Blue Willow Inn Restaurant Owners Announce PlansTo Build Blue Willow Village in Social Circle, Georgia

SOCIAL CIRCLE -- Owners of the internationally acclaimed Blue Willow Inn restaurant, Louis and Billie Van Dyke, announce today plans to build the Blue Willow Village in Social Circle. With builders planning to break ground Tuesday, June 19 at 10:30 a.m., the village will be home to nine unique retail shops located adjacent to the Blue Willow Inn.

The Blue Willow Village architecture will be early 20th century Victorian style with each of the shops housed in Victorian cottages. In addition, the village will include a strip building patterned after early 20th century downtowns complete with a museum and 1950s soda fountain.

"The Blue Willow Village is designed to transport us back to quieter, simpler times when you could take an afternoon to eat, shop and relax with family and friends," said Louis Van Dyke. "We have found that people tend to linger after eating at the Blue Willow Inn, so we think this is a wonderful extension of the restaurant and another reason to visit Social Circle."

The Georgia Department of Economic Development projects that the village will increase visitors to the area by 150,000 annually. Additionally, the Blue Willow Village is expected to generate as many as 90 new jobs in the five-county area with increased expenditures in tourism of $14,388,000.

BLUE WILLOW VILLAGE SHOPS & MUSEUM

At the center of the village will be the Creation and Natural History Museum. Currently located in Stone Mountain, Ga., this unique museum will relocate to Social Circle and occupy 11,000 square feet with its museum displays and a retail shop. Created by Joseph Hurt Studio, the Gallery of Creation: A Museum of Natural History is a unique display of not only the Joseph Hurt Studio's expertise in robotics and touch-and-feel specimens, but assembles natural history from the age of dinosaurs and Creation in an entertaining, educational, interactive and inspirational manner.

The Blue Willow Village will be a shopping destination like none other. "What differentiates the Blue Willow Village from other shopping experiences is its unique and original shops that will offer merchandise that is both distinctive and desirable. These shops will provide everything from Georgia pottery to hard-to-find antiques," said Van Dyke.

The Village will open with approximately nine retail shops and will be able to accommodate three to four additional retail cottages in the future. One of the first tenants to join the Village is the Georgia Originals Shop, owned by Jerry and Kathy Chappelle of Watkinsville, Ga. This shop will feature handmade items from Georgia artisans and includes pottery, metalwork and stained glass, in addition to an assortment of Georgia products. In addition, the Village will be home to a 1950's Soda Fountain, an antique shop, a bakery, a Christmas shop, a gourmet cookware shop, a glass art and crafts shop, the Blue Willow Inn gift shop and more unique retail shops to be announced.

THE BLUE WILLOW INN & VILLAGE

The Blue Willow Village is a unique, turn-of-century Victorian-style village, featuring an array of distinctive shops and museum, located adjacent to the world-famous Blue Willow Inn restaurant. Located in the historic district of Social Circle, the Blue Willow Inn has gained international acclaim with its traditional southern cooking and a guest book of visitors from all U.S. states and 180 countries. Owners Louis and Billie Van Dyke purchased the Greek Revival mansion in 1991 and so the Blue Willow Restaurant was born.

The Blue Willow Inn has a long history and is formerly known as the Bertha Upshaw House. Margaret Mitchell was a frequent visitor during her courtship with Redd Upshaw (son of Bertha), her first husband. Redd Upshaw was the character basis of Rhett Butler in Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. The Blue Willow Inn has changed hands several times before the Van Dyke's purchased the home and property for its restaurant of southern fare.

The Blue Willow Inn and Village are located at 294 N. Cherokee Road (GA Hwy. 11), Social Circle, GA 30025 - just 45 minutes east of Atlanta. For more information, please contact Louis Van Dyke at 770.464.2131 or visit the website at www.bluewillowinn.com.