Sunday, April 24, 2011

Mish Mish















In February 1970 a group of Tech Architecture students joined forces, borrowed $300, and opened a store in a 2nd story spot on Roanoke street called Mish Mish.

The name evolved in an interesting way. In keeping with "fruity" names of the day, like Apple Records and perhaps even thinking of Strawberry Alarm Clock, Moby Grape, etc., one of the partners suggested they form Apricot Enterprises. Well, as it turns out, a professor of theirs must have known some Arabic because he pointed out to them that the word "apricot" translated to "mish mish" in that language. Thus a unique store name was born.

Now after more than 40 years and four different store locations Mish Mish is still a thriving, vital part of downtown Blacksburg, providing supplies for architects, designers, artists, engineers, and the like ..... and not just for students.

The photo used here is their third site under the parking lot at the corner of Draper and Jackson. Just before that they were tucked back in the adjacent alley near the rear door of the Lyric Theater.

7 comments:

  1. I owned Mountain Press Copy Center, along with John Ford and my husband then husband Don Emery, in the alley where Mish Mish started. This was in 1970 and for a few years. Terry Mclaughlin (sp) owned the water bed store upstairs, and Bob Craven owned a shoe store in a room upstairs where Terry had the water bed and other hippie things for sale. My son Christopher spent a lot of his baby hood there. A restaurant later went in where Terry and Bob had the stores upstairs and later Mish-Mish moved to the store in the picture. Mish Mish was a very small place with a lot of good stuff and Blacksburg was so wonderful WE OWNED THE TOWN -- who did a song by that name it went on to say "when the sun went down" etc. Need to find that song and listen to it again

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  2. Man, Lynda, what a great comment .... thanks so much. Mish Mish was adjacent to Humble Pie at first and I need to find out more about that store so I can run a feature. I'd also like to do your old place. I don't remember the store though, sorry. Drop me a line at mrfooz@comcast.net

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  3. Hey Dennis... I worked at Mish Mish for about 2 years in the early 90's. I'm trying to track down a co-worker who was there for a long time by the name of Jim Morris. If you can help, email me at baltobluesman@gmail.com. Thanks!

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  4. When Mish Mish was tucked away in the alley, there was a companion craft store, The Apricot Tree, next to them. And a small print shop, Blacksburg Printing, later took over the Apricot space. At one point the restaurant above was called Daddy's Money.

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  5. In the mid 70"s that space was a bar with a live band area. I can't remember the name. Anyone?

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  6. Town Hall, for starters (see posting of same) and later Cowboys

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  7. When we were in 7th grade, my friend Randy P. and I would venture into Mish Mish and Books Strings and Things in the hopes of catching sight of some hippies with long hair and wire-rimmed glasses, of whom we were somewhat afraid, because we heard strange sitar music, fancied we smelled funny smoke, and thought we might catch a glimpse of the naked guy who we saw sitting under the sycamore tree on Henderson lawn overlooking College Avenue. We were disappointed that the hippies we saw didn't light up a joint as we peered at them from behind the book shelves.

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