CINCINNATI — There are many hurdles for small business owners to get started. Between inventory, funding and finding a storefront, many times, entrepreneurs can be turned away from so many commitments.
But there’s one program that’s making it easier to get into a brick-and-mortar store.
What You Need To Know
- The Main Street Pop Up Program is working to get business owners in storefronts without a long-term commitment
- The program allows for a minimum of a three-month lease and other flexible options
- With nearly 30 storefronts to fill, 3CDC and other organizations are hoping to make Main Street a destination again
- Businesses in the area hope to see other entrepreneurs come to the area too
Walking down Main Street in Over-The-Rhine Cincinnati, there are a lot of empty storefronts. But one that’s been here for nearly eight years has seen a lot of change in OTR. Scott Sargent at Wiseguy Lounge concocts cocktails. But is hopeful to be serving them to more people soon.
“We all see opportunity here," Sargent, the area beverage manager for Wiseguy Lounge and Goodfellas, said. "So having new people, fresh blood and familiar faces kind of expanding their territory does nothing but benefit and drive more business down to our neighborhood.”
Which is where Cincinnati City Center Development Corporation, or 3CDC, comes in. Lindzie Gunnels is the nonprofit’s commercial leasing manager and has helped develop a new program that will make it easier to fill these empty storefronts.
“The Main Street Pop Up Program is just furthering that cause of bringing people down to Main Street which we know has historically been an important part of the OTR neighborhood," Gunnels said.
The program, in partnership with other organizations, is making leases more accessible on Main Street, with a minimum of just three months.
“A lot of people want to be in OTR and so this is a great opportunity for people to actually take advantage of a program that is going to do so with more flexible terms," Gunnels said.
The hope is that entrepreneurs that have been worried about a long-term lease can now open their first brick-and-mortar. With nearly 30 open storefronts, the focus is on filling them with unique and local businesses.
“We want to maintain that Cincy local feel," Gunnels said. "Main Street is a Cincinnati staple. So being able to fill these spaces with local businesses is important to create the culture and the atmosphere that we’re going for.”
For existing business owners in the area, they hope this brings Main Street back to the forefront.
“We’re hoping that we end up being the next spot where everyone comes down and starts deriving a bunch of traffic," Sargent said.