Jan 7, 2008

Cafe happily grounded in LakevilleBy Jim MeenanSouthBendTribune.com

Lakeville — The sun shone through the bay window at Outer Grounds, lighting two stained-glass items hanging in front of it.

With soft folk music playing in the background, it was hard to imagine it really was a cold winter day.

Yes, there may be only three rooms to the Outer Grounds experience, but while many places claim to be unique, this one truly is.

For starters, how many places do you know open only three days a week —- Thursday, Friday and Saturday?

But the real uniqueness comes in owner Shirley Rynearson’s food, flair and approach.

There’s a map of the area painted on the dining room floor, showing a few key spots. Not to mention an entire room full of antiques, stained-glass items, clay sculptures, decorations and other items. And that sits across from a coffee bar that just plain looks cozy.

For Shirley, a former Realtor, it’s going quite well, especially considering this was no lifelong dream to open up a combo coffee/restaurant/gift shop.

In fact, it was part of a life adjustment made for her son, Nick, who suffers from allergies that cause him to miss school more than the average student.

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