We are excited to be a part of the financing package along with Altoona First Savings Bank, for a project that is renovating a former church in Martinsburg and giving it a new life as a coffee shop, Restored Grounds.
“The homegrown main street revitalization projects are vital to bringing new life and opportunities for residents and visitors of our mountain main streets,” said Steve McKnight, President and CEO of ABCD Corp.
Restored Grounds is a start-up business owned by Sunshine and Eric Sassano who have a passion for restoring properties and for their hometown. The new space will be home to a coffee shop, bookstore, and meeting space. The property will also include a vacation rental on the bottom floor for anyone interested in staying in the Martinsburg area.
Click Here for a full coverage story by WTAJ or continue reading the transcript from the July 6, 2021 broadcast below:
BLAIR COUNTY, Pa (WTAJ) — One local is turning a historic church in Blair County into brand new business.
Sunshine Sassano said she noticed a lack of places for the community to gather in Martinsburg, so she is building a coffee bar and lounge to bring back face-to-face friendships.
Along with different types of iced coffees and lattes, sunshine said she will be outsourcing baked goods.
The coffee shop will have multiple seating options, with the goal of making customers feel at home and sunshine said she thinks this space can do that, but bringing this church back to life is going to take some work.
“We will be restoring this old church which is half the reason we chose the name restored grounds and so we will be bringing this place back to life re-doing some floors, moving walls around, that kind of thing,” Restored Grounds Owner Sunshine Sassano said.
The coffee shop hopes to be opened in August and phase two will be to add a used book store. You can find the shop at 202 S. Market St. Martinsburg.
