You cannot buy ice cream anymore at 411 Emerson Ave. in Parkersburg, W.Va., but you can drink a cup of coffee there while trolling the Internet - or buying a CD, a mutual fund, or an insurance policy.
On Jan. 2 a small Ohio banking company opened a branch in what used to be a Parkersburg ice cream parlor. And in that branch is a free Internet cafe.
"The dairy group closed down this office and we moved in," said Larry Holdren, president of the retail and banking division at $1.1 billion-asset Peoples Bancorp of Marietta, Ohio. Residents often bought ice cream cones there, he said, so "we know locals look at this place as a place to come together."
Mark Bradley, the bank's controller, said the cafe "creates a relaxed atmosphere where people can spend time, instead of just running in and out."
"They can talk to our insurance or investment people or look up information on the Internet," Mr. Bradley said.
Branches with a Starbucks flavor are uncommon but not unheard of. Wells Fargo has created a mall-like atmosphere at some of its branches, where customers can drop off dry cleaning and buy coffee and transact routing banking business. And South Umpqua Bank in Roseburg, Ore., has transformed some of its branches into hybrid stores that sell coffee and newspapers.
In fact, Internet cafes are the U.S. branches of ING Direct, the Internet banking arm of the Dutch bank-insurance giant ING Group.
Peoples, which also has branches in Kentucky, has offered a range of insurance and investment products for the past five years, including life, annuities, homeowners and auto insurance. Most of its branches have insurance specialists for customers to consult with.
"Our basic theme in business is we want to do all of a customer's business," said Robert Evans, president and CEO of Peoples Bancorp said. "When they come in to our office, if they're looking for something, we have it."
Because the branches are in rural areas, "it's tough to have multiple financial representatives in every office," Mr. Evans added. "But they're in most of them."
Mr. Holdren said that if the Parkersburg branch succeeds, the cafe-branch concept might be extended to other Peoples branches. And if that succeeds, the bank might move into yet another business - coffee sales.
"We have our own blend of coffee - Peoples Blend - and it's available regular or decaf," Mr. Holdren said. "Personally, I think it's pretty good."
