CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 21 "Her vision and leadership continue to create a lasting impact and inspire many others," Kelly says. "But she always has time to sit down and talk to anyone who wants to know how to start a small business downtown." That 'after' place Rude Awakening opened for business in 1999. For Molly Arnold, the days would be long as she added a night job to her day job. "We were open Monday through Saturday until midnight," she says. "I wanted that 'aer' place — aer school, aer dinner, aer a movie, aer the play. Aer anything when you weren't quite ready to go home. I wanted it to be that place where you could sit and enjoy the people you were with, and that was sort of the model I pursued." e business has weathered 24 years of what Arnold describes as "ebbs and flows," from a downtown trying to resurrect itself; the advent of paid parking that affected customer traffic; and the COVID-19 health pandemic. In those early years, there was the notion that downtown was not a safe place to be, particularly in late evening hours. "ere was some risk here in 1999," Arnold says. "A lot of people felt like downtown was unsafe — because it could be eerily quiet with the exception of, you know, random people here and there. I never felt unsafe in that time period. I would leave Rude at 2 in the morning and walk to where my car was parked a couple blocks away without ever any cause or pause that it wasn't safe. It was oen pretty in that quietness. It's a little hard to describe, but almost like you had it all to yourself. It was kind of this odd thing where you could enjoy it without company. So, it was almost like it all was yours to enjoy it." From espresso, a latte, breve, cappuccino, mocha or just that plain and familiar cup of coffee with a pastry, Rude Awakening is a special place for Molly Arnold and the baristas and other employees. You'll find customers enjoying themselves out front at sidewalk tables and chairs on any given aernoon and evening. Molly Arnold once gave thought to calling it a day. "'We did what we set out to do, so it's OK for us to go home,'" she recalls telling employees. "As a group, they did not want to, yet. And so, I'm here." Supporting others' dreams Not only will you find Arnold in business on Hay Street, but down the way on Franklin Street, where she renovated and opened Cursive in 2005. e business was formerly known as White Trash & Colorful Accessories. "I had an acquaintance that worked for the downtown association at the time, and she was really good at what she did. And she said there's this building on Franklin Street that the owners inherited, and they live in D.C. And they really would like to get rid of it," she remembers. "She said, 'I know that you have a strong feeling about a downtown. I really think you should look at this building on Franklin Street.'" Arnold took a look. "e roof had caved in," she says. "I thought, 'It can't be too bad.' I thought, 'You've done a roof, and it looks interesting.' So, I made an offer the same way I did with Rude. It was the second project I got involved in where the city thought a surface parking lot would be a better use for the space. My vision was a place for a person with a dream to have their own business" at less lease cost than on Hay Street. Arnold says she leased the spaces to women with dreams of their own. "I give them the real tough-love speech and tell them all the things not to do that I do, and then we sign one-year leases, which is not normal. And they're renewable, and the people that have been with me 10 years have never had an increase," Arnold says. "We've had people that lasted one year, but I'm real specific that you're going to need to figure out how to make it at least that one year with the rent. "Recently, we've changed the name to Cursive because social media just made it really difficult to have a store named White Trash. But it's just the same store. "It's a lifestyle shop," Arnold says. "It is a store that any woman in your life would love to have a gi from." Arnold reflects on her downtown vision and her downtown journey. "I believe as strongly now as I did in the '90s that Fayetteville is a great place and deserves a great downtown," she says. "And I take my little piece and I do it to the best of my ability. I have found that a great way to get more done is to partner with other people and groups, so 20 some years ago the Downtown Alliance was formed. I've worked actively in that group, and more recently, the Cool Spring Downtown District." She describes Fayetteville as a combination of a small town and a big city. "I found quickly that I liked the charm and politeness and friendliness of that, and that this was a home that I could embrace," Arnold says. "Fayetteville is sort of that quintessential small town/big city and doesn't really have many big-city amenities. But it has an international population that's mixed with Southern charm that I found endearing." She accepts the Downtown Visionaries award with humility. "It's always lovely to have people think that what you have done matters. And working so hard on downtown all these years, I have this deep spot in my heart for the people who love downtown like I do. Greg Hathaway started Fourth Friday. He had an art studio downtown when people came downtown on Fourth Friday. He worked so many years working on a better downtown, and our paths were in tandem. I am forever grateful for Greg Hathaway." And she's grateful for Deborah Mintz's leadership of the Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County; the late Sylvia Ray's vision to bring the Center for Economic Empowerment & Development downtown; for Hank and Diane Parfitt, owners of City Center Gallery & Books; and for William and Helen Ward, who once owned Point News. "So many people," Arnold says, "that have worked tirelessly to make downtown a wonderful place. "It's always lovely to have people think that what you have done matters. And working so hard on downtown all these years, I have this deep spot in my heart for the people who love downtown like I do." –Molly Arnold

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