Meet Mandy Sykes and Addison Harman of The Corner & Meeting House of Wake Forest

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Sykes and Addison Harman.

Mandy and Addison, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My family moved to Wake Forest when I was 2 years old after my Dad took the Wake Forest-Rolesville high school principal job. I grew up attending the local daycare that was owned by the Dodd Family and grew up going to “The Corner Ice Cream Shop” then owned by Kathaleen Chandley, my piano teacher.

So when I learned that “The Corner” and the adjacent “Powers-Dodd” home was for sale, I was immediately excited about the idea of owning a historic Wake Forest treasure. The timing was perfect as my daughter Addison had just graduated from East Carolina University and had returned home after spending 3 years working in community relations and promotions for the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

I saw the opportunity to purchase a piece of my personal history, and I knew Addison was the perfect person to be the event venue manager. I provide oversight, but she truly is the new heart of “The Corner & Meeting House of Wake Forest”. We are still in the early days of ownership but plan to utilize the entire property to host memorable events that are only limited by the host’s imagination.

When the space isn’t rented for private events, we plan to have community events such as Daddy/Daughter dances, Mommy and Me teas, music-filled evenings, various art classes, and of course an ice cream social. I love getting to watch Addison work with our host to showcase her creativity, marketing experience, and youthful vision.

It makes me so happy to be able to watch her become part of the Wake Forest business community, and for us to be able to provide a great venue for people to utilize for their milestone events.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Buying a historic home and building that were built in 1893 and 1897, with plans to utilize it as an event venue, during a pandemic is very scary. Every day we work to ensure that we follow all of our local and federal guidelines for the safety of everyone in our community while providing an event venue for all of life’s milestones and celebrations.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Corner & Meeting House of Wake Forest is a historic venue, with an original heart of pine wood floors, exposed bricks, and crystal chandeliers, providing the perfect backdrop to a celebration that is sure to be memorable. We welcome all to “meet up”, share experiences, and make lifelong memories during their milestone events.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
We are fortunate to have begun our ownership journey later in the Covid crisis.

As a result, we have more information, processes, and protocols around successfully running a business during unprecedented times. We follow all local and CDC guidelines and can only hope that society will benefit from the advancements and discoveries that our scientific community has presented to combat the fears that go with gatherings.

Ultimately people still want to unite during life’s greatest milestones, and we are happy to safely provide them a venue to do so.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.cornerofwakeforest.com/
• Instagram: @thecornerwf
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecornerofwakeforest/

Image Credits
@localeyephotography and Hallie Hoy Pardo