GRCA Commerce Quarterly Winter 2020 - 24

in your community

M a i n

S t r e e t

P r o g r a m s

boyertown
New Hot Spot Opens
By Emily Jones, Building a Better Boyertown

Boyertown, PA - A huge, underutilized, blighted building was in the
middle of South Reading Avenue. The apartments upstairs, though
occupied, were in desperate need of renovation and modernization.
The restaurant on the main floor sat unused and dark. It was clear that
we needed to act and try to turn this behemoth into something great
for Boyertown. The question was, how? The opportunity to apply
for a grant through the Department of Community and Economic
Development became available, and Building a Better Boyertown
decided to go for it. On Dec. 12, 2017, we were awarded an anchor
building grant in the amount of $300,000. Now, we just needed
someone to give it to. We had several potential investors pull out,
and just when we thought all hope was lost, Keith Kopicki came to
the table. Proposing something completely different from what we
already had in Boyertown, Kopicki's prior experience in the food
industry and quiet determination were huge assets. Our Anchor
Building Steering Committee decided to award the grant to him, but
the adventure was not over. He still had to buy the building, which
proved to be another challenge. Between a disinterested absentee
landlord, back taxes owed to the Boyertown Area School District
and Borough of Boyertown, the situation was complex. But, with
the support of volunteers and staff of Building a Better Boyertown
and Kopicki's lawyer and real estate agent, the taxes were reduced,
and eventually he purchased the building.
Kopicki's work was far from over. He started out by renovating
and updating the upstairs apartments. Once those were finished and
occupied, he moved on to the huge restaurant. He had to gut the
interior, redo the kitchen, washrooms, and install a new bar. A year
of hard work, sweat and determination passed. On Dec. 12, 2019,
exactly two years after we
were awarded the original
grant, we were beyond excited to host the ribbon cutting
for Grind.

24 COMMERCE QUARTERLY WINTER 2020

Grind has become a hot spot in Boyertown in the short months
it's been open. Boasting delicious lunch and dinner options, the
restaurant has had as much as an hour wait for seating on a Saturday
night. Not only bringing 43 new jobs to Boyertown, Grind has
become a place where families and friends can gather for a meal
and special evening out. Kopicki often walks the dining room floor,
visiting with each table, asking what his patrons think about the food
and servers. Overwhelmingly, the answer is "wonderful."
We are so excited for Kopicki, his team and his restaurant. He has
proven that with hard work, determination and a little bit of help,
dreams can come true. Next time you're in Boyertown, drop by Grind
and see what they have to offer firsthand. You'll be glad you did.



GRCA Commerce Quarterly Winter 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRCA Commerce Quarterly Winter 2020

GRCA Commerce Quarterly Winter 2020 - 1
GRCA Commerce Quarterly Winter 2020 - 2
GRCA Commerce Quarterly Winter 2020 - 3
GRCA Commerce Quarterly Winter 2020 - 4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Fall2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Summer2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Spring2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Winter2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Fall2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Summer2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Spring2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Winter2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Fall2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Summer2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Spring2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Winter2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Fall2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Summer2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Spring2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GRCA_CommerceQuarterly_Winter2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly_Fall2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly_Summer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/hoffmann/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly/GreaterReadingChamber_CommerceQuarterly_Spring2017
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