Grundy County Couple Offers Taste of Cider | News, Sports, Jobs

Crystal and Luke Davis recently purchased a building at 625 G Ave. and are in the process of transforming it into the home of South Porch Cider, a community space and cider taproom that builds on the couple’s investment in their orchard they maintain just outside Wellsburg.

Last Thursday, they invited the public to an introductory talk where they could taste different ciders and get an explanation of what they hope the future of South Porch Cider will be.

The building was most recently home to Hallmark’s “As You Like It” gift shop, but it has served a variety of roles in Grundy Center history over the past 100 years. While the building was largely empty on Thursday, save for a cider tap and some throwback booths, there was plenty of nostalgia for longtime residents to mull over.

“We know this building has a lot of history and we want to respect that,” said Luke Davis.

Crystal Davis, right, answers questions from several community members and elected officials during Thursday’s meeting session at South Porch Cider’s future home in Grundy Center.

Crystal and Luke have only owned the building for a month, but they plan to use the cellar for fermentation purposes. Last week’s ciders were from apples borrowed from other growers in the county and from Bluebell Orchard in Dubuque, which were pressed last year and ripened to date. However, the Davises are looking to switch to their own home-grown apples in the near future.

They said they had been looking for space in Grundy Center for over a year before recently finding their spot. The interior designs take into account ample seating to provide space for socializing, as well as a meeting space for organizations or gatherings.

“We want this to be a multiplier for the community,” Luke said. “There are a lot of great places and other businesses around here that we want to partner with and help elevate Grundy Center as a whole.”

The company has also applied for a Main Street Iowa grant, which will help fund the facade renovation.

The Davises hope to have the business ready for a soft opening in late 2024.

Crystal and Luke not only want to boost Main Street, but also introduce themselves to the rest of the community.

They moved to the area from Nebraska in 2015 and have since had three children: Alice, 5, Walter, 3, and Fredrick, 6 weeks old.

“We’ve fallen in love with the community, the city, the culture,” Luke said. “We want to learn more about the history of this building to keep it alive, to put that first. And we just want to connect with the people here.”