Highway 21 Impact
Omro – Each day an estimated 13,500 vehicles on State Highway 21 pass by Tammie Sutphen’s new downtown Omro shop, Sophie & Co., II.
That’s more than 50 percent more traffic passing by the shop in Omro compared to when Sophie & Co. operated in the village of Winneconne just five miles away.
The volume of traffic on Highway 21 has the potential to put any small business on the map. The trick is to get all those motorists to stop, Sutphen said.
She’s doing her best. “My banner outside with ‘wine, cheese coffee and spirits’ on it is getting people’s attention.”
She and assistant manager Patti Biggar are planning bigger, more eye-catching signs in the near future.
They believe the move to Omro will give more people the opportunity to find them.
“The impact of Highway 21 is huge,” said Steve Volkert, marketing director for Omro.
