Durham, N.C. –
Woman and minority-owned retailers interested in locating in downtown Durham have a new place to test the market. Downtown Durham, Inc. has made the 300 sq. ft. storefront adjacent to their office at 307 W. Main St. available for pop-ups.
“Durham values woman and minority-owned businesses, and DDI has made it a priority to see those businesses grow in downtown,” said Nicole J. Thompson, Downtown Durham, Inc. President & CEO. “We were thrilled to be able to carve out this storefront space in our new location to give those entrepreneurs a chance to see if the downtown market is a good fit for their business.”
The pop-up’s first tenant is Hometown Apparel, which is known for its collection of Durham and North Carolina related clothing and gifts. The retailer has a primary location on Ninth St.
“Hometown Apparel is driven by the experiences, culture and stories that make Durham a unique and treasured place to visit or call home,” said Barbara Stover, Hometown Apparel founder and Durham native. “Downtown Durham is in much need of a store where locals or visitors can find Durham-themed souvenirs, gifts and more. We would love to bring Hometown Apparel to downtown Durham with a permanent second location. For now, we’re thrilled to have a pop-up at 307 W. Main St.”
Hometown Apparel will be in the pop-up space through June 2023. To identify and place future tenants, Downtown Durham, Inc. has partnered with echo, a Durham-based organization that supports entrepreneurs.
“With echo’s support, we feel those small businesses that get their start in our pop-up will have the very best chance at thriving and growing,” Thompson said. “We hope to see many of the businesses that start at 307 locate downtown permanently.”
DDI has created an Instagram account (@307WMain) so that those who are interested can keep track of which business is active in the pop-up space. Learn more about Hometown Apparel at hometowndurham.com. To find out more about Downtown Durham, Inc. visit downtowndurham.com. Learn about echo at echo-nc.org.
Downtown Durham, Inc. is the only entity that focuses exclusively on the economic and cultural vibrancy of downtown Durham. As the organization responsible for the business improvement district, DDI provides resources to keep downtown Durham clean and safe, and to attract visitors and residents to downtown businesses, venues and events. For more information, visit downtowndurham.com.