Reviving Marion's Uptown One Store at a Time

A week ago I went to Ramsey's Metro Market to pick up a bottle of chocolate mint red wine for my girlfriend. 

I chatted with the owner, Conrad Ramsey, about his inspiration for the store (wine and cheese bars in Galena, IL) and his motivation for starting it.

As a full time employee for Rockwell Collins, he isn't so strapped for cash he needed a second job. He said the reason he started the store a few months ago was because, well, he always wanted to own a business and he always wanted Marion to have a more metropolitan feel.

Ramsey went on to say this was the same for many businesses in uptown Marion, like the Campbell Steele Gallery, Temptations Fine Candies and the recently opened Domicile. He said many business owners in Marion have opened their stores to make Marion become a more fun and inviting place to live.

So in the coming weeks, Marion Patch will be highlighting these businesses and passionate business owners that are in it not only for the money, but because they want Marion to have something they love, and, in turn, make the city more vibrant.

Though the story series is new, we have already written about a few of these businesses.

Make sure to check out our story on the Campbell Steele Gallery's 20th anniversary, in addition to our profile of uptown Marion businesses Intelligent Life Toys and Purse ~N~ Ality.

And look forward to the first entry in the series tomorrow, on the recently opened, upscale, second hand furniture shop, Domicile.