A year ago this month, I visited the current location of The Linen Closet’s storefront to talk to the landlady about renting half of the space. The online presence of The Linen Closet was still in development, though I would have the website up and running about a month later. Three months later, on October 3rd, I officially opened a storefront at 232 West Main Street, within walking distance of my home, my children’s school, my favorite bakery, my favorite Friday-night, family-friendly hangout, my favorite date-night location, the best donuts in town, the farmers market, my church, my children’s school, and my favorite coffee shop.
Many start-up retail businesses begin online and slowly move to investing in a storefront, but I decided to find a brick and mortar location downtown Frankfort, Kentucky, as soon as I could. For me, the dream of being a small business owner was directly tied to having a location in a historic commercial storefront, and actively adding to the growing vibrancy we are currently seeing in our little corner of the world.
I cherish the walk from my front door to my storefront. It’s the little things, you know. On Saturday mornings in autumn, the leaves are perfectly framed in front of the quaint historic facades of the houses in my neighborhood, and then the brick and stone of the commercial buildings as I walk down Main Street. My coffee sloshes out of the cup I'm carrying on my way downtown, and I feel incredibly grateful for this opportunity in our beautiful historic community.
Sometimes the situation is not so ideal. I can think of some unpleasant afternoons this summer, having just finished the day for my full-time job, and driven all the way from my office in Lexington. On these kinds of days, it's 100 degrees outside, there’s nowhere to park, and I have six new boxes of candles to somehow get into the store, which is three blocks away from my car. I have children I haven’t seen all day, and I would rather be home. And these days don't end! After everyone else is in bed, I’m reading about marketing strategies, ordering inventory, and trying to puzzle through yet another tax I’ve just discovered I have to pay.
But I realize that like all things worth doing, worth taking a risk for, it’s a process. And sometimes, quite frankly, it’s endurance.
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We have a growing tourist population in Frankfort, one of the tiniest state capitals in the country. Bourbon is bringing hundreds of people into our downtown corridor and surrounding neighborhoods every weekend. Our local tourism office, Visit Frankfort, Kentucky, is marking our growth in popularity to local, national, and global travelers.
What can I say, we’re just that darn cute, our little downtown.
And, of course, we’re within a quick drive to loads of globally renowned distilleries. But while I’m grateful for these tourists, and enjoy chatting with them and recommending restaurants owned by neighbors and close friends, it’s my local customers that keep me going during the slow months. The cold, January weekends when ten people, in total, walk through the door.
I love the waves of locals as they walk by on the sidewalk. Or, as they walk through the door, I love their announcements that they have a new grandbaby on the way, so they’re spontaneously purchasing one of our organic baby blankets to celebrate. It’s the customer who lives in a second-story apartment on the block, and stops in for his monthly purchase of body butter. The young parents from my neighborhood, who, having walked downtown for a Saturday morning coffee from Engine House or a fistful of brilliant, fresh flowers from the Kentucky Flower Market, also stop by The Linen Closet to pick up a candle or shower steamers. These local purchases are a tiny homage to the restfulness of the upcoming weekend. I love locals who come in for last-minute gifts of linens for bridal showers, for birthday gifts, for friends who are having a tough month. The parent who stops in and purchases gifts for his daughter, an aspiring actress, who recently moved to a big city. The stories shared as the purchases are transacted. The repeat visits and conversations sharing opinions about how to make our community better. How to grow, how to draw neighbors nearer, how to mend disputes, to repair things long-neglected, to be heard, to listen, and to thrive.
I love talking to people about my belief in the everyday customer’s purchasing power. About each choice to buy organic products, to buy products that biodegrade quickly. Products designed to prevent the purchase of single-use items, or are recycled from garments pulled from landfills. Beautiful things that support minority or female entrepreneurs, are produced by makers in our state, or give back in some way. When I make these purchases, it’s kind of like a religious experience for me. I get a feeling of agency every time I make the choice to buy better. And I like to share this experience with others.
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It's been quite a year since the initial visit to my current storefront. My MO is to just keep going. Hang in there. Put in the time. The sleepless nights, the early mornings, the weekends dedicated to…a second job (sad wah wah wah inserted here). It also helps to know there are several new, young business owners and small-scale property developers downtown who are in exactly the same place.
But our community members, old and new, are marking this miracle of revitalization. Our downtown support systems, such as Downtown Frankfort, Inc., are cheering for us all along the way, highlighting our progress. Visual cues proving our growth continue to compound–every business that opens seems to inspire two more. Every empty, “in need of a little love” building that receives an overhaul and most importantly, a new tenant, inspires another sale, another purchase, another renovation. Growth begets growth. Beauty begets beauty. And business begets business!
Here’s to a year of learning! And also, to a year of growth.
Until next time,
Brittany