Local shoe repair shop Violi Shoes moves to Division Street in Mishawaka (2024)

For nearly a century,VioliShoes was located at 118E. Mishawaka Ave., around the corner from what was Merrill Pharmacy and near the Main Street intersection.

Owner Brien Hall purchased the local shoe retail and repair business from brothersSam and Frank Violi,in the springtime of 1990 and worked out of the small building ever since.

But last week, the building and its neighboring structures werereduced to rubble.

"It wasn't my choice," Hall said.

According to property records,several properties along Mishawaka Avenue, including the Violi location,are owned byMishawaka Property Investments. Marc Merrill, formerly of Merrill Pharmacy, currently operates Merrill Realty and hasa vested interest in the corner because of his current ownership of the HomeTownPharmacy building and hispast association with the block. According to Merrill, the property ownersreached out to him, notifying him of plans for the block (which he would not disclose) and asked if he could managetenants tofind new spots for them.

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"They wanted to see that the people along Mishawaka Avenue were treated well in acquiring their property," Merrill said.

So when Merrill approached Hall with the news in February, he already had some alternative property options ready to go.

"He was prepared.He had three buildings for me to look at," Hall said. "Two of them were in downtown Mishawaka and they were really bigger than what I needed and there was only street parking down there. And this was the third one."

Violi Shoes has moved to 922 Division St.in Mishawaka, along the same block as the DiLoreto Club and PasqualeRulli's restaurant. The building was formerly a hair salon and Aunt Linda's Embroidery Shopbut has been renovated to fit the needs of the shoe business, which sits mereblocks from where original cobblers Frank and Sam Violi lived.

With the move, the business still maintains its services of repairing soles, heels and orthopedic build ups, as well as selling such shoebrands asThorogood and New Balance even though the shoe repair business is a bit ofdying breed.

"That's one of the things that keeps me in business is that people come from such a wide area," Hall said. "There's hardly any shoe repair shops left and I'm a real dinosaur."

Hall said a contributing factor is simply that shoe repairs often cost more than the initial cost for the shoe themselves. On Tuesday morning, hetook a customer call inquiring about a bootsole replacement. Hall said he had to look at the boots, but gave the customera rough estimate of $95. But the shoes cost $40.

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"That's what Irun into, there's a lot of stuff like that," Hall said after hanging up the phone. "I don't knowwhat people are thinking — that I can put on a sole for $10? Those days are long gone."

After about 46 years working in the shoe repair business, Hall admits he has thought about retirement. It's currently just him who operates and works on shoes for about 50 hours a week. But not one for sitting idle for long, he said he will likely stay working for as long as he can and simply reduce the shops hours.

Violi Shoes is open Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

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Vegetable Buddies in downtown South Bend has reopened, but its kitchen remains closed. However, other restaurants, includingMiller's Hometown Pizza and Taste of Caribbean and Beyond, have been "taking over" and offering food from their menus.…New resale shop Looky Lou's has opened in River Park. The thrift store is at 2904 E.Mishawaka Ave.in the former Gene Allen's Studio building. According to its website, the store sells clothing, accessoriesand antique items andis openWednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursdays and Sundays from noon to 7 p.m.…The final Wine Walk of 2021 in downtown South Bend is Wednesday Aug. 11.Elevenrestaurants will provide three wine or beer tastings paired with three food tastings for the event, which is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees must purchase tickets through Eventbrite and wristbands must be picked up before the walk starts. Cost is $40; $25 for designated drivers. More information is at eatdrinkdtsb.com. …Resale to the Rescue announced Monday that it will begin to require customers to wear masks inside its stores in Mishawaka, regardless of vaccination status.In a social media post, the business operators said the decision was based on data from Mayo Clinic showing anincreased COVID-19 transmission rate in St. Joseph County. The local shop joins other retailerssuch asApple in reinstating the face covering requirement.