Ladder Company Cafe Preparing Downtown Lumberton Debut
The cafe will bring casual dining and artisan sandwiches to a restored 1917 landmark.
LUMBERTON, NC – Ladder Company Cafe is preparing to open at 104 N Elm St, Lumberton, NC 28358 inside Lumberton’s historic 1917 fire station. Tommy Vickers, who owns the business with his wife, Gidget Vickers, told Business Debut the cafe will open after final health department approval.
What to Expect
Ladder Company Cafe will be located in the former garage area of the fire station, which was built in 1917 and served as Lumberton’s first fire station, as well as City Hall and the Police Department, Vickers told Business Debut.
The building had been empty since the 1990s, Vickers began restoring it two years ago. Vickers said they worked from historical documents to rebuild doors, repaint the building and preserve its original character.
“We are more caretakers of the building than owners of the building,” Vickers told Business Debut.
Menu and Vision
The cafe will offer a casual dine-in setting with about 35 seats, Vickers told Business Debut. The menu will focus on artisan sandwiches and lighter lunch options, with no fried food planned.
Vickers said menu items are still being finalized, but examples include a turkey and brie sandwich with cranberry chutney on sourdough and a roast beef sandwich with Swiss, lettuce and honey horseradish sauce.
The cafe is being designed as a small, communal space, Vickers told Business Debut. He said the seating includes benches meant to encourage conversation.
The Building and 219 Elm
Tommy and Gidget Vickers also operate 219 Elm, another downtown Lumberton project that includes Legal Grounds coffee shop, a women’s clothing store, an antique store, a bookstore, an upstairs speakeasy and The Alley, an outdoor space, Vickers told Business Debut.
At the fire station, the couple has already opened retail space with Smellology, a tenant offering candles, scented soaps, lotions and candle-making classes. Vickers said only about 25% of the fire station has been renovated so far, with meeting rooms, offices and additional work still planned.
The full fire station renovation is targeting completion by June 2027, Vickers told Business Debut.
Opening Timeline
Ladder Company Cafe is waiting on final health department approval. Vickers said the team is ready to open the day after approval is granted.
Hours
Initial hours are still being finalized. Vickers said the cafe may start with a limited 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. schedule on select days before expanding based on customer demand.
The longer-term target is 10 a.m. — 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, though Vickers said that could change as the team learns what customers want.
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Ross McWaters