A unique type of business is coming to the Orchard Shopping Center.
Developer Katie Thompson says the Grove in the former donut shop location is designed to help entrepreneurs to introduce and grow their business.
“A grove is a community of trees. It’s a bunch of trees that grow stronger together,” Thompson said. “I thought, what if we have local makers in a space that was in a boutique-like setting? We could all grow stronger together. So far, I have twenty-some artisans who each have a product or two that they will showcase in the store. I’m going to curate everything to be thoughtfully planned out here in a nice setting, a place where we can all come together.”
The Grove will be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Thompson will take care of the sales. There will be space inside for one pop up vendor to test out their retail market before making the jump to a storefront. Two other spaces will be available for food trucks or those with bakery products to sell their product inside the Grove.
Thompson says the first Saturday of each month will be special days at the Grove.
“On market nights, which is the first Saturday of every month, it will be market nights at the Grove. We have food trucks that are going to be here, vendors that are going to be outside. Fire pits, music. Just a place for our community to come together, where everybody feels supported, everybody is uplifted, and it’s just a good space.”
Opening day will be Saturday, October 4th, from 3 to 8 pm after the Little Egypt Festival.
The idea for the grove came out of discussion between Thompson and the owner of the Orchard Shopping Center Keith McNeil. McNeil was pondering what to do with the space when he decided to contact Thompson after seeing what she had done at another event with entrepreneurs. McNeil says he’ll be excited to watch how the Grove develops into a unique business space.
