CARTHAGE, Mo. — Grab a plate and pull up a chair – there’s a new bistro open in Carthage and folks in town might be familiar with its location.

“That’s a masterpiece in my mind, a piece of art, that needs to be taken care of,” said Phillip Brown, New Building Owner.

And now — it is. The Bistro by the Brickwall Bistro. It opened a week ago on Thursday. It’s located on the corner of Pine and South Garrison Avenue. It also used to be a bike store in the 80s.

Officials with Carthage Historic Preservation say this revitalized building is a piece of nostalgia for residents of Carthage – the Coca-Cola painting is a well-known piece of art as drivers pass by.

“When I moved here in the mid-60s, it was called ‘Van’s Donuts’, no relation, but it was a donut shop. I came down on weekends, my parents would send me up with a dollar for a dozen donuts and then I would have to explain to them how I only got home with 10,” said Van Bennett, Carthage Historic Preservation President.

The beloved donut shop in the 60s and 70s eventually became a bike store in 1984. But, the shop closed in the early 2000s — leaving the building empty ever since. until Phillip Brown of P. Brown and Associates bought the building in July of last year — in hopes of giving local families some of the experiences he had as a child.

“The first thought that comes to my mind when I see this, is me probably being 4 or 5 years old, getting Orange Crush out of a cooler, when you could return the bottles for five cents, from a little convenience store. I think of my father who let me get the Orange Crush out of the pop-bottle cooler,” said Brown

Brown is giving the building a new lease on life… renting the space to a new eatery called — Bistro by the Brick Wall Bistro.

“Anytime we can save a building, structure, save our heritage, promote Carthage, keep it going, it’s always gonna be a good thing,” said Van Bennett, Carthage Historic Preservation President.

“I’ve eaten here several times already and took my wife home a sandwich last night, and unbelievable, superb, and that positive experience is going to stay with me. She’s open in the evenings, until 7, so that they can have dinner here, rather than go somewhere else,” said Brown.

The bistro is open Monday through Friday, from 11 to 7. It’s closed on Saturdays – and open from noon to 5 on Sundays.