When Emily Finer opened Keystone Ballet Academy in the CAN BE Innovation Center in 2017, she had a vision of bringing ballet instruction with a world-class style to Greater Hazleton. Over the past two years, Finer has capitalized on the services that CAN BE offers to small businesses to grow her dance school to more than 40 students who range in age from three years old to adults.
The return of a specialty café to Downtown Hazleton marks the latest in a long line of new businesses and cultural outlets that will open in the downtown in 2019.
Grateful Roast Coffee, a café featuring specialty coffees made with an in-house coffee roaster, will feature - along with its signature coffee, a menu that includes pastries, breakfast, and lunch items. The café is set to open in April in the former Dragonfly Café location at 9 East Broad Street.
The Hazleton cafe is the company’s second location, following the opening of the first Grateful Roast Coffee in Nanticoke three years ago. Owners Brian Williams and Sarah Kratz are planning a soft opening for April, followed by a grand opening in May. They expect the hours to be the same as the Nanticoke location: Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
With the use of several services offered through the CAN BE program, Candelles, a handmade soy candle company located in the CAN BE Innovation Center within Valmont Industrial Park, has tripled the size of its production, distribution and storage facility just 15 months after moving in.
Candelles, which Kelley Major and C.J. Graaf founded in 2013 out of their kitchen, originally occupied 860 square feet of space when moving its operations to CAN BE in November of 2017. Over the past 15 months, the company has tripled the amount of space it occupies within the facility which now includes a loading dock as well.
CAN BE Coordinator of Entrepreneurial Services Jocelyn Sterenchock presented the 2018 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Jeremy Thorne during the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce’s 18th annual Business and Community Awards Luncheon. This marks the fifth consecutive year that CAN BE has sponsored the award.
Thorne is the owner of ThorneCare Landscape Solutions, LLC, a professional landscape company with more than 14 years of experience in the industry. He began his entrepreneurial career by starting a mowing business at an early age. By the age of 25, Jeremy went on to attend college and pursue a horticultural degree. After working for a time at a landscaping company in State College, Thorne returned to Greater Hazleton so he could start his own business proving quality landscaping services.
