The first two recipients of the Jefferson Wants You Incentive Fund have been announced!  Kristin Lang and Sara Ostrander each received $5,000 toward their start-up costs for their respective new Jefferson businesses.

Kristin Lang will be opening a new shop called Warm Wishes. Her stationery and gift store will open as a pop-up shop during the Bell Tower Festival and then as a complete shopping experience in August.

Kristin also hosts a website to attract shoppers from all over the United States.  Kristin shared, “I am part of the next generation of business owners in Jefferson.  I hope to create a business that appeals to my generation but is also inclusive to the entire community.  I am working to create a fun and comfortable experience for anyone that is shopping at Warm Wishes.”  Warm Wishes will be located at 200 E. State in Jefferson.

Sara Ostrander is another recipient for her new restaurant, The Centennial, opening in The Centennial Block at 100 E. State St.

Sara described her restaurant, “The Centennial is a new dining experience coming to Jefferson!  Contemporary taste meets historic charm in a beautifully renovated 146-year-old building on the Bell Tower Square.  Guests will enjoy a rotating, hand-crafted seasonal menu consisting of artisanal salads, soups, sandwiches, entrees and desserts.”  Sara plans a public open house to view the renovations on Saturday of the Bell Tower Festival, June 11 from 1 - 4 pm.  The Centennial will open for dining within the next few weeks. 

Both women are alumni of the Jefferson-Scranton Schools and are returning to open their new businesses on Jefferson’s historic downtown square.  They have been impressed with the transformation of Jefferson in recent years and see a real potential for growth of their businesses and the community. 

The Jefferson Wants You Incentive Fund is a project of the Rural Return project through Jefferson Matters: A Main Street & Chamber Community.  This project is funded through  contributions of Jefferson Telecom, Home State Bank, Heartland Bank, Peoples Bank, and Alliant Energy.  The Selection Committee was also awarded a Grow Greene County Grant in early April. 

This fund is open to new businesses filling a gap in Jefferson for start-up funds of up to $5,000.  Applications are available on www.jeffersonmatters.org and questions can be directed to Beth Vander Wilt, Executive Director at her office at The Welcome Center.  Personal interviews are conducted by the Selection Committee. 

Applications are also available for current and new remote workers in Greene County for a year’s membership at Gravitate Coworking - Jefferson. Gravitate is the local coworking space in downtown Jefferson.  More details can also be found on the www.jeffersonmatters.org website under Resources.