SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Cara Slattery moved to Spartanburg about two years in the past, with a dream of operating a boutique. Final month, she made {that a} actuality.
On March 13, Slattery opened Cara Bella’s Boutique in a newly transformed constructing in downtown Spartanburg. Whereas Slattery is ecstatic to have her personal enterprise up off the bottom, she couldn’t say the identical for the ambiance in Morgan Sq..
“It was quiet,” stated Slattery. “It was very small to me, in comparison with Nashville.” However she instructed 7NEWS, these weren’t dangerous qualities. “What I like is the quaintness. It simply has a small-town homey really feel.”
Nevertheless, in 10 years, she hopes the downtown space will change into extra virbant and never simply ecconomically.
“I need it to change into a secure, comfy spot to hang around as in the event you have been going to somebody’s yard,”stated Slattery. “And you possibly can simply sit and loosen up and be glad and calm.”
She’s not alone.
Spartanburg Metropolis leaders have introduced a flurry of plans inside the previous two years to try to revitalize the Morgan Sq. space akin to a transportation plan specializing in pedestrian security, an ambassador program to strengthen communication between the town and the neighborhood and new leisure venues like a planetarium and baseball stadium.
One longtime resident tells 7NEWS he’s been coming to the downtown are extra typically lately because it’s turning into extra family-friendly.
“I’ve lived right here for about 11 years and yearly you get an increasing number of actions downtown and it’s only a actually actually great spot to be. I come right here as typically as I can,” stated Phil Dorroll.
So when Slattery opened her boutique simply 24 days in the past, she stated it was a giant accomplishment, a sense she additionally wished her fellow small-business house owners to partake in.
“I did avenue markets for years earlier than we opened our retailer entrance,” Slattery defined. “[I] know the way onerous this work is.”
The concept she got here up with: a competition.
“Why not?,” stated Slattery when requested why she would undergo the difficulty of getting Cara Bella’s Boutique host a block social gathering. “It’s an amazing place to carry folks downtown on a phenomenal day and revel in some small-businesses and see some distributors.”
The “Spring into Spartanburg Competition” put the highlight on greater than two dozen small-businesses, distributors and artisans on Saturday. Reside music stuffed Morgan Sq. for hours as Slattery estimates between 1,000-1,500 folks confirmed up.
She stated when she reached out to close by small companies to ask in the event that they’d be serious about becoming a member of the competition, the reception was overwhelmingly constructive.
“[I got] very fast and simple responses,” she stated. Distributors specializing within the culinary arts, metalworking, crocheting, dwelling items, and extra confirmed up with a sales space. Slattery stated she additionally coordinated with The Scholar’s Academy to assist college students arrange a face-painting sales space to earn their student-service studying hours as required for commencement.
“It’s an amazing probability for us to assist small-businesses [and the community],” stated Slattery.
