A major business block in downtown St. Joseph is now owned by the dynamic female entrepreneur who in recent years acquired two of the leading establishments housed in the building.
Julie Thomsen, owner of Zoup! Eatery and BIGGBY Coffee disclosed to MoodyOnTheMarket.com that she has just completed acquisition of the entire Courthouse Square complex. The multi-storefront structure anchors one end of the Main Street retail and business community in downtown St. Joseph. It’s across the street from the Post Office, the Silver Beach Hotel and the Berrien County Courthouse in the block bounded by Main, Court, Port and Ship Streets.
Thomsen told us in an interview that she is thrilled to have purchased the Courthouse Square, after she and her husband Jim Thomsen successfully operated their two businesses : Zoup! since 2018 and BIGGBY Coffee since 2019.
“I love the building and the fact that the Barlow family would entrust me with the ownership after they have owned and maintained it for so many years,” said Thomsen.
Thomsen teamed up with her brother, Rich Ahonen, a Florida insurance adjustor and investor, to buy the Courthouse Square from Barlow family interests headed by realtor Kay Barlow-Segrave of American Preferred Realtors. Barlow-Segrave has managed the building and had an office there for many years.
Thomsen said she is honored to have been chosen as the new owner, because there were several buyers interested over a long period of months going back to before the pandemic in 2020. She said she and Barlow-Segrave grew to be friends as they discussed the future and potential of the building, and eventually agreed on a mutually acceptable (undisclosed) price.
Thomsen said the most complicated hurdles in the transaction involved environmental studies and certifications that were necessary due to the age of the building, which is approximately sixty years old. She had special praise for environmental consultant Mark Seaman of PointBlue, LLC for guiding them through that phase of the project.
The Courthouse Square acquisition is being financed by St. Joseph Banking Center of Sturgis Bank, through Community President Bob Burch. Thomsen said Burch shares her enthusiasm and vision for the future of downtown St. Joseph and provided key advice and expertise in completing the transaction. Thomsen is a former local banker herself, having spent 10+ years with two financial firms in town.
Thomsen said she wants to build a partnership with her tenants in Courthouse Square. She’s especially pleased that the building is fully occupied: Azul Tequila Mexican Restaurant, Mini-Mart, All State Insurance, 1st Source Bank, the National Guard and a new office tenant to be announced soon. In addition to the Thomsens’ own businesses, BIGGBY and Zoup.
Thomsen said as she takes ownership, the building is in good condition, having had recent replacement of the HVAC system and a re-surfaced parking lot. She plans to put a fresh coat of paint on the exterior early in her tenure and has made some minor plumbing improvements.
