Photos Morgan Worsham
The word “vogue” refers to a prevailing fashion or style at any given time in history, as in “Miniskirts were in vogue in the 1960s.” It has a sort of sophisticated connotation and is perhaps most often associated with clothing, as with the glossy magazine that takes the word as its name. In Rome, Georgia, “vogue” relates to an eclectic confluence of the past and present, thanks to a charming event venue at 247 Broad Street: The Vogue.
The Vogue is one of the event spaces owned by Harvest Moon Café, a restaurant located caddy corner across Broad Street. The Vogue has two expansive rooms for rent, one upstairs and one downstairs. Whatever the customer needs lots of room for—dancing, music, performances, ceremonies—The Vogue is the place to make it all happen.
Getting the word out
Tracy Hellriegel, of Tracy Slack & Associates, is the marketing director for Harvest Moon Café, and she recently rebuilt their website (see below), where potential customers can go for further details. Hellriegel used to do event planning for Harvest Moon, but now she strictly does their marketing, focusing on the internet, social media, and magazine advertising. Singing the Vogue’s praises, she says, “You can have your wedding ceremony on the second floor and your reception downstairs, then go back upstairs for your after party. It’s really the perfect place for those special celebrations.”
She goes on to explain, “Harvest Moon does all the catering and bar service for The Vogue. We’ve hosted New Year’s Eve parties and Mardi Gras parties. We can hold concerts upstairs.” There’s plenty of room; the ground floor has a capacity of 125 seated guests or 300 if they’re standing.
The venue’s website shows photographs of The Vogue’s tastefully decorated public spaces. It’s clear that a lot of attention was paid to every detail. Hellriegel says, “The décor has a beautiful industrial feel—warehousey—where they left all the brick and used modern but industrial-type fixtures.”
During the extensive renovation process, the vintage building was reinforced with the insertion of beams and steel posts, adding not only structural strength but also visual interest. The original stamped tin ceiling and hardwood floors were kept. Also, the eye-catching chandeliers on the first floor were made from the gears of the building’s old elevator.
From caskets to clothing to catering
As with many downtown buildings of a similar vintage, The Vogue’s site has been home to various enterprises over the years. “In the late 1800s, the building was a furniture company,” says Hellriegel, “and in those days if you built furniture, you also made caskets. So, this building held a casket and furniture manufacturer.”
In more recent years, the building housed Ginger’s Dollings & Cattywags, a store that sold gifts and collectibles. Then it was purchased by local entrepreneur Wayne Robinson. Originally, he planned on turning the 4,000 square foot second floor space into apartments, but instead he renovated the entire two floors and rented it to the owners of Harvest Moon.
The naming of the venue was the result of a happy coincidence. Hellriegel says, “When they took the Ginger’s sign down from the front of the building, the name ‘The Vogue’ was already on the wall.” For over 50 years after the furniture and casket shop closed the building housed a clothing store of that name. The ventage lettering of the neon sign perfectly suited the venue’s aesthetic. The sign was restored, and the new business had a name that connected it to the long commercial history of Broad Street.
For more information, call 706-291-4224 of go to www.MyHarvestMoonCafe.com
