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GRAND ISLAND -- The former U.S. Bank building in downtown Grand Island is undergoing a major remodel for its new business.
Owner Amy Mayhew launched Olive & Grace Bridal in February.
Amy Mayhew shows some of the many bridal gowns offered at Olive & Grace Bridal, currently in the downstairs space of the old U.S. Bank building in downtown Grand Island. Remodeling of the main floor space is expected to be done in late November.
Currently operating out of the site’s downstairs space, Mayhew is readying the main floor to open in late November.
The full service bridal salon offers gowns and tuxedos, and prom dresses and accessories.
The property had been listed at $450,000 and Mayhew plans on investing roughly $200,000 in remodeling the old bank site’s 8,000-square-foot main floor.
Mayhew described the moment she knew she was going to acquire the property and start her own business as “a little scary.”
“I’m not young. I’m not starting out right out of school. I’ve learned a little bit on the way,” she said. “I guess 2020 taught us, too, that life can be short, things can change quickly, so if we’re going to do things, we need to do them.”
The business is named for Mayhew’s grandmothers, who remain an inspiration to her.
“Grace I never met. She was my dad’s mother. Olive is my mom’s mother,” she said. “I thought, what a fun name, I’ll go with that.”
Mayhew studied at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where she received her degree in fashion and merchandising.
While studying, she worked at Kearney’s Chantilly Bridal.
“When I started working in bridal I fell in love with the business, so I added a second major and I have a business degree with a marketing emphasis,” she said.
It was always Mayhew’s dream to open her own bridal shop.
“I also saw how hard the owner of the store worked, and I wanted to stay home and raise my children,” she explained. “After I graduated I worked at a formal wear store in Lincoln, managed it, and we started a family here in Grand Island and I stayed home with the kids.”
Once her daughter graduated in 2020, Mayhew felt bored, she said, and decided it was time to “dust off the dream.”
She searched, looking at real estate and putting in offers and in December acquired the old U.S. Bank building.
“The whole building is mine,” she cheered.
Olive & Grace opened its doors in February for prom season, and Mayhew had a great first year.
“I like working with that age. It was fun,” she said. “I’m looking forward to a bigger prom season next year, because we’ll actually bring out the prom dresses sooner. I’ll get a six-month season instead of two months.”
“Peaceful, elegant and classic” is how Mayhew expressed her vision for the main floor space once the remodel is completed.
“We’re hoping to have between 300 and 500 bridal gowns,” she said. “The mothers and the bridesmaids will have their own separate area. Tuxedos will also be in a separate area, so it’s subdivided in a way. I’ll have four dressing rooms for brides, three for bridesmaids and mothers and three for tuxedos.”
Remodeling is going well, Mayhew said.
The old U.S. Bank building in downtown Grand Island was purchased by Olive & Grace Bridal owner Amy Mayhew and is being remodeled while the bridal studio operates downstairs. Among changes planned, the metal embellishment on the front of the 1963 building will be removed.
Painting will start soon, and bathrooms are being made Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. Custom cabinets are being built for the store’s many gowns.
The grated metal embellishment on the front of the 1963 building will be removed, Mayhew said.
“The birds really like it. They build nests and poop in there,” she said. “I want it to look a little more open and inviting, so we’re going to get rid of that.”
It has been fun seeing the vacant space take shape, Mayhew said.
“We put up some walls, took down some walls,” she said. “We also have a vault, and it had lots of safety deposit boxes and we had those removed. We’re keeping the big vault door, but I wanted to use the vault for something else.”
Business hours vary. For information, visit oliveandgracebridal.com.
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Amy Mayhew shows some of the many bridal gowns offered at Olive & Grace Bridal, currently in the downstairs space of the old U.S. Bank building in downtown Grand Island. Remodeling of the main floor space is expected to be done in late November.
The old U.S. Bank building in downtown Grand Island was purchased by Olive & Grace Bridal owner Amy Mayhew and is being remodeled while the bridal studio operates downstairs. Among changes planned, the metal embellishment on the front of the 1963 building will be removed.
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