"We make a lot of fresh coffee. We do (baked goods and) cinnamon rolls," said Perky Planet employee Matt Saunders. Customers can get all of those things served with a smile from employees like Saunders if they visit the coffee shop at the corner of King Street and St. Paul Street."What makes us special is what we do. We bring the coffee to you from people with disabilities," said Perky Planet owner Richard Vaughn. That's the mission at Perky Planet, where things haven't always been so perky."It's been a hard journey up to this point. But we're happy that it's open," said Vaughn.A rainbow-colored "Open" sign waves in the wind outside of the coffee shop, inviting drivers and pedestrians come and explore St. Paul Street after it was closed for 14 months while it got a $5 million face-lift."It was a 200-year-old street with failing infrastructure," said Burlington's Public Works director Chapin Spencer.Now new, wider sidewalks sit on top of buried utility lines surrounded by eco-friendly storm water gardens."We are making a real, large commitment to protecting Lake Champlain through projects like this," said Spencer."I think it's a great example of the kind of evolution that we're going to want to keep doing as we get deeper into the 21st century," said Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you come of just how much it's improved and how much better it is than the street that was here a year and a half ago."Saunders hopes the upgrades will pay off."Hopefully, we'll get more successful and a lot more business," he said, now that the street is officially back open for business.

"We make a lot of fresh coffee. We do (baked goods and) cinnamon rolls," said Perky Planet employee Matt Saunders.



Customers can get all of those things served with a smile from employees like Saunders if they visit the coffee shop at the corner of King Street and St. Paul Street.


"What makes us special is what we do. We bring the coffee to you from people with disabilities," said Perky Planet owner Richard Vaughn.



That's the mission at Perky Planet, where things haven't always been so perky.

"It's been a hard journey up to this point. But we're happy that it's open," said Vaughn.



A rainbow-colored "Open" sign waves in the wind outside of the coffee shop, inviting drivers and pedestrians come and explore St. Paul Street after it was closed for 14 months while it got a $5 million face-lift.

"It was a 200-year-old street with failing infrastructure," said Burlington's Public Works director Chapin Spencer.



Now new, wider sidewalks sit on top of buried utility lines surrounded by eco-friendly storm water gardens.

"We are making a real, large commitment to protecting Lake Champlain through projects like this," said Spencer.



"I think it's a great example of the kind of evolution that we're going to want to keep doing as we get deeper into the 21st century," said Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you come of just how much it's improved and how much better it is than the street that was here a year and a half ago."



Saunders hopes the upgrades will pay off.

"Hopefully, we'll get more successful and a lot more business," he said, now that the street is officially back open for business.