Motivated by proximity to family, warmer temperatures, affordability and the flexibility afforded by their remote jobs, Tommy and Gidget Vickers relocated to Lumberton nearly three years ago. Upon arrival, they discovered a chance to make a lasting impact on a historic downtown defined by the presence of beautiful, storied buildings.

Longtime aficionados of all things vintage, the couple was immediately charmed by Lumberton’s distinctive architecture. One building in particular, a stately, 7,000-square-foot fire station located at 104 N Elm St., built in 1917, piqued their interest.

“We have a love for old buildings. Every house we’ve ever lived in has been at least 100 years old,” shared Tommy. 

Initially boarded up and nearly forgotten, the fire station had survived demolition thanks to a spirited community petition and intervention by preservationists. Tommy and Gidget contacted the owner and convinced him to sell them the space in May 2024. 

They evaluated the building and began to imagine how it could best serve the residents of Lumberton in its next chapter.

“Our initial plan was to turn what is currently the garage into a cafe, and then [add] some retail space to help draw traffic downtown to Lumberton, [and also] some office space, micro offices that we will rent out for an hour, a half a day, a day or a week. And then we were going to put apartments upstairs, but due to fire codes and the renovation costs and what it costs to put residential into a mixed-use building like that we didn’t find it economically feasible, so it’s going to be an event space for right now,” explained Tommy.

Ladder Company Cafe will occupy a thoughtfully renovated 800 square feet of the landmark. It will serve as both a tribute to the building’s storied past and a fresh gathering spot for locals. Patrons can expect a casual dining experience with a menu focused on quality, featuring artisanal deli sandwiches like a roast beef on rye and a classic Reuben, as well as unique charcuterie boards. Tommy shared that they are avoiding fried food to provide a fresher, healthier alternative. 

In honoring the structure’s origins, Tommy and Gidget have restored architectural features such as custom bi-fold doors modeled after original firehouse blueprints and preserved the tin ceiling. A small fire museum is also planned on-site. 

The retail space will occupy an additional 800 square feet, there will be two offices and a conference room and upstairs will be about 3,000 square feet of event space. The retail tenant is expected to open his doors Feb. 1. The couple hopes to begin limited service at the cafe by late January and expand steadily.

These forthcoming projects are not the couple’s first business venture in town. Not far down the street sits 219 Elm, an eclectic marketplace and coffee shop the couple opened shortly after their arrival. 

“We both work remotely, and we have both owned businesses throughout our lives, and when we came here, the downtown was a little challenged. There were a lot of empty buildings, and we found this beautiful building, and actually this beautiful open space…this beautiful little open space downtown across from the plaza. We were like, man, that’d be great to put in some kind of little marketplace, or a farmer’s market kind of thing. And as we started looking at that, we found the building next door was available for rent, so we decided to open a coffee shop and a little marketplace in there, and that was 219 Elm,” explained Tommy.

Inside of 219 Elm are Gigi’s Antiques, The Closet Ladies Clothing, Legal Grounds Coffee, a local and fine art gallery, a vintage and vinyl room, a bookstore and then upstairs is a speakeasy that features live music once a week. 

“We like to think that we’ve helped to drive the downtown development, but the people in Lumberton are the folks that have driven that downtown development. We just happen to be here at the right time,” added Tommy.

Tommy and Gidget run these projects with a sensible but passionate approach: start small, grow patiently and let customer and community needs guide expansion. With a team of just three part-time employees (and plans to hire more as the cafe ramps up), they avoid overextending resources, choosing instead to build momentum organically. 

As Ladder Company Cafe prepares to open its doors and the 219 Elm community continues to thrive, Tommy and Gidget Vickers are proud to play a part in Lumberton’s renaissance.