Ephrata businesses thrived this holiday season

EPHRATA – As the holiday season concludes, some local businesses said this year was particularly good.  

The Bells on Basin celebration attracted a crowd into Ephrata businesses for the celebration but also people buying gifts for their loved ones helped stimulate these small establishments.  

Athletic Club, Sole Performance and Nat Washington House 

Mike Cellick, the proprietor of three local businesses — the Athletic Club, Sole Performance and the historic Nat Washington House — reflected on a successful year of expansion and community engagement. 

The Athletic Club witnessed significant growth this holiday season, fueled by the latest trends in fitness. 

"We had a pool table downstairs and people would sit in recliners after a sauna and watch a 27-inch black and white TV,” he said. “Now we have 10 TVs, big screen TVs, and now we have 10 exercise rooms and so it evolves and you just keep looking for things to make it better and better.” 

He noted a growing interest among young Hispanic residents in strength training, which has brought in new members. The club is now approaching its 50th anniversary. 

"I rolled the dice and said, you know, I'm seeing more and more people involving free weights, so let’s try it,” he said. 

Cellick's shoe business, which specializes in Brooks shoes and caters to runners and walkers, also reported a busy holiday season. The club collaborates with podiatrists to ensure customers get what they need.  

“We keep moving forward and keep investing money and, in our facilities, more inventory and shoes,” he said.”  

Meanwhile, the Nat Washington House serves as both a community hub and a glimpse into the area’s history. Cellick described it as his favorite venture. 

"It’s still evolving because there are historical things we find about the house,” he said.  

He said he likes the house's role in preserving local history while providing event space for community functions. 

This holiday season marked a record high for all three businesses, Cellick said. 

"We’re way up from other Christmases and other years,” he said.  

This success can be attributed not only to strategic expansions but also to a deep connection with the community, according to Cellick. He noted his ongoing appreciation for community support received during the COVID-19 pandemic when customers and residents donated cash to help him keep going. 

“People came up to me during COVID and said, ‘Here, I want you to survive.' That’s the community that really saved me,” he said. 

Looking to the future, Cellick is searching for a suitable successor to ensure his commitment to the community and growth continues.  

"You don't want to invest 50 years and then sell it," he stated. "You have to care about the community and take care of the people that supported you." 

The Bookery  

The Bookery also had a successful year, with continuous growth according to Sheryl Dotsin, the six-year co-owner of the coffee shop and bookstore combination.  

She and her husband Curt Dotsin are the tenth owners of the establishment which has gone through several transitions since its opening in 1979. The shop is known for its lunch, breakfast, coffee, books and knick-knack offerings.  

“I think every year we are gaining more customers,” Dotsin said. “We purchased this right before COVID and so we had a couple of years where we wondered whether we chose correctly to buy a retail business, but the community was amazing. We still had the business, people came in; they ordered their meals; they did take out and they kept us afloat.”  

According to Dotsin, the shop sold out of bags of coffee beans, had more sales than normal of gift cards and were consistently packed during December of 2024.  

“We did not order enough coffee beans because that was kind of everyone’s go-to — pick up a bag of coffee and a coffee cup and there is your Christmas present,” Dotsin said. “We ran out of coffee beans, but we did sell a lot of gift cards, and they will be back in to get coffee beans, or a drink or lunch or whatever they want.”  

Dotsin said the store is consistently packed, which is part of the reason the store is expanding into the former barbershop that neighbors the store.  

“When the barbershop went out of business, we acquired the lease to that and so we are going to open that and that will also help during the lunch hour,” Dotsin said. “There have been several times where we don’t have enough seats, so people have to take out because there are not enough places to fit. But this will give us room for another 20 to 25 people.”  

The Bookery is a community-based establishment, and she frequently takes customer suggestions, Dotsin said. It has become the meeting spot for friends, businesspeople and other community members. She said she is excited to continue seeing the business grow.  

“We are mainly our clientele, but we’re hugely supported by the local governmental agencies, the county, we have a number of law rooms, just the general business community and this is their hangout spot,” Dotsin said. “We have a lot of repeat customers and everyone knows each other’s names. We are starting to see a lot of new people coming in that we haven't met before, and they are continuing to come in as well.” 

She said she knows when someone comes in and it’s packed with the line curving around the front door and they leave, she knows they will be back.  

“They might go someplace else if we are packed but they will be back,” Dotsin said. “It’s a wonderful feeling being supported by the community.”  

Another thing, Dotsin said makes the Bookery so special is the staffing. In particular, the manager Jamie Long, who has been there for 15 years. She is the person who trains everyone, has regular drinks memorized and knows almost every single customer's name.  

“My staff is amazing,” Dotsin said. “I love our staff, and our manager has been here for 15 years. She is kind of the soul of the Bookery. People come in and they have known Jamie forever and she has such a pleasant personality and greets everyone by name. I mean she is just solid and she's a great face of our business. We feel like we have been good managers and she's been a great manager for us.” 

    Mike Cellick said he had a good holiday season for all three of his businesses – the Athletic Club, Sole Performance and the Nat Washington house. He is approaching 50 years of owning and operating the Athletic Club.
  

    Sheryl Dotsin, the six-year co-owner of the coffee shop and bookstore combination – The Bookery said she and her husband had a good year with the business. The Bookery sold out of coffee beans and sold a good handful of gift cards. She said she is noticing more new customers turning into repeat customers over the year too.
  

    Mike Cellick recently opened a new free lifting portion of the athletic club. He said so far it has been a success, especially with women.