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Many downtowns no longer have the traditional department stores that once anchored “main street.” Long gone are the days when Downtown was the one-stop shopping center for the community. Further, in today’s competitive retail market, many chains continue to bypass downtown in their site selection process.
However, many downtowns are coming alive with new economic activity. These vibrant downtowns often have a few innovative businesses that are attracting people back to the heart of town. These businesses often build on downtown’s sense of place and offer products and services not found in the big box stores.
This on-line resource provides examples of innovative downtown businesses in a variety of retail and service categories. Brief case studies are provided that include the products sold, niche developed, market segments served, and synergy created downtown. The site is searchable by type of business or size of community. It is intended to:
1. provide existing and prospective entrepreneurs with innovative ideas for their downtowns
2. provide local economic development leaders with innovative ideas for their business expansion and recruitment efforts.
This web site is continuously growing based on your nominations of innovative businesses in your community. Please feel free to click the “Recommend a Business” button.
Recent Featured Businesses
| Jenny and Company | Gift Stores, Office Supplies &Stationery | Grand Rapids, MN |
|---|---|---|
| Loopy's Grill & Saloon | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Chippewa Falls, WI |
| McFarland House Café | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | McFarland, WI |
| Greens N' Grains | Food and Beverage Stores | Egg Harbor, WI |
| The SweetSpot | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Whitewater, WI |
| Water House Foods | Food and Beverage Stores | Lake Mills, WI |
| Little Swiss Clock Shop | Furniture anf Home Furnishing Stores | Waukesha, WI |
| Wrights Furniture & Flooring | Furniture anf Home Furnishing Stores | Dieterich, IL |
| Karvana Coffeehouse | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Green Bay, WI |
| Shibby’s Organic Zone Ice Cream Parlor | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Viroqua, WI |
| Plowshare Gifts | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Waukesha, WI |
| Rochester Deli | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Waukesha, WI |
| Emy J's | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Stevens Point, WI |
| Big Robot Game Cafe | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Tipp City, OH |
| Carley House | Gift Stores, Office Supplies &Stationery | Ripon, WI |
| Tracy Porter | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Ripon, WI |
| The Shoppes at Goosebeary’s | Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores | Ripon, WI |
| Holly & Ivy | Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores | Ripon, WI |
| A Simpler Time | Furniture anf Home Furnishing Stores | Ripon, WI |
| Hotel Metro | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Milwaukee, WI |
| Maine Coast Book Shop & Cafe | Book, Periodical, and Music Stores | Damariscotta, ME |
| Clay Corner Studio, LLC | Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores | Wausau, WI |
| Renys | General Merchandise Stores | Damariscotta, ME |
| Pinky Scout | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Troy, OH |
| Old Spud Warehouse | Furniture anf Home Furnishing Stores | Gaylord, MI |
| Bekah Kate's | General Merchandise Stores | Baraboo, WI |
| Horizon Books | Book, Periodical, and Music Stores | Traverse City, MI |
| Alpine Chocolat Haus | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Gaylord, MI |
| Grandpa Shorters | General Merchandise Stores | Petoskey, MI |
| Cornerstone Shoppe | General Merchandise Stores | Lake Geneva, WI |
| Popeye’s on Lake Geneva Restaurant | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Lake Geneva, WI |
| The Village Booksmith and Coffee House | Book, Periodical, and Music Stores | Baraboo, WI |
| Galena Canning Company | Food and Beverage Stores | Galena, IL |
| A Center for the Arts, Fergus Theatre | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Fergus Falls, MN |
| Coco Moon Coffee Bar and Gift | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Brainerd, MN |
| State Theatre | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Traverse City, MI |
| Fried Green Tomatoes | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Galena, IL |
| City Park Grill | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Petoskey, MI |
| Stafford's Perry Hotel | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Petoskey, MI |
| Poopsies | Gift Stores, Office Supplies &Stationery | Galena, IL |
| Flemings Limited | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Lake Geneva, WI |
| E.L. Menk | General Merchandise Stores | Brainerd, MN |
| Simply Elegant Boutique | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Galena, IL |
| St. Croix Antiquarian Booksellers | Book, Periodical, and Music Stores | Stillwater, MN |
| Community Pharmacy | Health and Personal Care Stores | Madison, WI |
| Ideas N’ Designs | Antiques and Used Merchandise Stores | Mount Carroll, IL |
| Earth Rider Bike Shop and Hotel | Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores | Brodhead, WI |
| Walker’s Variety | General Merchandise Stores | Holden, MO |
| Seasons on St. Croix | Misc. (Galleries, Florists, Pets) | Hudson, WI |
| Downtown Grocery | Food and Beverage Stores | Wausau, WI |
| The Meal Time | Food and Beverage Stores | Platteville, WI |
| Cup o Joy | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Green Bay, WI |
| The Quiet Cricket | Furniture anf Home Furnishing Stores | Vergas, MN |
| Stumbeano’s Coffee Company | Food and Beverage Stores | Fergus Falls, MN |
| Sarah Winter Clothworks | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Willimantic, CT |
| Earth and State | Furniture anf Home Furnishing Stores | Media, PA |
| Town Meat Market | Food and Beverage Stores | Garden City, NY |
| Au Marche | Food and Beverage Stores | Lawrence, KS |
| Just Food Co-op | Food and Beverage Stores | Northfield, MN |
| Ladles to Linens | Food and Beverage Stores | Winnsboro, TX |
| Chirojava | Misc. (Galleries, Florists, Pets) | Seguin, TX |
| Wooden You Know Toys | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Maplewood, NJ |
| Poppy Seed Primitives | Antiques and Used Merchandise Stores | Genoa, IL |
| OJ’s Midtown Restaurant | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Gillett, WI |
| Monticello on Jefferson | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Sturgeon Bay, WI |
| Malchetske’s | Food and Beverage Stores | Berlin, WI |
| Autumn Leaves Used Books | Book, Periodical, and Music Stores | Ithaca, NY |
| Evolutions in Design | Florists | Wausau, WI |
| Maple City Candy Co. | Food and Beverage Stores | Aledo, IL |
| Red Mug Coffeehouse | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Superior, WI |
| Chocolate Harbor | Food and Beverage Stores | St. Clair, MI |
| Southern Exposure Gallery | Misc. (Galleries, Florists, Pets) | Lombard, IL |
| Wind, Water and Light | Misc. (Galleries, Florists, Pets) | Champaign, IL |
| Tanglevine Crossing | Gift Stores, Office Supplies &Stationery | Farmland, IN |
| Four Seas Ice Cream | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Centerville, MA |
| Scrapbook Attic | Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores | Fremont, OH |
| Bendtsen's Bakery | Food and Beverage Stores | Racine, WI |
| All Through the House | Food and Beverage Stores | Stoughton, WI |
| Hurley Coffee Co. LLC | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Hurley, WI |
| Burnie's Rock Shop | Misc. (Galleries, Florists, Pets) | Madison, WI |
| Gepetto’s Workshop | Antiques and Used Merchandise Stores | Stevens Point, WI |
| Brew Moon Coffeehouse & Internet Cafe | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Eagle River, WI |
| Hoffman’s Patterns of the Past | Antiques and Used Merchandise Stores | Princeton, IL |
| Walkabout | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Eagle River, WI |
| HoopLa! | Gift Stores, Office Supplies &Stationery | Portage, WI |
| Hanler’s | Gift Stores, Office Supplies &Stationery | Shullsburg, WI |
| The Family Piano Co. | Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores | Waukegan, WI |
| Burkhartzmeyer Shoes | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Faribault, MN |
| Bad Dog Frida | Misc. (Galleries, Florists, Pets) | Madison, WI |
| Titletown Brewing Company | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Green Bay , WI |
| Blue Spoon Cafe | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Prairie du Sac, WI |
| House of Homebrew | Food and Beverage Stores | Green Bay, WI |
| Bra~vo Intimates | Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores | Royal Oak, MI |
| Nina’s Department and Variety Store | General Merchandise Stores | Spring Green, WI |
| I Love Funky’s | Antiques and Used Merchandise Stores | Ft. Atkinson, WI |
| Baumgartner Cheese Store | Food and Beverage Stores | Monroe, WI |
| Badger Brothers Coffee and Internet Café | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Platteville, WI |
| Cuda Café | Restaurants (Food Service and Drinking Places) | Deerfield, WI, WI |
| Tangerine | Health and Personal Care Stores | Portage, WI |
| Pick & Shovel Doit Best Building Materials | Building Material and Lawn and Garden | Newport, VT |
