Looking for a Gem Near Madison? Meet Spring Green, WI
Spring Green, WI, a mere hour from Madison along the Frank Lloyd Wright Memorial Highway, is the quintessential historic Wisconsin village, complete with a charming downtown district, where visitors can enjoy everything from art galleries to specialty shops and delicious eateries.
The success of Spring Green’s small businesses is a direct reflection of the town’s appeal.
Spring Green, WI: A Director’s Next Act
In 1996, James Bohnen, owner of Arcadia Books in Spring Green, was hired to direct a play at American Players Theatre that turned into a long-term working relationship, lasting until 2019.
“The first few years I was surprised that the town had no bookstore,” Bohnen says. “In 2010, I had decided to stop running a theater in Chicago. That same spring the flower shop in Spring Green’s downtown (at a perfect corner) came up for sale, and it seemed like a sign from somewhere that the time had come to open a bookstore.”
Arcadia Books is an independent bookstore with a cafe. In addition to noticeably robust sections featuring Shakespeare and Frank Lloyd Wright, the bookstore offers a broad range of current and backlist titles in literature, poetry, nature and other subjects. The store also boasts an extensive children’s and young adult section.
Developing a model of the perfect bookstore came easy to Bohnen, as it echoes the many bookstores around the country where Bohnen has lived, including Unabridged Bookstore in Chicago, Three Lives & Company in New York City, and WordsWorth in the Boston metro area.
“I’ve spent many thousands of happy hours browsing, talking books, listening to others and being surprised by books I didn’t know existed,” Bohnen says. “I have spent much of my life being haunted by books and bookstores.”
Bohnen says he also attributes the success of the small bookstore to the vibrant and supportive River Valley community in which Spring Green is located.
“Spring Green and the surrounding towns and land are a wonderful mix of intellectual hunger, hard physical work and beautiful rolling landscapes,” Bohnen says. “It is a town where people are concerned for one another and grateful for the energizing mix of personalities. While our population explodes in the summer due to all of the wonderful opportunities we boast, we are grateful that we have support year-round from our neighbors.”
Sip & Shop Stop in Spring Green
Many residents and visitors enjoy exploring one of the village’s most unique establishments: Convivio.
Established in 2008, Convivio is a brick-and-mortar retail store in downtown Spring Green. The store is a “tabletop stop,” featuring carefully curated dishes, linens, imported foods, candles and cookbooks, but at the heart of the store is a selection of fine wine and spirits, as well as an espresso bar. Recently, the owners opened a craft cocktail bar (with limited hours) in the store’s decked-out basement.
“The business plan was driven by a list of things that I couldn’t access in town, and I felt that I was not the only person missing them,” says Mary D’Alton, co-owner of Convivio, along with Eric Ferguson. “It worked. I was very surprised by the positive reaction to the selection of wine, and that’s continued to be the main income stream of the business.”
Together, the owners have shifted the business to include new facets like the espresso bar.
“A good quality coffee beverage should be available in a community that offers world-class theater (American Players) as well as world-class architecture (Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin),” D’Alton says.
“Spring Green is a good place for small business because of the active downtown and community support. The local staples like a family-run grocery store and family-run pharmacy, specialized retail stores, and bespoke artist studios serve not only our local residents, but also the thousands of tourists that visit each year for the art events, theater season and natural beauty along the Wisconsin River. The local businesses that thrive are the ones that address both the local community and the seasonal visitors.”