniture, vintage décor, candles, signs and gift items.

A self-described deal-finder, Gebauer enjoyed scoring new but discounted furnishings for herself then turning her procurement skills into a business. Despite holding regular driveway sales, she had accumulated enough inventory to fill the extra room in her DeSoto home, her parents’ rural Eudora barn and a storage unit. That’s when Gebauer knew she had the makings of a brick-and-mortar store.

She looked to Eudora because her parents had recently moved to the area. Her husband and father finished the interior walls, updated the bathroom, installed windows and a street-facing garage door, and stripped and sealed the original concrete floors.

“With the improvements, we’ve already made our money back,” says Gebauer, who formerly worked for the Olathe Chamber of Commerce. “I just have a really good feeling about Eudora.”

Cara Austin, owner of LuLu’s Bakery, echoes that sentiment.

“Eudora is so supportive. If wasn’t for them, I’d have closed a long while ago,” says Austin, whose family calls her LuLu.

She established the bakery several years after graduating from Johnson County Community College’s culinary program; it has since grown thanks to word of mouth and social media. LuLu’s is open from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Saturdays only (or until she runs out of cinnamon rolls, turnovers, croissants, cookies, brownies and other goodies). Experienced customers call ahead to reserve their favorites. Austin also takes special orders for parties and events.

Limiting hours allows her to keep labor costs low, and she’s helped only by her husband and sisters-in-law. Most customers take their orders to go, but only after they’ve visited a moment with Austin.

“I don’t think of it as a business. I know it’s weird to say that, but my customers are more a part of the family,” she says. “That’s why they keep coming back.”

Jill Ireland sells straight from her food truck. Main Street Eudora is home but she is seen throughout Douglas County and beyond

K-10 Connection Fuels Sales

While LuLu’s relies on local clientele, Torched Goodness makes good use of Eudora’s on-ramp to K-10 to reach customers in Kansas City, Lawrence and beyond.

“Eudora is a darn good location when you have mobile business,” says owner Julia Ireland, whose food truck specializes in more than 30 flavors of crème brulee.

Ireland opened in 2009 while living in Arizona then moved to Lawrence in 2014. Her first location on 23rd Street worked well, but she had her eye on Eudora.

“When I first drove through Eudora’s Main Street, I thought, ‘This is like out of a movie or postcard. This is so stinkin’ cute!’” says Ireland, who also offers full catering.

Eudora proved more affordable, too. Ireland secured a stand-alone building for less than a third of her Lawrence rent, and that low overhead proved essential when COVID canceled the wedding, corporate and other events on her books.

Ireland did have to pare her usual roster of 12 part-time employees; she and a partner now produce orders for Wednesday carry-out dinners, parties and the Lawrence Farmers’ Market. Ireland has already seen the return of some smaller events and expects conditions to improve in 2022. For now, she’s focusing on helping with efforts including Eudora’s recent pet food drive and supporting local businesses.

“I’d much rather give (Twill) my 20 bucks than Amazon,” Ireland says.

Longevity Supports Growth

For every new business appearing on Eudora’s Main Street, there are mainstays that have weathered decades of economic cycles. Among them is Quilting Bits & Pieces, which Christina DeArmond and her sister, Amy Deay, opened in 1997 and now co-own with Kaye Spitzli, Eula Lang and Faith Gorden.

“(Quilting) was a growing trend at the time, and there was a lot of excitement about it,” DeArmond says.

Times were harder during the recession of 2008, but they survived. And 2020? It proved to be one of their best years. The store closed to in-person shopping early in the pandemic, but curbside and mail orders increased. DeArmond asked her 15 part-time employees to stay home for about six weeks; when she reopened, they were busier than ever.

“People like getting ideas for things to make and touching the fabric,” DeArmond says.

Almost all of DeArmond’s customers come from elsewhere, drawn by the novelty of visiting a different store or attending one of her quilt camps or events. One thing they always want to know? Where else to go. She happily directs them to nearby restaurants, shops and services.

“Eudora is just a cute little town to come into, and it’s growing,” DeArmond says. “We love our out-of-town customers. It’s important to help them enjoy their time here.”

Downtown Eudora’s growth both ups its destination appeal and offers residents more reasons to shop local. A vibrant Main Street is proof that small businesses can be sustainable here, Cornerstone Property’s GW Weld says.

“It’s a tremendous sign that this is a place you can invest,” he continues. “You can be successful in Eudora if you’re good at what you do and if you support Eudora.”