Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Ward.
Hi Amanda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After many years of owning an event planning company and working with clients all over the United States, I became extremely passionate about opening and owning an event space of my own. I wanted to create a venue that felt like a blank canvas with natural beauty where clients could host all types of events regardless of their style or aesthetic.
My husband, Justin, has always had an entrepreneurial heart and wanted to invest in this dream of mine and was the one who really pushed me out of my comfort zone to take this leap of faith. And what a big leap it was!
When looking at different properties for an event space throughout Rockingham County over the span of about two years, my dad and I were driving downtown and saw the FOR SALE sign in the window of 100 South Scales Street. He suggested I call and check it out, “because you never know.” I laughed and thought “yeah right, only in my dreams.”
As a little girl who grew up in the area, I passed by this building quite often and was always in awe of its beauty. Never did I think one day that my husband and I would hold the key to the property, but boy did God show me a different plan.
When searching for the location that felt right for our vision, Justin and I walked into the doors of this place and instantly fell in love with the architecture, location, character, and history of the space. It had a story behind it and was located in the heart of Downtown Reidsville. It was the perfect backdrop for what we wanted to bring to our community.
I moved to the town of Reidsville at the age of 5, but consider myself Reidsville “born and bred.” This community has been near and dear to our hearts and a place that we have always felt proud to call home. To many, the town didn’t seem to have much, but to us it had it all. So why did we choose Reidsville as a place to invest? This is the city where we chose to raise our family and we wanted to have a space that our family and community could be proud of, a place to gather and celebrate some of life’s most memorable moments.
To be completely transparent, we took a giant leap and poured our time, hearts, and wallets into this project not knowing how the community would respond. But we knew without a doubt that we wanted to keep the community at the forefront of this space. We used the history of the building and the town when selecting the name for our venue. We also kept vital historic details of the space as focal points. Now the inside of the building features the old but new, modern and industrial flair.
The name of our venue “The Leaf and Teller” plays on the history of the building and the city in which it is located. The building was built in 1894 and opened as the “Bank of Reidsville.” Our property still has 5 vaults and the original night drop deposit box that you can see on the front of the building facing Scales Street (don’t get excited -no money was found in any of them).
From the building you can still see the smoke stack at the old American Tobacco Company. This was the mainstay of Reidsville economics until it’s closing and the money flowing through the Bank of Reidsville was generated from the tobacco town. As we decided on a name for the space, it was important to us to pay respect to what built this town; hence the name “The Leaf and Teller.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The renovation process wasn’t always seamless and definitely posed challenges. Our purchase of the building was finalized right at the height of COVID-19. Between exponential price increases on the project, supply and demand issues, and wondering if we would ever be able to gather again in large numbers, we questioned many times why in the world we chose this route. This was a large undertaking for our entire family. Looking back though, our two little ones watched their mom and dad and entire family pour blood, sweat, and tears, a lot of money and hard work into a dream. And we couldn’t be more proud of them being able to experience that along with us. This project was without a doubt a family affair.
We’ve been impressed with The Leaf and Teller, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We opened our doors to the community in October of 2022 and now host all types of events including community events, weddings, showers, birthdays, fundraisers, photography sessions, gatherings, and meetings. Our goal was to not only attract people from the area, but also some that have never walked the streets of Downtown Reidsville. Fortunately, we have been able to do just that.
We have clients who come from near and far and when they visit, they also invest their money in local restaurants, shops, hotels, etc. Our brand has now reached outside the city and county, and we have been able to attract clients that would never have visited the area without booking our space for their special celebration.
It was important to us from the very start to get people to Downtown Reidsville to not only support our business venture but others as well.
One of the events that we are most proud of is our 100 South Market. This is one-of-a-kind shopping event that we are fortunate to host twice a year.
The event features the best of every vendor category with a variety of shopping, food trucks, music and more. We typically have over 400 guests attend this event from all over the state with some even being from outside of North Carolina.
The focus is to bring small businesses together to support talented creatives
and create a sense of community and belonging.
Another blessing from this investment has been visiting and talking with guests at events who have been connected to the building’s past in one way or the other. We had a client who chose the space for her wedding, and her grandma worked in the building when it was a bank. She was able to tell us many stories about the space and what it looked like long ago. We have had the opportunity to interact with many who worked in the building over time when it was social services, the police department, and several different restaurants.
It has been heartwarming to hear how our space has evolved into what it is today.
In the past three years, we have been blessed to gain a supportive client base who have helped us continue to grow. From 100th birthday celebrations, proms, and weddings to corporate gatherings, fundraisers, retirement parties, and book launches, the possibilities have been endless. Our hope is that the walls of the building will continue to witness some of our client’s most cherished memories. We also hope that we can continue to use this space as a place to bring our community together and connect people with other local businesses in Reidsville.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
The Leaf and Teller is a late 1800’s bank building turned event venue. The space is full of modern and industrial flair and located in the heart of Downtown Reidsville. We opened our doors to the community in 2022 to host all types of events including community events, weddings, showers, fundraisers, photography sessions, all types of gatherings, and meetings. We chose the name to pay respect to the history of the building and the money that was generated from the area once known as a “tobacco town.” Our hope is that the walls of the building will witness some of your life’s most cherished memories.
Pricing:
- 500
- 5000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theleafandteller.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theleafandteller/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theleafandteller/
- Other: https://www.100southmarket.com
