City officials joined other area leaders and citizens yesterday in welcoming Crema & Vine in the Old West End Neighborhood. The restaurant is located at 1009 Main St., adjacent the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History.
Owned by Steve DelGiorno and Rick Barker, the restaurant offers self-serve wine stations; craft beer; specialty coffees and teas; and sandwiches, salads and wraps. Seating ranges from a bar designed for users of laptops, notebooks and other electronics to comfortable tables and couches.
Mayor John Gilstrap DelGiorno and Barker success in their venture.
“Coffee houses nestled in center of the cities and neighborhoods have been around since the 16th century,” Gilstrap said at Wednesday’s grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. “They served as a place where people gathered to drink coffee, learn the news of the day, and to be friends and neighbors to discuss matters of mutual concern.”
Gilstrap said the restaurant will serve as a quality of life amenity for the neighborhood. He referenced a 2014 housing market study that cited investments in the quality of life amenities in neighborhoods as essential to attracting middle market families and new economy workers.
In addition, this study recommended the focus on investments between the River District and city anchors such as Averett University, Danville Community College and SOVAH Health.
“Taking these recommendations into consideration, the Industrial Development Authority placed this building under option and began to search for a developer to develop this former gas station from a concept that the neighborhood would support,” Gilstrap said. “What better development team to take on such transitional projects than the dynamic development duo of Steve DelGiorno and Rick Barker.”
According to records, the present structure on the site was built as a “service station” in 1969, replacing the existing “service station” that was built in 1927. Converting a former gas station into a restaurant meant tearing out underground gas tanks and getting the soil at the site tested to make sure there had been no gas leaks, all to state and federal specifications.
Inside the station, the top eight inches of concrete flooring were removed to eradicate any residue of gas or oil.
Crema & Vine opened to the public on Sunday. The restaurant hours will be from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday; 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.