Two downtown Bryan business owners were recognized Thursday for their efforts to revitalize the area.
Kristy Petty, the owner of Village Cafe and Art 979, and Ray Jezisek, the owner of the Brazos Valley Decorative Center, were named the winners of the 10th annual Mayor's Downtown Impact Awards at a ceremony at the Brazos Center.
Mayor Mark Conlee said the pair were chosen out of 35 nominations for nine individuals and businesses. They were selected because of their contributions and enthusiasm for enhancing the area, he said.
"The Downtown Impact Award is very close to my heart," Conlee said. "I am passionate about downtown, and I am extremely grateful to those who go the extra mile to build upon its success."
The award honors efforts by an individual or organization to revitalize downtown. It's sponsored by The Bank and Trust of Bryan, which donates $500 to the Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley in the name of the award winners. The award is provided by The Discount Trophy Group.
Conlee said Village Cafe and Art 979, at 210 W. 26th St., offers a unique combination of art, music, food and wine. In the year since it has been downtown, Conlee said, Petty has helped build momentum for more activity downtown.
Petty said she thought downtown was the only place the business could survive and credited her employees with helping make the place a success. Petty said she visited the area for the first time in the 1990s, when it was a "ghost town," and fell in love with it.
"Coming from a corporate background, it's so nice to love where you work," she said. "What we're doing is different from the rest of the area and is a bit more artsy and liberal, and to be recognized for kind of being a little more out there, that's nice."
Jezisek and his business partner, Josh Ortiz, moved the Brazos Valley Decorative Center to downtown from Lake Street. The potential and nostalgia of the area were big factors in the move, Ortiz said.
The business, which specializes in interior decorating needs, invested more than $300,000 in renovations to the building, at 401 S. Main St. Improvements to the exterior of the site, which were funded partly by a grant from the city, were recognized by the Texas Downtown Association.
While it was a risk to invest so much in the look of the building, Ortiz said, it would have been heartbreaking to see it become an eyesore in a flourishing area.
"It was a risk, but I feel like we've been blessed by this," he said. "We're so thankful for our loyal clients that turn out to be more friends than anything. They really guide us. Even as business owners, you never are your own boss. You always work for your customers."
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