Sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is Small Business Saturday – a day local merchants hope to cash in on shoppers’ holiday cheer.
And on Monroe Avenue in the city of Rochester, it’s a day to highlight a rebirth. Or the beginnings of one.
“You can find almost everything on Monroe Ave. That's kind of the vibe we're going for,” said Martina Nothnagle with Nine Spot Brewing, which opened on the avenue about a year ago.
The “we” she is talking about is the Monroe Avenue Merchants Association, which was dormant for years but is looking to reboot and reintroduce people to one of the city’s main commercial corridors.
One way is by capitalizing on Small Business Saturday
“So we put together a whole day with free popcorn and hot chocolate along the avenue,” she said, “to try to encourage people to go from one end to the other.”
Monroe Avenue runs a mile-and-a-half through the city, from downtown to Cobbs Hill, and is filled with shops, services, bars and restaurants. There are vacancies, of course. She pointed to the former Han Noodle, The Bradford and Big Deal Pizza as properties of particular concern.
Commercial vacancy — in retail but also office — is a problem across Greater Rochester, and in communities nationwide.
But a juice bar is moving into the old Starbucks on Monroe near Oxford Street. A marijuana dispensary will occupy part of the former Antique Market. The past year or so has seen a number of new openings, including Nine Spot, Mediterranean and Jamaican restaurants, a new coffeehouse, and a boutique.
"It's kind of giving the avenue a facelift, of sorts, and bringing some youth to it, and some vibrancy,” Nothnagle said. “And I think we're trying to show the importance of supporting that, as opposed to shopping online and whatnot.”
Nothnagle serves as vice president of the group. Elyssa Rossi, who promotes the avenue through the Shop Small on Monroe social media accounts, is president.
Part of the challenge in restarting the merchants association is convincing the business owners that one is needed and has value. That goes beyond promotional days like Saturday.
“We are working to combat drug use and support the homeless community around Monroe Ave.,” Nothnagle said. “By literally hitting the streets and talking to both merchants and those who are on the streets, we are growing to understand the needs of this diverse community.”
The group has started a shoplifter message thread, sending almost instant alerts to help others prevent further thefts. And it has had some early success, Nothnagle said. They also are talking with other neighborhood groups to incorporate best practices. And they are trying to think outside the box on issues like vacancy. For instance,the association is pursuing a plan that could use the unoccupied storefronts to their advantage by turning empty windows into advertising space for existing merchants along the avenue.
Plans for Small Business Saturday also include pop-up giveaways offering gift certificates to avenue merchants. And a neighborhood cleanup.
The day was established by American Express in 2010, and is promoted by the Small Business Administration, and merchant groups.
