Boutique event venue opens on south side

One Queen City event venue replaced another with the recent opening of The Jade Magnolia.

A June 28 open house served as opening day for the boutique event space at 2030 S. Stewart Ave., Ste. 108, said owner Melissa Hall.

Hall said she became a first-time business owner upon launching the 1,100-square foot venture, which is named after her granddaughter.

“Springfield has some wonderful venues, but I felt there was room for a boutique space designed for smaller, more intimate gatherings where every event feels personal and special,” she said.

The venue has a 45-person seating capacity, and Hall said it can be booked for a variety of events, such as birthdays, reunions, showers and corporate gatherings. The base price is $65 per hour with a basic package starting at $200 for a three-hour rental, she said.

The Jade Magnolia provides tables and chairs, along with specialty furniture, such as a wicker love seat. Outside food and drink are allowed, she said.

“I was looking for something that would kind of run itself,” Hall said, adding she is the venue’s lone employee. “And that is what this space is designed to do. Basically, I unlock the doors, and it is as much or as little as they want me to participate in terms of decorating and getting things together.

“It’s just a neutral, pretty space they can decorate,” she added.

Startup costs were under $10,000, Hall said, noting she renovated the space, which formerly was occupied by Flourish, another event venue. That business, which was registered with the secretary of state’s office as Flourish A Gathering Place LLC, shuttered in May, she said.

Hall, who works full time as an accountant with Gold Mechanical Inc., said she previously rented space at Flourish, playing mahjong with friends.

“The first night that we rented from her, she came back and said that she wanted to retire and that we were probably going to have to find another space,” Hall said of Flourish’s owner, Laurie Ragland.

Hall decided to then take over the space herself, adding she signed a two-year lease for an undisclosed rate with C. Arch Bay Co.

As bookings at the venue are now being accepted, Hall said she’s already thinking about future options for the venture.

“We’re hoping it’s successful enough that we won’t rent; we will look for a place to buy,” she said.