When a 500-square-foot storefront opened on the Lincoln Theatre block, Ellen Gamson, the director of the Mount Vernon Downtown Association, thought it’d be the perfect location for a pop-up business.
Inspired to give budding entrepreneurs a valuable resource, the association partnered with the City of Mount Vernon for the retail space and, with the help of Main Street Tax Credit Contributors, established The Pop-Up.
“We are very excited about The Pop-Up and giving entrepreneurs an opportunity to test and refine their business,” Gamson says. “Our goal is to help them figure out how their business model might work without a lot of upfront costs.”
Businesses may choose to rent the space from 30 days up to 120, which provides ample time to gain insights and skills into running a storefront without signing a costly long-term lease.
In 2019, The Pop-Up had two tenants. The first was fiber artist Amanda McLaurin. the second was Chippy Cottage Co., a handmade custom decor company owned by mother and daughter team Carrie Heinrich and Keilie Heath.
“This has been a great opportunity for us to showcase some of the crafts and decor we make, including custom-made items and our hands-on workshops,” Heinrich says. “With this model, we’ve been able to see if a retail space will work for our business.”
This month, a new tenant takes the helm. To learn more and apply, contact the Mount Vernon Downtown Association at 360.336.3801.
325 W. Kincaid St., Mount Vernon
