Even the owners of 114 N. Main St. in Graham are unclear as to whether they run an orangeade shop that happens to sell paint-your-own pottery or a paint-your-own pottery shop that sells orangeade.
After some deliberation, the jury is in. The Square Palette is, in fact, a paint-your-own pottery shop. But it does serve killer orangeade.
Across the street from the old-fashioned Graham Cinema sits the quaint establishment run by the Honus family.
When Martha Honus and her son Justin opened the shop, a friend told Martha that he had a location in mind.
"I said, 'Well I need a place that's got shelves.' He said, 'All it's got is shelves,'" Martha said.
The Honus' friend wasn't kidding. The walls are lined with shelves filled with bisques — unglazed figurines that customers can paint. There are a variety of bisques ranging from plates, mugs, ice cream cones, animals, masks, Christmas trees and Darth Vader figurines. Prices, starting at $3, include studio time, paint, and firing.
The shop and its owners are new to town. The Square Palette opened Oct. 1 of this year, but is already fitting right in with the locals. Establishing the shop started with the orangeade maker: local lore states that whoever occupies the building is obligated to serve up icy orangeages.
"It's a wonderful neighborhood," Martha said. "We've got this little boy across the street whose mom owns the consignment store. He comes here every day for orangeade. You can set the clock."
Martha said she and Justin are still settling in and working out the kinks of owning a small business. The shop is open seven days a week, but the owners find themselves putting in much more time than just business hours.
"You have to be here to know when to be here," Martha said. "It seems like we're here all the time. We'll have to fine-tune that."
The mother-son team has not been shy about stirring up business. Martha Honus is full of ideas.
"We wanted to work out something where the kids come here when the parents go see a movie," she said. "Or the other way around."
The Square Palette is also partnering with local schools. They are giving 10 percent of profits to North Graham Elementary the first weekend of every month when customers say they are affiliated with the school.
Closer and cheapter than Greensboro's shop The Mad Platter, The Square Palette is a home-grown answer to creative burn-out.
Even if you don't care for arts and crafts, a reefreshing cup of orangeade is sure to satisfy your palette.