Less than a year after she opened her wine and cheese shop, Darlene Sorge is calling it quits.
It’s not because she wants to, either.
Sorge owns Center Street Gourmet, a specialty food store on the corner of Center and West streets in Downtown Manassas. In addition to selling upscale groceries, Sorge offers a variety of wine, cheese, and sandwiches for her customers.
The store opened in July 2015 and was the culmination of years of hard work. Some of the most successful gatherings in her shop have been the many wine tasting parties she’s hosted.
“I’ve always wanted to have a wine and cheese shop because I was tired of driving an hour away to try one type of wine, at one vineyard,” said Sorge.
She spent more than $10,000 for products, fixtures, and other expenses to open her store, which replaced the old Opera House Gourmet that was a retail shop that sold gift items.
Sorge is now selling those fixtures to try to recoup her money, and will turn the keys over to her landlord by June 30. She said the landlord is forcing her out because he wants a retail shop in his space, not a wine and cheese shop.
The owner did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
“He accepted my proposal to have a wine and cheese shop, and he knew I was going to have meat and cheese,” said Sorge.
Between the 1940s and 1990s, the building that houses Center Street Gourmet was once Rohr’s Museum, which housed artifacts from the city. There was also Rohr’s Five and Dime Store. The collection went to auction after the death of Walser Rohr in 1997. Her son, Chip, retained ownership of the building.
“I threw all of my funding into this place. It was very neglected for a long time,” said Sorge, who added new flooring.
Right now, Sorge said she’s angry about the closing of her shop less than a year in business. After selling what she can to try to recoup her costs, she will take at least two years off and then would consider opening in a new part of the city, perhaps the new Gateway Development planned off Gateway Boulevard and Godwin Drive.
