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Reboot Social Wins Big at Downtown Awards

the DECI awards gave praise to many downtown businesses

Tom Giffey, photos by Andrea Paulseth |

BUSTLING BUSINESSES.
BUSTLING BUSINESSES. Reboot Social took home top honors: Favorite New Business and Favorite Downtown Business.

Reboot Social, the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire, the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, and Volume One’s own Food Truck Fridays were among the winners at the recent Downtown Awards & Celebration in Eau Claire. The annual event, held March 2 at the Brewing Projekt, was hosted by Downtown Eau Claire Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting business, culture, and activity downtown.

Awards for the evening were split into two categories: winners of public voting that took place in January and February, and several nominated awards that were decided by DECI Staff and volunteers.

PUBLIC VOTE WINNERS

Reboot Social, a gaming arcade and bar/restaurant at 220 S. Barstow St., took home top honors in two public voting categories: Favorite New Business, a category open to any business that opened its doors downtown in 2022, and Favorite Downtown Business, a category open to all businesses, new and familiar, located downtown.

Voters overwhelmingly selected the new Eau Claire Children’s Museum at 126 N. Barstow St. as the Best New Development project in downtown to be completed in 2022.

L.E. Phillips Public Library was voted as the Most-Impressive Glow Up, recognition of their large renovation and expansion project completed in 2022.

Volume One’s Food Truck Fridays, a growing event held in Phoenix Park on the first Fridays of the month in May, June, July, and August, were selected by voters as the Favorite Downtown Event in 2022.

NOMINATED HONOREES

Pablo Center at the Confluence was honored as DECI Member of the Year for its contributions to DECI as an organization as well as the center’s positive contributions to the downtown as a whole.

The South Barstow Business Improvement District was awarded the Outstanding Achievement award for the district’s many accomplishments, including the addition of tree lighting, expansion of landscaping and decorative plantings, addition of district amenities, and advocacy on behalf of businesses in the district.

Ayres Associates was honored as Event Partner of the Year for its volunteer contributions to downtown events, in particular for a large volunteer team support of DECI’s Grand Evening on the Bridge.

Scott Rannila was selected as DECI Volunteer of the Year for his longstanding support of DECI and downtown businesses.

“We have a lot to celebrate,” said DECI Executive Director Aaron White. “We think it’s important that we take some time at events like this to celebrate the people who work so hard to make good things happen in our downtown.”


Learn more about DECI at DowntownEauClaire.org.