Old Town Cape: Blog

There are several new businesses popping up in the downtown area. One of these new businesses is a unique fashion boutique, Ophelia, which opened in early June. With its fashion forward designs and vast assortment of clothing, shoes, jewelry and gifts, Ophelia has something to offer for women of all ages. From trendy pieces to basic staples, the store only carries six of each individual item, allowing for new styles to be brought in daily. Ophelia also has a line of all natural bath and body products called KIND, which come from Webster Groves, Missouri.

Ophelia’s original location is in downtown Farmington, Missouri. In June of 2013, Patrice Parson had an opportunity to purchase Ophelia after hearing that it was going out of business. “I decided to start a new adventure into owning a business when the previous owner approached me with the chance to buy the store. I was so excited about the new adventure, but also scared to lose my shopping place so I decided that being a new business owner was a new adventure I was ready for”. Not long after purchasing the Farmington location, Patrice and her husband new that they wanted to expand. Being a Southeast Missouri State University graduate and a former resident of Cape Girardeau, Patrice was very familiar with the Cape Girardeau area. After making several trips to downtown Cape Girardeau and visiting with several downtown business owners, they began to start the search for the perfect building for their new boutique. With the help of Old Town Cape, Patrice and her husband were able to find the perfect location for their second store.

Ophelia is located at 125 North Main Street. For more information about their store, check out their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OpheliaCapeGirardeau.

I believe we all have a plan for our futures. We aspire to be many different things, such as teachers, doctors, lawyers, etc. Often times in life, we find ourselves headed down a path different from the one we planned to take. The path I've followed has lead me to downtown Cape Girardeau. Never did I imagine I'd be operating my own business. That was never my "plan." I am truly blessed that my plan did not work out. Becoming a business owner in downtown Cape is a special opportunity, one that has brought many people into my life, all of whom I treasure.

Being part of this local community and interacting with its supporters makes this experience very rewarding. Every day, new faces come into my shop, Annie Em's at Home. Those faces are always full of news, stories, and advice. My customers have become my friends. The relationships I have with them are worth more than they'll ever know.

Downtown Cape has become an area for small businesses to thrive and flourish. Whether you're looking for shopping, dining, or entertainment, downtown Cape has it all. Every time you walk into a new business, you're sure to be greeted with a smile and a warm welcome. The business owners are a tight-knit group that truly value their customers. They believe in making the downtown experience one that welcomes all. I am very proud to be a part of this group of individuals.

As I stated previously, owning a small business was not my plan. I took ownership of my store from my Mother in 2012. The change in ownership was unexpected. After operating Annie Em's at Home for close to a year now, I've learned that plans don't always work out like you hope they will. Sometimes, the best things to happen to us are those that are unexpected.