Soteria and Sophie, Co-Managers and Co-Owners
The name "Present Day on Main" came about as a call to action as well as a reflection on what we often miss amid the hubbub of daily life and crises: the present.
Soteria and Sophie, co-managers (since August, 2017) and co-owners (since January, 2019), are passionate about community, equity and growth, and are grateful for the opportunity to hold space for these values at 901 West Main Street. The property has been home to many things: a lumber yard (name unknown at this time), an insurance company, (name unknown at this time), Johnny's Bait Shop, Tienda Margarita, Johnny's Gone Fishing coffee shop and country store, an apartment, an art studio and an AirBNB. It was also the home of a "coloreds only" outdoor bathroom stall. These legacies are worth remembering as we step into a present in each moment and ask ourselves, "What is the legacy we want to live today?"
Since August, 2017, we have been present to the culture we came into and worked hard to continue building a welcoming culture for all. As we have all likely become keenly aware of, this is no small task. The "Feel Free" motto that Carrboro imbibes can also trample the boundaries and safety of some for the boundless freedom of others. As a multiracial management team, we have ongoing conversations on what it means to be welcoming to all people. We include staff and customers in these conversations as well, inviting them to be present to those around them and aware of what safety and comfort look like from other perspectives. While these conversations are not always easy, they are excellent awareness-building practices in true community and understanding.
We believe in community that is enriched by diversity, equity, and art. Soteria, an artivist and a person of color, has engaged with the space through "Turning The Tables," a collaborative project with local visual artists of color who painted tables and murals at the shop. These paintings are invitations into conversations about those we commune with and what we gain from the panoply of perspectives available in our communities.
We know the past can keep us stuck in what used to be. And sometimes we get so focused on the future that we miss the ability to impact it. The present allows us to be in tune to what is happening, and that can shape our hearts and our communities in some of the most beautiful ways.
Join us. Add your voice and your vision. You are welcome here.
Soteria and Sophie, co-managers (since August, 2017) and co-owners (since January, 2019), are passionate about community, equity and growth, and are grateful for the opportunity to hold space for these values at 901 West Main Street. The property has been home to many things: a lumber yard (name unknown at this time), an insurance company, (name unknown at this time), Johnny's Bait Shop, Tienda Margarita, Johnny's Gone Fishing coffee shop and country store, an apartment, an art studio and an AirBNB. It was also the home of a "coloreds only" outdoor bathroom stall. These legacies are worth remembering as we step into a present in each moment and ask ourselves, "What is the legacy we want to live today?"
Since August, 2017, we have been present to the culture we came into and worked hard to continue building a welcoming culture for all. As we have all likely become keenly aware of, this is no small task. The "Feel Free" motto that Carrboro imbibes can also trample the boundaries and safety of some for the boundless freedom of others. As a multiracial management team, we have ongoing conversations on what it means to be welcoming to all people. We include staff and customers in these conversations as well, inviting them to be present to those around them and aware of what safety and comfort look like from other perspectives. While these conversations are not always easy, they are excellent awareness-building practices in true community and understanding.
We believe in community that is enriched by diversity, equity, and art. Soteria, an artivist and a person of color, has engaged with the space through "Turning The Tables," a collaborative project with local visual artists of color who painted tables and murals at the shop. These paintings are invitations into conversations about those we commune with and what we gain from the panoply of perspectives available in our communities.
We know the past can keep us stuck in what used to be. And sometimes we get so focused on the future that we miss the ability to impact it. The present allows us to be in tune to what is happening, and that can shape our hearts and our communities in some of the most beautiful ways.
Join us. Add your voice and your vision. You are welcome here.
