By Eric Stock
NORMAL – One of Uptown Normal’s landmark businesses is celebrating a milestone anniversary.
It’s been 40 years since Dorothy Bushnell took over the Garlic Press and five years later moved it its current location on North Street. Bushnell, who now co-owns the store with her daughter Sarah Mcmanus and Pam Locsin, said she never envisioned being in business this long.
“Not at all, I was very new to being in business at all when I took over,” I had really no idea with the future was going to hold.”
Bushnell said the business got a big boost in the early years when it became the first downstate store to offer the revolutionary Cuisinart Food Processor which sold at the time for 4200.
“People thought people wouldn’t pay that much for a kitchen appliance, but they did and it created a lot of excitement,” Bushnell said.
The Garlic Press was simply a cookware specialty store for years, but opened its Market Cafe next door in 2005.
Uptown Normal looks nothing like it did 40 years ago. Bushnell noted she’s been through two downtown-now-Uptown renovations.
“I was in the business in this little store on the corner when they redid the streets and proudly made them in different angles and advertised angled parking. So 20 years later, they proud redid it to parallel parking,” Bushnell joked. “I’ve been through two of those (renovations), but this last one has been really spectacular.”
The Food Network recently named the Garlic Press one of the 10 Best Kitchen Stores in the U.S.
Garlic Press is hosting an anniversary celebration from noon to 4 p.m. featuring snacks, drinks, memorabilia, prize giveaways and specials.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
