Linda & Myron Smette, Proprietors
All lovely old things never pass
For Linda Smette of Granville, finding the beauty within antiques and items reminiscent of days past is more than just a hobby, it is now a livlihood that she cherishes each day through her one-of-a-kind business located in Granville. In our area of McHenry County, it is not unusual for a business to open up shop and be closed in less than two years time. Towns are getting smaller and less populated, and it can be next to impossible to keep a small business going. Linda Smette, owner and operator of Cozy Cottage, is just finishing up her sixth year of business. The Cozy Cottage is a unique store for our area and offers a wide variety of antiques, homemade craft items and new merchandise. Linda and her husband Myron also do furniture restoration as part of the business. Linda opened her shop on May 3, 2004, on a very special day for her, her mother's birthday. With her mother's passing in January of that year, Linda knew there would be no better day for her grand opening, as this store had been a dream of hers for over 20 years. Linda began her shop after retiring from 26 years of working as the manager of Midwest Motor Express in MInot. Linda saw her chance to fulfill her dream when the house next door to where she lives became available. The house was in shambles and set to be torn down, but Linda recognized the potential of the house and thought it would be a great place to set up her shop. "It took us five years of spending weekends and vacations working to get the house ready," says Linda. "Most of the renovations were done by family and we couldn't have done it without them." Linda and Myron have three sons and several grandchildren who also live in the Granville area. Linda had been collecting items and putting them in storage in anticipation of someday being able to realize her dream. In the beginning, she acquired much of her stock at estate sales and with the help of a couple ladies on opposite sides of the state keeping their eyes open for items. Finding the right items to appeal to everyone can be difficult sometimes, and though she worries that her shop might be a little overcrowded with items, she knows she can't sell something if it's packed away in a box. "A lot of times, it's the combination of the right person coming in at the right time," says Linda. "Sometimes people will see something and come back for it later and it has already been sold." "It can be quite a challenge for being a woman, having a unique business like this and trying to target customers from the area as well as those passing through," says Linda. "My toughest challenge has got to be how to deal with the marketing aspect." While the Cozy Cottage does offer a web site, www.cozycottage.weebly.com, that the computer class at TGU Granville set up for her, Linda says that she will soon be on the popular internet site facebook.com, and hopes that this will give her business exposure to a wider customer base on a greater scale. She also advertises in the North Dakota Antique Dealers Guide that is published yearly. After six years of being in business, Linda says the best part of it has been the people that come into her shop. "It's so much fun to hear them reminiscing when they see something that they remember their mother or grandmother having," she says. "The daughters of the late Blanche Miller, who was Grand Marshall in our Centennial parade a few years ago, said that their mother is was so proud that Granville has a 'classy little store' like this." Not only does Linda have the privilege of meeting people from all over, having the Cozy Cottage right next door to her home affords her freedom as well. "I can put out a sign that says I'm in the back when I'm working on furniture, or next door at home, and not have to worry about always being in the shop and am still available to my customers." Linda says she really enjoys her shop and that she doesn't think of it as work, but as a hobby. "It's something I really enjoy doing. It's not work to me. I even enjoy stripping paint off furniture." Whether you're looking for special and unique gifts, or would just like to look around an interesting store in the heart of McHenry County and conveniently located just off Highway 2, and just two blocks off Main Street in Granville, the Cozy Cottage is a great place for finding gift ideas or to pick up something nice for yourself.
