Loyal customers of the Sweet Shop and Red Rooster may have had a bit of a scare when a sign proclaiming “under new ownership” appeared briefly last week. Concerns that the much-loved venue is about to undergo dramatic changes are unfounded, according to building owner Diana Jones.

Jones, who took ownership of Meeker Drugs in 2009, the local pharmacy once owned by her grandfather, has navigated multiple transformations, including relocating to the corner of Sixth and Main and resurrecting the old-fashioned soda fountain. Two years ago the pharmacy was forced to close its doors after nearly a century. Jones rebranded the coffee and ice cream counter as The Sweet Shop and kept the popular Red Rooster sandwich shop under the same roof. 

“Community, conversation, and connection”

Her vision for the space has remained consistent throughout the twists and turns of business ownership: creating a place for community, conversation, and connection over coffee and cookies or ice cream and milkshakes. Now it’s time to pass the baton to new owners, while Jones remains involved as the building owner. 

“We have new energy and new creativity,” Jones said of recent Meeker additions Gypsy Soul and Ashley Watson. “They can enhance and grow an existing business. We [Jones and her husband Mike] were given an opportunity to grow our business and we’re paying that forward.” 

Soul was most recently in Craig where he owned and operated Audacity Pizza in the Warehouse Food Hall to rave reviews for his unique pizza combinations. “I can express myself through my ‘crazy’ food,” he said. Through his work at the Warehouse, he got to know a number of Meeker residents. 

Last summer he brought his Audacity Pizza food truck to Meeker and Jones asked him to bring the food truck to her oldest daughter’s wedding in September. A similar vision and a passion for food and its meaning to a community spurred conversations between the two.

“We’ve been talking about this for months,” Jones said.

Soul, who is originally from the East Coast, has years of experience in the food industry. His mission statement for Audacity Pizza mirrors his shared vision for the future of the Sweet Shop and Red Rooster: conversation, connection and community. 

More additions than subtractions

Other than a name change to “GGs.place,” Soul’s plans are more about additions than subtractions. His business partner Ashley Watson, who also comes from the East Coast and has known him for years, will supply homemade baked goods like pies, cookies and breads, including gluten- and dairy-free options and health-conscious recipes. Watson is also a nurse at Pioneers Medical Center. 

They will be changing the coffee brand to a fair-trade, organic bean from Kaladi Coffee, a small business originally from Anchorage, Alaska. Soul plans to offer a free cup of coffee to veterans who come into GGs.place. 

His dream is to create a community hub where people can have a warm and welcoming place to gather. In his travels back and forth across the U.S., Soul said when he goes into a town he visits coffee shops “to get to know the town.” 

The shop is located at 315 6th Street and hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Discounts are available for first responders, teachers and students.

He and Watson chose to come to Meeker “because of the people,” the recreation center, and the easy access to trails on China Wall for hiking and running. 

At GGs.place, the familiar faces behind the counters plan to stay on board. Heidi Jannes Russell will continue to create signature sandwiches and soups, and Grant Cravens and Grace Ann Driscoll will continue as baristas.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without a team,” Soul said. “It’s a team effort to create something for the town. I appreciate working with those who have more experience.” 

Also, there’s pie

A slice of Watson’s blueberry lavender pie is a taste of pure comfort food and a promise of more good things to come. “It’s a way to give back to this town that we’ve fallen in love with,” Watson said. 

“Herb Blagg used to celebrate everything with pie,” Jones said of her grandfather, making it seem altogether fitting that pie — coupled with conversation, connection and community — is part of the latest rendition of a part of Meeker history. 

The rest of the story…

In 2019, Joshua Solt was detained by law enforcement for questioning in Truckee, California,  related to allegations of inappropriate contact with minors while he was working at a youth camp. The detective assigned to the case issued a “warrantless arrest” for Solt. Warrantless arrests do not require presentation of evidence to a judge. 

After questioning, no charges were filed and the case never went to court or trial. Solt was never convicted of any crimes related to the accusations. A California judge recently issued formal exoneration documents to clear his name, sealing the case. 

At the time of the incident, local newspapers and television stations in California picked up the report and publicized it, but those outlets never followed up after the initial report. Social media posts that accompanied the news stories have remained online, following Solt around the country, hindering his ability to work, secure housing and even attend church. 

Solt officially changed his name to Gypsy Soul, hoping to get a fresh start that way, but the social media posts continue to resurface. Without updates from the news organizations on the original story, social media users have no way of knowing he has been exonerated. 

“Right to be forgotten” laws in the United States allow people to ask media organizations to remove online stories related to past incidents, but compliance with those requests is voluntary. Five of seven California newspapers that carried the story have removed their reports and the other two are pending.  The HT has received two such requests in the last few years — one involving a fraud case with a conviction and one involving allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor and subsequent acquittal — and removed the accompanying online stories.