Treasures on the Square offers unique eating experience

Monday, November 24, 2008
Lynda Dunbar has a great variety of double-dipped chocolate candies in her store, Treasures on the Square. She has been busy preparing for the holiday season, packing tins full of her handmade candies. The store also serves breakfast and lunch, caters events of all types and offers an array of handmade arts and crafts items.

Fresh baked bagels, delectable cinnamon rolls, luscious soups and hand-dipped chocolates make Treasures on the Square the perfect breakfast or lunch spot.

Lynda Dunbar opened her store in 2005 in a tiny spot called "The Cellar" on W. Walnut Street. She carried handcrafted items and handmade candies. Two years later when the corner store that was once Eli Lilly's first pharmacy became available, she jumped at the chance to move and expand.

She repainted, added lights and wallpaper as well as her special decorating touch and Treasures on the Square was reborn. In addition to her line of candies and handmade items, she began serving lunch.

"We had just five sandwiches and chips to start with, but as time went on we added five more sandwiches and things like potato salad," said Dunbar.

Eventually, she added breakfast to her menu.

"I was coming here after taking my sons to school every day. Since I was here already I decided I might as well open for breakfast too," she said.

When the candy maker took over the store, there was already a soda fountain style bar in place. That inspired her to add an old-fashioned soda fountain.

"You can't find a fully functioning old-fashioned fountain anymore, so we had to piece it together by gathering pieces from all over. It turned out pretty well," added Dunbar.

With the soda fountain came hand-dipped ice cream, sodas, sundaes, phosphates and flavored drinks.

"We make them the good old fashioned way. You haven't had a good flavored cola drink until you try one from an old-fashioned fountain. They taste completely different from the stuff you get now," smiled Dunbar.

Over time more items have been added to the store. Things like gourmet popcorn, Jelly Bellies and customized gift baskets have joined the floral arrangements, candles, wind chimes, wooden items and ornaments.

Dunbar comes from a creative family. Her parents, Miriam and Gerald Durham, spent years on the crafter circuit making and selling beautiful wooden items including stools with kids names cut out in blocks, wooden sayings and lots of other things.

She and her mother made hand dipped candies for Christmas every year, so handmade candy was a given for the shop from the beginning.

Several other crafters contributed to the store's merchandise with jewelry, candles, ornaments and knick-knacks of every kind.

"We try to use as many local artists and craft people that we can. Everything we have is made in Indiana. We've probably had over 20 different individuals in the last three years who have had handmade items here," she said.

Dunbar's family members help out at the store frequently. You often come in and find her mother dipping chocolate candies. Her sons, Kyle and Elliot work weekends and during the summer.

She doesn't see a lot changing in her future. Other than adding to the menu and changing out items from time to time, Dunbar is content with her store the way it is for now.

"With the economic situation the way it is, we'll just have to be content. We might expand some more some day but for now we're good," she commented.

Dunbar does rent her facility for private events like dinners. She can make pretty much whatever anyone wants served although she says they mostly have "meat and potato types of things."

Her breakfast menu includes waffles, biscuits and gravy, breakfast sandwiches and her famous cinnamon rolls.

Lunch includes a choice of sandwiches as well as soups like stuffed green pepper and white chicken chili. Cookies, fudge, chocolate candies and all kinds of old-fashioned ice cream specialty are available all day. Dunbar offers catering as well as orders to go.

Whether you are looking for a good cup of coffee, breakfast sandwich or huge cinnamon roll or need a floral arrangement, custom basket or beautiful handmade gift, Dunbar's store may be one of Putnam County's treasures.

Treasures on the Square is located at 2 W. Washington Street. They are open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can call them at 765-653-7403 or visit their Web site to see a menu at www.treasuresonthesquare.net

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  • The food is wonderful! Very nice place!

    -- Posted by beachbum on Mon, Nov 24, 2008, at 7:38 AM
  • Way to go Lynda!!!

    -- Posted by concern on Mon, Nov 24, 2008, at 1:15 PM
  • The food is amazing and the staff is even better. I enjoy the cute little elliot who works hard to keep everyone happy. The expirence in this place is worth the trip to little old greencastle. The prices are reasonable, and rumor on the street is they now have personal pizzas at lunch and even breakfast pizzas! You wont be disapointed, especially if you come in the summer and ask for elliot as your server.

    -- Posted by DRL on Thu, Jan 29, 2009, at 3:12 PM
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