Small Talk

Small Business Saturday is Saturday, November 26, 2022. In honor of this day we're featuring a Q&A with Small Businesses in Downtown Evansville called "Small Talk."

Small Talk with Goldman's Pawn Shop
Andy & Rachel Goldman


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What services does Goldman's Pawn Shop offer?
Being a pawn shop, we specialize in short-term, non-recourse, collateralized cash loans on a variety of goods. We have the lowest finance charges and the longest loan terms in the tri-state area. We are also a retail establishment and offer jewelry repair as well as guitar repair. 

What type of items are available for purchase?
Gold, guns and guitars! We sell brand-new and estate fine jewelry, brand-new and second-hand musical instruments and music equipment, firearms, some consumer electronics as well as tools. We are exceptionally proud of our selection of antique and vintage items. A visit to Goldman's gives you the opportunity to take home a piece of history!

You've been in business since 1898. How has your business changed through the years?
Aw geez, were we supposed to change? Goldman's Pawn Shop has provided the same excellent customer service, generous loan terms and fair sales prices for over 100 years. Now in our fifth generation, we have always been owned and operated by the Goldman family. That said, the collateral we accept has changed a great deal. When our store first opened, we would make loans on horse saddles, roller skates, suits, shoes and coats. In 2022, we accept laptop computers and video game systems. How times have changed!

What is the most obscure item that has ever been pawned?
Our favorite story is that our great great grandfather made a man a loan on his prosthetic leg, thinking there was no way the man wouldn't come back for his leg. Months passed and the man never came back! We must confess that we no longer know whether this story is fact or fiction, as many years have passed and we've lost both the memory and the leg. 

What's your favorite part of being a small business owner?
There are many things that we like about being small business owners, but we love the ability to work one on one with our customers and develop close, long-term relationships most of all. We've been in business for five generations and we have some customers whose families have been working with us for just as long. Even if you come visit our store for the first time tomorrow, we really love the opportunity to get to know you and help you get to know everyone at Goldman's. That's very special to us. 

Anything else you would like to share?
Whether you need a loan, have something you'd like to sell, want to buy something for $5 or want to buy something for $50,000, we will always appreciate the opportunity to do business with you. Please visit our store any time, let us introduce ourselves and give you a reason to come back time and time again!

Goldman's Pawn Shop is located at 107 SE 4th St, Evansville, IN 47708
Hours:
Monday - Thursday; Saturday 8 AM - 4:45 PM
Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Phone: (812) 423-9631
Website: goldmanspawnshop.com
Follow on Facebook & Instagram


Small Talk with Merrymint Celebration Boutique + Event Space 
Co-owners Katie Haire & Rachel Sansing

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What services does your business offer?
We are a curated party supply store and 50-person event space right in the heart of Downtown! Our goal is simple: make celebrations easy and unforgettable! In our store, we offer party supplies and décor for any occasion, from weddings to kids’ parties, showers to holidays! If you are celebrating, we have what you need to make it special. We have set up our store in a way to make finding what you need an easy, aesthetic experience. In addition, we offer balloon styling including a rotating selection of helium bouquets and custom, hand-tied balloon garlands. 

In addition to our storefront, we offer a bright, modern 50-person event space perfect for hosting your next event! Though our space is available for rental only, we also offer design services and décor packages to make your event truly pop with minimal effort. We started this business to make celebrations easier for moms like us, and we pride ourselves on creating a truly effortless experience for our clients. Want to work with us but host your event somewhere else? We are happy to bring the party to wherever you are! In addition to on-site event design, we offer off-site event design as well.

The newest leg of our business is our Enchanted Character Experiences, which provide high quality character interaction to Southern Indiana and Kentucky. Enchanted by Merrymint is the Tri-state area's only full-service professional character experience provider! With over 40 of your favorite princesses, superheroes, and other beloved characters, clients are sure to find one that will excite and delight their guests! Our line up includes three experience options, meaning we have a package to fit almost any budget. Our performers are highly experienced and professionally trained to bring the magic to every event from start to finish!

What led you to want to be a small business owner?
Both of us (Rachel Sansing and Katie Haire) are moms first. This business truly started as two moms looking to make everyday celebrations better for their kids, and along the way has grown into making celebrations better for everyone. It is important to us that we constantly (are trying to) strike a balance between being ambitious women and present mothers. In today's society, women are often asked to choose between career and family. When we started our small business, we wanted to have both. It is not uncommon on any given day to see one (or all) of the six children under age 9 that belong to us and our employees running around our event space or coloring with chalk on our patio. This is our dream, that we can be both moms and business women. Owning a small business truly allows us to pursue our passions in a deeper way than we have ever experienced as professional women before. When we started in October 2021, we were literally selling holiday décor out of Rachel's living room. We do not take for granted what a gift it is to be able to bring this vision to Downtown and other women like us. 

What’s your favorite part of being a small business owner?
For both of us, our favorite part of being a small business owner is the community! We love getting to know our clients and helping them execute the event of their dreams. There is no greater feeling than seeing a child light up when they see their favorite character for the first time, watching someone walk around our store to find the perfect gift for their best friend's engagement party, or the tear in a grandmother's eye at her grandchild's 1st birthday party in our event space. Walking alongside our clients' happiest moments is truly indescribable. Additionally, we love being a part of the larger community of entrepreneurs in Evansville. We have made so many deep connections with other entrepreneurs because we all believe the same thing: small businesses make our community better. It is the honor of our lives to be a part of this community with each of you.

Merrymint Celebration Boutique + Event Space is located at 318 Walnut St, Evansville, IN 47708
Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday 10 AM - 4 PM, Special November & December hours of Sunday 12 - 4 PM
Phone: (812) 449-7985
Website: shopmerrymint.com
Follow on Facebook, Instagram (@shopmerrymint, @merrymintevents, & @enchantedbymerrymint), & TikTok


Small Talk with Arcademie
Q&A with Carl Arnheiter

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How many games do you have at The Arcademie?

We have 45 arcade and pinball machines, and 1 air hockey table, every single one set to free play. Keep your quarters.

What led you to want to open The Arcademie?
We opened Arcademie because it's the bar we always wanted to open. Plus where else could we store an absurdly-sized arcade collection? 

What’s your favorite game and why?

Favorite game is a tough one, but the Star Wars cockpit version is surely up there.  It's a simple, straightforward game. The challenge increases with each level. You feel like you're actually flying the x-wing fighter.  It's iconic, and just pure, vintage fun. 

If you could tell people one thing about The Arcademie what would it be?
We're a bar with an arcade. While we obviously care about arcade game, we focus as much, if not more, on the bar. We have an amazing, creative bar staff. We have one of the best draught lines in town, and the upstairs Altar Bar serves some absolutely stunning drinks. Plus we've partnered with La Campirana to serve the best Mexican food in the area.

You’re located in the historic O’Donnell Building on 6th Street. How did you incorporate the building’s history into your business?

Renovating the O'Donnell building was an incredible challenge, as frustrating a project as we've ever faced, but at the same time remarkably rewarding.  The historic facade remains unchanged, and inside, we just peeled the layers back to get to its original design - brick, wood joist ceiling, exposing old windows that no longer open to anything....Wood that was salvaged from the demo process, all dating to 1905, was used to make our tables and back bar counters. And for the 52 years that it was the Bethuram Vacuum shop - still a 1945 vacuum cleaner store when we acquired it - we incorporated their vintage equipment throughout. Our "limited separation" allowing all ages in are vacuums, as is every light in the back half of the space.

Are companies and individuals able to rent out your upstairs space for holiday parties/receptions? If so, what’s the best way to contact you?

We're regularly booked for parties upstairs and downstairs! The upstairs Altar Bar has its own restroom, a roof deck, and a fantastic Art Deco feel, plus phenomenal drinks to match. Send us a message at [email protected], we'll go from there. 

Arcademie is located at 22 NW 6th St, Evansville, IN 47708
Hours:
Tuesday 5 - 10 PM, Wednesday 5- 11 PM, Thursday 5 PM - 12 AM, Saturday 5 PM - 1 AM
Website: arcademiebar.com
Follow on Facebook, Instagram