By Lynndi Lockenour
In the midst of the chaos that is New Town, with hammers constantly banging and backhoes whizzing by, there is a new place to relax. From the heated porch to the barstools next to the oven, The Prancing Pony is a warm and comfortable place to get a cup of joe.
Not just a coffee shop and book store, The Prancing Pony also offers customers a light menu of brunch and lunch items as well as a bookstore. For those who aren’t into reading as much, wireless Internet is also accessible from the café. Manager Cody Long said the first three weeks of business have been great. “I never expected this many people to be in here,” she said.
Lisa Maull, marketing director for Whittaker Homes, the company responsible for New Town’s creation, said they originally planned on much slower opening for The Prancing Pony. “It’s a slow time of year,” she said. “But from the first day we were open, this place was packed.”
The café doesn’t officially open until January 21 when a grand opening ceremony will be held, but already five more people have been hired due to the increased number of patrons.
Hours for the café are currently from seven a.m. until seven p.m. but already there is talk of extending them. Maull said more hours are needed to accommodate many of the people already living in the new houses. “Seven p.m. just isn’t late enough for people who don’t get home until five,” she said. “By the time they pick up their kids and finish dinner, we are closing.”
Long and Maull both mentioned the café isn’t just for residents of New Town, but rather for anyone who wishes to come by, especially visitors and those thinking about buying a home in the community. So far, Long said, Sunday is the most popular day for out-of-town residents. “People come in for lunch and coffee after church,” she said.
The menu includes: soups, salads, hot and cold sandwiches, pizza, pastries, desserts, and more. Already, Long said their “Phabulous Philly” is a hit among customers. The sandwich consists of roast beef, sauteed mushrooms, onions, peppers, and dijon mustard. The pizza is also a popular item, especially among the construction workers. “We have a stone hearth to cook our pizza,” Long said. “I think it makes a big difference in the taste.”
The café coincides with the new urbanism theme after which New Town is modeled. New urbanism argues that homebuyers are interested in purchasing houses within walking distance to most businesses. “When this is complete, New Town will have next to everything residents need,” Maull said. “The neatest part is that it’s all within walking distance.”
According to Maull, the café is just one of many things homebuyers who purchase in Newtown are looking for. “Buyers move here for a very specific reason,” she said. “They are looking for a special place to spend their time.” The café is just one of many places in the works which will allow them to do so.
In addition to providing a place to relax and enjoy a book, the café also offers live music once a week. On Thursday nights, between the hours of 6:30 and 8 p.m., musicians perform acoustic compositions for customers.
On January 12 The Prancing Pony will host a Curious George night for children. The Curious George movie opens in early February and Long said the event is designed to bring children and books together. “We are going to have someone dress up as a character from the book and read to the children,” she said. “We want the kids to read more and be excited about it.”
More than anything, Long said patrons say the café feels like “their place.” “It’s just a really neat place,” she said. “It’s kind of reminds me of Main Street and the feeling you get when visiting.”
The rapid growth of the café gives future businesses in New Town hope. Though most of them aren’t set to open until the autumn of 2006, the opening of The Prancing Pony foreshadows success. “Not only is the café good for residents,” Maull said, “It says to visitors and homebuyers that New Town is going to be a hit and businesses will succeed here.”
Grand Opening Saturday Jan. 21st at the Prancing Pony Books and Cafe
The Prancing Pony Books & Café, the first restaurant/bookstore in The New Town at St. Charles, is officially open for business! The general public is invited to attend a Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
The festivities include live music and a special acoustic performance from 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Local authors will be on hand to sign books, including Valerie VanBooven, who wrote Aging Answers, from 9 – 11 a.m.; Laura Bradford, who wrote the popular novel, Jury of One, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Barbara Youree, who wrote Duel Love, from 1 – 3 p.m., and Ann Hazelwood, who wrote 100 Things To Do In and Around Historic St. Charles, from 3 – 5 p.m. There also will be free pizza samples and complimentary desserts from some of the café’s suppliers, including J. Noto in Historic St. Charles and Companion Baking in St. Louis.
“We’ve seen New Town residents, future homeowners and visitors alike frequenting the Prancing Pony,” says Greg Whittaker, developer of New Town. “I’ve traveled new urbanism developments, such as New Town, across the country and what make these places special are the unique businesses and the people who visit them. The people who live in or visit New Town want great, local places to hangout where the owner knows their name.”
The Prancing Pony also has live music every Thursday night from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. There will be children’s book readings, book clubs and discussion groups in the near future.
The Prancing Pony is located in The New Town at St. Charles. Take Hwy. 370 to north on New Town Blvd., 1 ? miles to New Town Drive on the right. Go around the round-about to South New Town Ave. to left on Domain Street to an immediate right into the amphitheater area; the Prancing Pony Books and Café is in an old-fashioned train station building off to the left.
The Prancing Pony Books and Café is open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Tuesday – Friday and 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The café is closed on Monday and open late for special events. For information, call 636-946-1812.
