Our readers have spoken! Thank you to everyone who voted in the 2022 Creston Valley Advance Readers’ Choice Awards.
A total of 1,774 votes were cast to select the best of the best that our community has to offer in over 60 categories, including Best Coffee Shop, Best Hiking Trail, Best Dentist, and more!
For the last two years, many of our local businesses have struggled to adapt and flow with the constant challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This list of standouts selected by our readers is a testament to their success through these uncertain times.
For instance, Cori Karountzos, owner of Frisky Whisky on Main Street in Creston, had to get creative with her business plan through the changing health protocols.
READ MORE: Cocktail lounge in Creston gets creative to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions
The cocktail lounge opened in the summer of 2020 and was faced with weeks upon weeks of closures thereafter. To keep bringing in revenue, Karountzos started selling take-home cocktail kits based on some of their popular menu recipes. She also used the closure as time to renovate the space next door into a club space with a dance floor.
Once their doors re-opened, dancing was still not permitted for many months. So, Karountzos decided to use the club space to welcome parents and their children for family dining in the interim.
These innovations are just once example of a business owner pivoting to move along with the times. Congratulations to Frisky Whisky for winning Gold in Best Restaurant for a Date Night, Silver for Best Lounge, Silver for Best Burger, Bronze for Best Lunch, and Bronze for Best Brunch!
Despite the pandemic creating a turbulent economic situation, new businesses have continued to open and thrive in the Creston community.
Wild North Brewing, the Gold winner of Best Brewery, opened in May 2021 with patrons lining up outside to try their first brew - masks and all.
READ MORE: New craft brewery bubbles up in Creston
It has since become a popular hangout spot on the weekends, with pop-up chefs and food trucks visiting the space. The owners also support other businesses by encouraging patrons to bring in takeout from other restaurants, even offering discounts on their ales for doing so.
The Gold winner of Best Coffee Shop is also a newcomer to the valley - Good Company Coffee. The picturesque cafe opened only a few months ago in the fall, with breathtaking views of the Skimmerhorn Mountain and orchards just outside the windows.
Sisters Cassidy and Stephanie opened the space together with a vision of creating a new community space for friends to gather over a cup of joe. They have also partnered with Luv at First Bite, Silver winner of Best Baked Goods, to offer a selection of fresh goodies every weekend.
Right next door, Brittany’s Flower Farm (owned by Stephanie’s twin sister) boasts a collection of whimsical floral designs that often spill over into the coffee shop. The florist was voted the Gold winner of Best Flower Shop.
If you haven’t had the chance to check out these local businesses, or any of the other winners, now is the time to do so! We are certain there is something from our list that will be new to you.
Be a tourist in our own little town by going somewhere you’ve never been before. Take your mom out for Sunday brunch, then check out a local thrift store. Or grab lunch on Main Street, then spend the afternoon window shopping. Take time to explore.
Show our community some love by shopping local and supporting our business owners. They need it now more than ever.
To view all of the winners online, visit crestonvalleyadvance.secondstreetapp.com/Creston-Valley-2022-Readers-Choice-Awards and click through the various categories.
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