By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Correspondent
NEWPORT, N.H. — For more than 50 years, Kathan Gardens and Gifts has been a cornerstone of the Newport community. New ownership has been making strides to expand all of its glory by incorporating an ice cream and coffee shop in the house where the Kathan family formerly lived, with hopes of a summer opening.
On April 18, the Zoning Board of Adjustments unanimously approved a variance to allow Kathan Gardens and Gifts to operate a proposed ice cream shop and coffee cafe. There are still some housekeeping aspects with the town to take care of, but the goal is to have the shop open by June for the summer season.
Owner Callie Freak spoke with the Eagle Times, saying that they went to the town to see what kind of codes were needed for an ice cream spot, but they need to continue to do research about if anything as required as far as sprinklers and other aspects for having a kitchen. She said their carpenter was on-site this week measuring windows, doors and a bathroom. The hope is to start renovations next week.
“We’re going to make a little parlor where you can either come in or come to the window and order ice cream,” she said. “Eventually the whole first floor of the house will be renovated for a coffee shop/ice cream cafe, and a farm-to-table gift shop. We want to teach people how to grow their food, and how to cook their food. So that will be more kitchen stuff and the gift shop here will be more garden focused.”
The business is located at 146 Elm Street, and for more than five decades it has been the provider of beautiful house plants and gardens. These new additions are designed for people to not only shop, but also relax with a cup of Joe or a dish of ice cream in a newly renovated area.
Jim Morgan, who is the owner along with Callie and her wife Amie Freak, spoke to the ZBA on behalf of the business. He said it will “provide a really nice place for people to hang out in Newport.”
“What we would like to do is continue the Kathan legacy here in Newport by making Kathan Gardens a destination,” Morgan told the ZBA. “One of the things our customers that visit the shop have always said is that they would like to be able to stay and have a coffee, or have a tea, and enjoy the gardens.”
Morgan told the ZBA at the meeting that there has been more than $60,000 put into improvements at their business since they purchased it in November 2023, which includes things like fixing the garage doors and other cosmetic work.
“You should see the gift shop,” Freak said. “It has been completely redone. New ceilings, new floors, new walls. It’s beautiful.”
Freak is from Croydon and spent “years and years” going to Kathan Gardens before they purchased it last fall. She always loved the spot and said that it is surreal to know that she now owns it.
“It still feels funny to say that,” she said. “I knew the Kathans really well, and I started coming here when I was much younger. I just fell in love with them and fell in love with the place, so being here is so cool.”
She added, “As time goes on we are just going to keep adding; keep getting bigger and bigger, and yummier and yummier,” Freak said.
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