Bradford Era — by Fran De Lancey
When Darlene Dorward purchased the historic Hamilton Building that was home to the former “America’s First Christmas Store” in Smethport, she planned to fulfill a lifelong dream and open a teahouse, but those plans changed and expanded into a full-size restaurant, “Chico’s Café and Bake Shoppe.”
The building’s first floor, at Main and Mechanic streets in Smethport’s business district, had been vacant for several years. Dorward rented the 113-year-old building for several months “to get the grasp of the physical structure to plan the floor design” prior to purchasing the landmark in early 2015.
Darlene Dorward, Owner, Chico’s Café and Bake Shoppe (Photo by Ross Porter)
