Party Central ready to serve good times
The Party Line has been Centralized.
As of May 10, The Party Line, 104 E. May St., has a new owner, a face-lift and a different name - Party Central.
"Party Line is dead. Long live Party Central," said new owner Jenny Darling, Mount Pleasant resident.
The store's name change should help customers realize there is a new owner, Darling said. In addition, the building was freshly painted in Central's maroon and gold colors.
Located between Washington and Main streets, Party Central is surrounded by CMU fraternities and sororities, which are boons to business, Darling said.
"We try to give the students a place for a fast lunch on their way to school, to pop in for a quick snack. And of course, we have lots of beer at reasonable prices," she said.
Nearby road construction over the summer may have been a blessing in disguise for the store, Darling said.
"During the construction, business was extremely slow. But we remained positive about it because it gave us the chance to get our remodeling done," she said.
The building was built in 1917, and originally served as a neighborhood grocery and butcher shop. The Party Line served in the location for 20 years under previous owner Ray Horrocks, Mount Pleasant resident.
Darling said she looks forward to students returning to Mount Pleasant to check out the changes made to the store.
"We did a little remodeling, with new counters and new equipment in the kitchen. And the ceiling tiles have been replaced. There's no more writing on the ceiling tiles. Some people will be upset about that," she said.
While kegs of Bud Light and Busch Light can be purchased from Party Central, the store does not deliver beer orders like The Party Line used to "because of the liability, and with drunk driving laws and problems with alcohol on campus," Darling said.
She said she has made prices more reasonable to compensate for the loss of the delivery service.
Party Central is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. The business can be reached at 773-7993.
