Inside Perry, Georgia
Inside Perry, Georgia
Keys to Downtown: Honoring Perry's Business Pioneers
In today’s episode, we explore the Keys to the Downtown District — a new recognition program celebrating the businesses and people who make Historic Downtown Perry thrive.
From milestone anniversaries to exciting new ventures, the Keys shine a spotlight on the heart of our community. Hear how this initiative began, what it means for Perry’s future, and how you can join us in celebrating the stories that keep downtown vibrant.
Whether you’re a longtime resident or just discovering Perry, this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the charm, creativity, and connections that make our downtown the place Where Georgia Comes Together.
Learn more about the Keys to the Downtown District: perry-ga.gov/keys
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Visit us at perry-ga.gov.
We hope to see you around in our amazing community...Where Georgia Comes Together.
Welcome to the Inside Perry podcast, where you get an inside look at Perry, georgia's local government. We're glad you chose Perry, where people make the difference. Whether you stay a few hours or a lifetime, your time in Perry will be rewarding and unforgettable. I'm Tabitha Clark, communications Director for the City of Perry. Today we're unlocking something new. Literally we're diving into the Keys to the Downtown District, a new recognition program that celebrates the businesses at the heart of historic downtown Perry, from new openings and expansions to anniversaries and milestones. This program is all about honoring the entrepreneurs who make downtown vibrant, welcoming and unique.
Tabitha Clark:So today we're going to talk to Alicia Hartley, downtown Manager, about why the program was created and what it means to our business community and the stories behind the very first recipients. So, alicia, how are you? Good afternoon, it's good to be here. Thank you, awesome. So this new, brand, new initiative, kind of, you know, giving a pat on the back and honoring those that have not only established businesses in Perry but to have decided to invest more and expand Correct, all right. So let's talk about, kind of, the purpose of the program. So what inspired the creation of the Keys to the Downtown District program?
Alicia Hartley:creation of the Keys to the Downtown District program.
Alicia Hartley:So we were looking for another initiative that the Main Street Advisory Board could spearhead when it comes to celebrating our businesses that are here in the district. So one thing that we learned through our other downtown partners from across the state is that you celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small. You celebrate them and you shout them from the rooftop and you tell anyone you can, regardless of how big or small that win or that triumph or achievement must be. So that's our goal here. That's the purpose of this new program is to celebrate all of our downtown successes, all of our businesses, whether they've been here for 20 years, whether they're opening or they just expanded into the space next to them, offering new services. They invested in a major rehab or restoration of their building facade, or they just expanded into the space next to them offering new services. They invested in a major rehab or restoration of their building facade. We just want to showcase these businesses and show them that we, as the Main Street Advisory Board, their downtown partners and neighbors, that we appreciate their continued investment.
Tabitha Clark:That's wonderful. So when I hear you and I read about it, I automatically think well, how is this different from a ribbon cutting Sure?
Alicia Hartley:So overall, a format is going to be very similar, where we have an introduction of the business and we're celebrating with our community partners. That's very similar to a traditional ribbon cutting, but most traditional ribbon cuttings are to mark a grand opening or a new opening, and that's not the case for this program. This program is for more than just a new business. While that is a reason for us to celebrate and present a key to the downtown district, it's also for milestones or those building rehabilitations. So we really get to capture that historic preservation effort and focus that the Main Street Advisory Board places on our work in downtown. We're able to celebrate more than a traditional ribbon cutting with this type of program.
Tabitha Clark:Yeah, I really like it, Just like you said, celebrating all of those wins. That's right, because all of those wins ultimately impact thriving downtown.
Alicia Hartley:Yes, yes, exactly. It's why we have what we have here today, that's right.
Tabitha Clark:So why was it important to create a program? You talked a little bit about the wins and everything, but why is it important to create this program that celebrates both new and existing businesses?
Alicia Hartley:At the crux of it, entrepreneurship and small business development. It's tough. It's not easy Seeing what our businesses go through through, like the highs of the holiday season but then some of the lower, slower periods of the summer months when people are traveling or school's out. We really want to celebrate those wins and celebrate those triumphs, and it's about being intentional, giving some intentionality to celebrate both new and existing businesses.
Tabitha Clark:I love that. So let's talk about kind of the community impact and existing businesses. I love that. So let's talk about kind of the community impact. So what do you believe the message is about? Presenting something as small as a ceremonial key sent to our downtown business owners and the residents as well.
Alicia Hartley:Yes, the message we're trying to send here is that we value their investment in downtown Perry. Like we see you, we know that you've been working really hard at this, we know that the investment was not thought of lightly and to recognize their work and to show that we appreciate them for everything that they've put in.
Alicia Hartley:It's not just a monetary investment, but their whole family is bought into these small businesses often so it's the crowd work, it's the group work, the family work, that's in the sacrifices that are committed and made. So we want to show them that we value that type of investment here in downtown.
Tabitha Clark:And I think that's something that we also take for granted too is we see like a business owner and we see like the cute stores and the great displays and all that. But it's actually a bigger deal when you really kind of open your mind to it.
Alicia Hartley:You got to think about the family that's there, the individual that opened that business, whether that small business owner has another full-time job like outside of their storefront, or, you know, the Saturdays that they might miss a travel, ball tournament or something. So they can go work at their small businesses. There's sacrifices that are made all the time through small businesses and, like I said earlier, it's not an easy path. But we want to appreciate them and show them that their investment and dedication to downtown Perry is seen and appreciated.
Tabitha Clark:I love that. So that goes right into my next question about how do these celebrations help encourage more people to invest or visit downtown Perry.
Alicia Hartley:Yeah, so we're highlighting businesses that visitors may not know about. I know we're going to talk about Clover Wine, since they've been our first recipient but you know, some people may not know that Clover Wine's been downtown for five years now.
Alicia Hartley:So to highlight that to new visitors that might be downtown and and sharing that and bringing the attention to new businesses. So when we with, if and when we celebrate a new business with a ceremonial key to the downtown district, that'll highlight and kind of be a way to announce that this business is ready for new customers.
Tabitha Clark:And two, if you think about how Clover will get into their story, how they've evolved in five years, that's right. I mean they started off as just strictly a wine shop right, yeah, yeah. And then now they've got a full-blown restaurant in the back.
Alicia Hartley:Exactly, exactly and so like. That's the kind of the story that we're hoping to tell through these key presentation ceremonies is we hear right from the business owner directly what their journey's been like how they've enjoyed downtown Perry over their time of being here, what they're optimistic for, what they're looking forward to, and how the business has changed and evolved over time.
Tabitha Clark:So tell me about. I know we've already had the first ceremony, which we'll link in the comments to all those wonderful pictures, but kind of put me in the middle of what happened and what was said during that ceremony.
Alicia Hartley:Yeah. So in early September we celebrated Clover Wine Merchant as the first recipient to the Keys to the Downtown District program. They were celebrating five years of receiving their certificate of occupancy on Carroll Street.
Tabitha Clark:That's crazy to think it's been five years. Five years Because they started during COVID. That's right.
Alicia Hartley:That's right so they were opening a business in the throes of COVID. You know, michael and Lynette were telling me that they started opening before they officially got their CEO. The city gave them permission to do some pop-ups, that's right that they were coming soon to, you know, jive up some excitement and then. So that's why in early September we celebrated five years of them actually occupying that storefront. So it was really warm and fuzzy feeling, but then a sense of like, genuine like, excitement, love for downtown and love for the community and the support they received in the five in the special five years.
Alicia Hartley:It was really a special and wholesome moment hearing from Michael and Lynette share their story about how they came over to Georgia during COVID from California and their growth and time that they've been here. Like you said, they did start off as retail. Now they got a restaurant, yeah. Now they got a full liquor license.
Tabitha Clark:That's right, that's right, they got.
Alicia Hartley:Alva's Candies located in there. Oh, and they're so good, they're so good little like chocolate truffles and cute too, and cute they're beautifully, they're beautifully designed.
Tabitha Clark:It's like art.
Alicia Hartley:It almost so good you don't want to eat. I know right, it looks so pretty. You don bread and selling loaves of bread too, so like that just shows the evolution and growth of some of these businesses and the investment that they're making into their businesses over the course of five years. Like five years sounds short, but it's a huge triumph and a huge success for a small business, let alone business opening during COVID.
Alicia Hartley:So we wanted to highlight this five years of them occupying their space and appreciate them for their involvement and support of downtown. You know Michael and Lynette have been great when it comes to Main Street's wine tasting event.
Tabitha Clark:Yes.
Alicia Hartley:They're a huge supporter and partner of that, and Lynette serves on our promotions committee bringing new ideas to support our promotions and events that we host in downtown. So they're not just a business on Carroll Street. They put in a lot to the program and a lot to downtown to make it special and help us out. So we just wanted to thank them and highlight them for that.
Tabitha Clark:I love that. So what role do you hope that this whole program plays in downtown's continued growth and revitalization?
Alicia Hartley:We hope that the keys to the downtown district become a new tradition, a tradition of welcoming new businesses, a tradition of celebrating businesses, celebrating successes and facade rehabilitations, and then this will really be a tradition that fosters pride, because these businesses that receive this key to the downtown district it's on a beautiful, beautiful cedarwood plaque They'll be able to hang in their business and we're hoping that it'll be a semblance of pride for their business, pride for what they've invested and pride for being in historic downtown Perry.
Tabitha Clark:As you as downtown manager in your role. What do you hope business owners feel? And you kind of talked about the pride, but what do you hope they feel when they're handed that ceremonial key?
Alicia Hartley:I want them to feel welcome, appreciated and seen. Like we were talking earlier, there's, there's so much that goes in and, just like I'm I've never been a business owner, probably will never be a business owner it takes a special kind for sure but hearing from them and and what all goes into it and the long hours that's outside of their like operating hours. We want them to be seen and recognized for their time and dedication here in downtown.
Tabitha Clark:I love it. Well, alicia, thank you so much. You can learn more about the Keys to the Downtown District program on the downtown's website, which we will have linked in the show comments. So the Keys to the Downtown District are more than just a ceremonial gesture, as Alicia talked about. They're a symbol of partnership, pride and progress in Perry's downtown and by celebrating our business owners and their milestones and those wins, whether they're small or big, we're recognizing the people who make our community thrive. So make sure you look at the show notes for more information and, alicia, we look forward to the next several downtown ceremonies.
Alicia Hartley:We got a handful of them lined up, so we hope everyone comes out and celebrates with us.
Tabitha Clark:Thanks for listening to the Inside Perry podcast your inside look at Perry's local government. Take a look at the show notes for more information about today's episode. If you like Inside Perry, we encourage you to subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family. We look forward to seeing you around in our amazing community where Georgia comes together.