A reader was asking me about 818 Broadway. It’s been a whole lot of things, but it’ll always be Beard’s Sport Shop to me. When I photographed it in 2009, the sign on the front of building said Grace Cafe, but I think it had already closed its doors. I used to go to Grace Cafe when it was located in the old Vandeven’s Mercantile building at Pacific and Broadway because they had a fast internet connection.
Ornate decorations
I never noticed how ornate the trim was on the building until I looked at these photos. I thought that it might have been added recently, but Fred Lynch had a Frony photo of Beard’s and Wayne’s Grill that shows it clearly in 1961.
When Friend Shari and I shot the interior of the Broadway Theater in December, we retreated across the street for some coffee to thaw out. I couldn’t remember the name of the place, but a Missourian business column on April 18, 2011, said “Calix Coffee opened at 818 Broadway, at the former Grace Cafe location in Cape Girardeau. Owner Andrew Whaley, Jackson, previously worked at Grace Cafe as a barista. The shop sells coffee and fresh baked pastries, and Whaley hopes to add sandwiches and salads in the future.”
That must be it.
You can barely make out the Beard’s sign in a photo I ran the other day of a wreck at night on Broadway.
Interested in Pinterest?
I’m always a little slow in adopting new social media, but Son Matt added a new button to the front of the blog. You’ve been able to “Like” a page on Facebook and Google+ for some time. Starting last week, you could “pin” an image on Pinterest. It’s probably easier to show you some of my stuff that’s been “pinned” than to try to explain it. It’s sort of a nice way to get a high-level feel for the kind of stuff I shoot.
The Pinterest Page https://pinterest.com/source/capecentralhigh.com/ is a WOW! adding it to my blog http://www.CollegeHighReunion.com/blog for all to see. What a great web page!!
Thanks. I’m going to spend some more time building up the “boards” as they call them. It’s a nice way to get an overview of the stories I’ve done.
Unfortunately, Calix Coffee is now closed. The building sets empty again.
I didn’t want to say it in the original story, but based on the level of service we received, I’m not surprised.
I remember this as the URGAS store…this was were you could look at GAS ranges, GAS dyers and GAS stuff…that URGAS sold for use in Southeast. Propane was teh name of the game…that is what I remember…the Ice cream stuff came later…
I think Beard’s was across the street on Broadway…(?)
This was the Original Beard’s Sports Shop opened in 1958. In 1964 my father moved the store across the street to 811 Broadway, next to the old Broadway theater and below the old American Legion hall.
After He moved from the building it became an ice cream shop-Martha Washington’s- for a number of years and then Weber’s Appliance store, followed by several coffee type houses.
When Shari and I went into the place to warm up in Decemember, everybody was still excited about the renovation of the Esquire (which looks like is falling through).
I speculated to her that the building would be a candidate for an expanded parking lot if the theater took off. After looking it over, though, I was impressed that the place appeared to be in good shape.
Your father’s coffee cup & his friendliness along with sneaky Don made me a consistent customer. Don would be nowhere to be seen & all of a sudden ” can I help you”? There he was out of nowhere, our friendship traveled to Ace Hardware talking fishing & hunting.
Where was the Spanish Door? 1972 to 1974 Band with a rhythm guitar player that called himself Spic. Always
had good music and it was a place our crowd hung out
at.
What happenned to Paglia’s down the hill by the Pladuim.
I used to deliver pizzas from there.
I think they’re still open. I had a pizza there last year. Somebody who actually lives in Cape will probably chime in.
The wife and I ate at Paglia’s just this week. It’s still a favorite of mine (Medium Paglia’s Special and salad bar) and a busy place.