Old World Style Market Planned For Canton Street

Kelly Smith-Blacha, co-owner of Party Chic by Kelly Kakes on Canton Street, visited Europe and fell in love – with European markets.

“I took her to all of these typical little markets and she was just in awe, she loved them,” said her husband Cyril Blacha, a native of France, who handles the menu at Party Chic.

Upon her return to Roswell, Smith-Blancha’s business partner, Lorry Kemp, dismissed an offhand comment about opening a similar European market on Canton Street as simply a farfetched daydream – until recently.

The women originally opened Party Chic in 2008 as an extension of Kelly Kakes to provide people with a one-stop-shop for all their party needs. The business soon evolved into the adorable restaurant/event lounge space it is today.

And while business has been good, diving into a second venture was not in the plan, at least at first. But when their landlord called to tell them the tenants below their 953 Canton Street location were vacating the space after 37 years, they thought it must be a sign. They jumped at the chance to rent out the space that had previously been occupied by the Roswell Clock & Antique Co. and open Smith-Blancha’s dream wine and cheese market with an old-world feel.

“It was the perfect opportunity; the space works with the concept,” she said. “We were doing it there or we were not doing it at all.”

Kemp agreed, “It has the foot traffic to work. It’s in the perfect place for people just to stop by and pick up whatever they need.”

And the market, set to be named "Roswell Provisions," is sure to have what you need – even if you don’t know it yet.

Shooting for an early August opening, the shop will sell everything from wine, to specialty cheeses, deli meats, ice cream, espresso and gift baskets. It will be the 1940s kind of market that mostly died out in the U.S. with the advent of the all-encompassing grocery store.

A deli counter will offer customers the chance to purchase pasta and chicken salad by the pound. Bakery goods such as crusty breads, croissants, pain au chocolat are also planned.

And local products will be a mainstay, say Smith-Blancha and Kemp. In-season, locally harvested vegetables and flowers, as well as locally produced sausage and charcuterie will all be found within the 1,500 square foot space.

But perhaps the most exciting thing about the new market, which seems, in theory, to fill a current void on busy Canton Street is this: competitive costs in all price points.

“Anyone will be able to come in and find something they like in the price they want to pay,” said Cyril.

It’s a mantra constantly repeated by both Smith-Blacha and Kemp, who want the shop to be accessible to everyone from young couples with kids to wine connoisseurs looking to gift a good bottle. Boutique wines will cost anywhere from $6 to $75 per bottle and hard-to-find specialty cheeses won’t cost an arm and a leg, they promise.

The pair, which are planning to hire three or four full time employees to cover the 7 a.m.-7 p.m. operating hours, is hoping to build a loyal clientele eventually.

Still, they say, it’s all a try-and-see process for now. Considering the nature of Canton Street, it’s likely many historic Roswell visitors will be excited to “try-and-see” come August.