The Daytona Beach News Journal
Magazine Honors Deland Businesses
DeLand - Townspeople here are justifiably proud of their quaint, picture perfect downtown, and now they have even more to brag about.
For the second year in a row, Florida Living Magazine has given Main Street DeLand, a downtown merchants association, a first- place award in its Best of Florida issue.
The city's various antique shops, its Fall Festival of the Arts and two local businesses also received honors. DeLand has been voted Best Main Street, and award it also won in 1999, said Cindy Shanahan, managing editor of the Lakeland-based magazine.
She said the award is based on reader response. The magazine has a questionnaire card that readers can fill out and return. "They send in their choices for the best of several categories," Shanahan said.
It's not easy to be voted #1. That's because Florida Living has a circulation of more than 300,000 she said. The magazine is the largest publication in the Sunshine State, she added.
"DeLand has been in the top three for the past few years for its Main Street," Shanahan said.
"It's one of the things we keep working at," said Taver B Cornett, executive director of Main Street Deland Association. "Any time you get an award like this, any kind of publicity does have some value."
Cornett said Main Street's was not the only award category in which DeLand placed. According to Florida Living readers, the community placed third in the friendliest town. Awarded second place for the Best Wine Store was Smoke N'Cellar a Woodland Blvd hangout.
"That's pretty cool," said owner Matt Allgood when told of the award. "I never read Florida Living, but we are definitely that kind of place."
Another DeLand business, Boston Coffeehouse, was awarded the third-place for Best Coffee Shop, Shanahan said. It was beaten only by the Starbucks chain, which comes in second place for all their locations statewide; and Maude's Classic Coffee in Gainsville, the readers' top choice, she said.
An Employee at Boston Coffeehouse said Joe Valente owns the business on New York Avenue. His mother, Joanie Valente, manages it.
"It's my goal to franchise it, but right now, we're just the one," said Joe Valente. "This is a big surprise." He said he has been in business for almost five years.
The DeLand Fall Festival of the Arts finished third in the Best Arts and Crafts Shows and Festivals categories, Shanahan said. The DeLand community also was voted an honorable mention for best antique shopping.
Shanahan said top winners are given framed certificates, but the magazine does not notify other winners. The awards may prompt tourists from throughout the state to decide to visit DeLand.
While being named in top category twice in a row is out of the ordinary, she said some top winners have won first place all five years the awards have been given. For example, Key West has been voted Best Sunset five years in a row, Shanahan said.
