Crafting Community and Celebrating Local Talent in Statesville

Bringing vibrancy to downtown - Tori, owner of Mercantile on Broad, saw an opportunity for an event and spearheaded the 2nd Saturday Downtown Statesville events. Downtown businesses and vendors come together for a community event bringing in locals and out-of-town visitors to explore Statesville and shop/dine at our downtown Statesville businesses. These monthly gatherings not only boost economic activity but also cultivate a vibrant community spirit.

Tori also walks through her journey to become the owner of Mercantile on Broad, a store showcasing 40 local makers and artisans, offering a diverse selection from home decor to pet accessories. Michele from Made to Encourage (one of the makers whose work is sold there) joins to share insights into how this collaborative venture has become a sanctuary for local talent, fostering a supportive space brimming with creativity. Listen in as Michele discusses the joy of creating reclaimed and custom-made pieces, and the fruitful partnership with Mercantile On Broad. 

Learn more about Mercantile On Broad's events, where creativity knows no bounds. From ladies' nights to the ever-popular DIY workshops, Tori has crafted a dynamic calendar that appeals to all ages. We emphasize the flexibility of the space for custom parties and fundraisers, and the continuous influx of unique items from local vendors. Stay connected with Mercantile On Broad through their social media and website to keep up with their latest offerings and updates. 

Transcript

Discover Statesville

Speaker 1 0:00

If you're looking for something fun and exciting to do in Statesville, north Carolina, this weekend, we have plans for you. Tune in.

Speaker 2 0:07

Welcome to Discover Statesville, the show that takes you on a captivating journey through the heart of one of North Carolina's most charming towns.

Speaker 3 0:14

Hello, welcome to Discover Statesville. Today we are joined by Tori, owner of Mercantile On Broad here in downtown Statesville. Welcome, Tori.

Speaker 1 0:23

Welcome.

Speaker 3 0:25

Tell us a little bit about your shop and how long you've been in town.

Speaker 5 0:29

Sure. So our store has been there for two years. I took over in November of 2023. So we're quickly approaching nine months of being there. We are located at 108 West Broad Street and we are home to 40 plus local makers, artisans and small shops 40? 40. Wow, actually more but 40 shops. 40. 40. Wow, actually more but 40 sounds really good. I think 49 is like almost, I don't know.

Speaker 2 0:50

Anyway.

Speaker 5 0:50

Yeah, there's a bunch in there, a lot. Yes, we say that we have home decor, gifts and more.

Speaker 1 0:55

We also have apparel, and if we don't have it, we could probably get it made and so, yeah, tell our listeners who may not know I know and I know Richard knows but tell our listeners what a maker is, like those 40, like what does that make up?

Speaker 5 1:11

One of them is right here, michelle, for me to encourage, to make these lovely pieces here.

Speaker 1 1:15

Welcome, Michelle.

Speaker 5 1:15

Thank you.

Speaker 4 1:16

thank you. Yeah, I think a maker is somebody who literally does something by hand. It's somebody who makes something from scratch and sells it as a piece that's made by them.

Speaker 1 1:29

So locals who are using their talents to put together unique, creative pieces. Correct, maybe it's a bestseller, like you were showing me here and you replicate it, but they're unique pieces. But the main thing is they're here in the area, making it local. And, tori, what you're doing with Murgantown Unbrought is you're someone that's small, starting out and making something that really doesn't have the wherewithal to— Help and lift all these artists up and create exposure Right.

Speaker 1 1:59

have a retail storefront, so you are literally the place where they can all come together and sell these wares.

Speaker 5 2:06

Yeah, we like to say we have something for everyone. I feel like we definitely have more of a female base than male, but we're working on that.

Speaker 3 2:15

We have jellies now.

Speaker 5 2:17

No, I don't even know what that is.

Speaker 3 2:26

I was thinking like jelly shoes. I went way back.

Speaker 5 2:28

Thank you for the clarification.

Speaker 3 2:30

I only put butter on top.

Speaker 5 2:31

We brought in food and a couple other things. So we're slowly working on getting everybody to be like woohoo, this is my shop.

Speaker 1 2:39

Okay.

Speaker 5 2:40

But yes.

Speaker 1 2:41

You have things to eat and stuff too. Yes, it's a beautiful store.

Speaker 4 2:44

If you walk in, it's just like, wow, it really is gorgeous, but have things to eat and stuff too. Yes, yes, yes, it's a beautiful store. Yes, if you walk in, it's just like, wow, it really is gorgeous, but you have to walk in.

Speaker 1 2:49

Well, your windows are amazing. I love that. Thank you the way you decorate your windows. It draws you in, and then you have some racks right there as you walk in with some sale items. But you really have to get all the way in there to that, that back portion, to really I mean with 40 different makers in there, to really experience all the great things you have. Yes and um, I saw on social media that and I have two dogs who are little humans yes, that you brought in some new raincoats with matching leashes.

Speaker 5 3:18

We did we have a new vendor, stella and oscar, who um designs, um collars and leashes and the rain jackets and they're super cute. We just got a pet baker that moved in, so we're really excited to kind of hit all the things that people are looking for. We try to engage with people that come in and get to know them and what they're looking for and if we don't have it, we try to find someone that makes it so literally something for everyone.

Speaker 1 3:41

Richard, I have something for you. Merle 100% needs one of these raincoats.

Speaker 3 3:44

I'm trying to think how much Merle would enjoy a raincoat. He might really dig it. He's an outdoor dog. Do you do the little like a hat to accompany? Do they make those?

Speaker 5 3:52

I mean, you give me 10 days and I'll find one, my dog would look really good in one of those rain hats.

Speaker 3 3:59

So are all the artists. I mean, do you have the store sectioned off so that each artist has a particular section that is theirs, or do you have different people's pieces intermingled with other artists?

Speaker 5 4:08

So it's a combination. So a lot of stores have booths and it's set to that spot Like this is Michelle's space. Yeah, so we do have that, but we also have what I call an open floor concept. So when you walk into the store, it just looks like this big beautiful store of stuff, but it's all handmade.

Speaker 4 4:29

And it's. I think she does vignettes really well, so she can group things from different.

Speaker 5 4:34

You kind of curate different displays of different artists.

Speaker 4 4:35

And then you can see how it goes together. Yeah, that's great.

Speaker 5 4:38

So when you walk into the store, you don't necessarily know that there's 40, 50 different makers in there, but there are, and then we let people know.

Speaker 4 4:44

Yeah, it doesn't feel like a flea market, it feels like a home space. It's really pretty.

Speaker 5 4:48

So we tried to set it up to where you can almost envision it in your home or in your kid's room. We have had people that just were like here I want this whole, whatever you did here. I just want that and I'm like oh, okay, you're into designer too. No, ma'am, that's also a joke. In the store People come in like my house does not look like this.

Speaker 3 5:07

Right.

Speaker 2 5:08

But my store looks really awesome.

Speaker 5 5:10

At home I have a four-year-old and we have toys everywhere and pillow forts, and yeah, that's real, that's a home right there.

Speaker 1 5:19

Pillow forts my kids have outgrown pillow forts and I really miss it, it's frowned upon when I build my own house.

Speaker 5 5:25

Oh, it's a good time.

Speaker 3 5:28

Or at least I assume it would be. I have no idea.

Speaker 1 5:30

Tori, why the mercantile on Broad for you? You said it was an existing store. I mean, we know that, but for our listeners they may not know that someone else had opened it and they moved on to something else. So what inspired you? Are you a maker yourself? What inspired you to want to own a retail store in downtown Statesville?

Speaker 5 5:46

I previously lived in Texas and I did like a. I'm not a maker, but I had a boutique section in it with clothing and accessories and things like that and I loved being a part of something different, bigger, and I hate to bring up the word COVID, but it was post COVID, post having baby. I was stuck home forever and that was kind of like my out. I also had a full-time job, but that was my, that was my creative space, that was that was my thing. We left there, came here and the opportunity presented itself and here we are and I just think it's so. I've seen it from like a vendor standpoint and now I get to have the storefront and be the person that runs the show and it's really exciting to meet people and reach out to people and like see something that's so beautiful and be like hey, do you want to be a part of my store?

Speaker 4 6:31

And she's a great partner. She's a really, really wonderful support partner. I really feel like she encourages us, promotes us, sells us. She's really great to her makers, so I don't have maker talent, but I like to think that I'm like people's cheerleaders.

Speaker 5 6:46

I like to bring joy. So when I see something beautiful, I'm like let's do this. She's great. You're creating an environment, yeah so I like to bring that happy energy. And when people are like, can I bring my dog, can I bring my kids, I'm like, yes, bring them in. Like let's do this. See what happens.

Speaker 1 7:03

Well, in a minute we're going to talk about how you're extending all that that makes you a great person out to the community. So we appreciate you doing that too, but first let's maybe let Michelle talk about her products in particular, and you've brought some examples, but tell us about your business and why you chose Mercantile and Broad and Downtown too Well, that's all her.

Speaker 4 7:22

How I chose her, that's all tory. But um we start, my husband and I started uh made to encourage after we were um divorced for 19 years and we reconciled and congratulations, thank you yeah, it's a really cool story and when we get a chance to tell our story, it often encourages people.

Speaker 4 7:41

So we, since we were restored and reclaimed, we use reclaimed materials and we'd like to say that we restore pieces to another beautiful look or feel or another piece. So we call ourselves Made to Encourage because our story encourages others. So I try to use that as a little bit of a platform and get a chance to talk to people. But I like to make things that bring a smile to somebody's face and hopefully will brighten their space. And she reached out to me last year and just said hey, I really like your stuff. I have a store. Do you want to sell here? And I was like, yeah, sure, let's check this out.

Speaker 4 8:22

When I walked in her store it was just like, yes, I want to be a part of this. This is exactly what I want. And she was just so lovely and so delightful to be around. And we joke that when I drop off things to set up my space in her store it's supposed to be a five-minute little chat and it ends up being like 30, 45 minutes of us just going da-da-da-da-da-da and encouraging each other and sharing stories. And you know, she's just great. Tori's just like truly one of my most favorite people, oh thank you, she's really really cool.

Speaker 1 8:54

So tell us about you said one of this was your bestseller.

Speaker 4 8:57

Yeah, this is one of our bestsellers. This is called Wake Up Call. I have them in different colors. I certainly can do things in. I had a woman reach out to me and ask if I could do a piece in her, her company colors. So we do brand colors. We can do anything that's custom, almost anything, and every once in a while she'll, tori, will say hey. So I have a new vendor that's doing X, y, z, and she happened to mention that she has a pet or a dog a vendor coming in. So I started making some dog and pet pieces as well so that she can again incorporate them into what she's selling. And then you know, if I sell stuff, she sells stuff. She's successful, right? So if I'm selling something, she's being successful. It's a beautiful little relationship.

Speaker 3 9:37

Symbiotic relationship. Yeah, do you have more availability for artists?

Speaker 5 9:43

We have a few more. We just brought in four more yesterday, so I'm down to another piece of paper and pencil. My husband's holding me. I should probably calm down, hey, babe. But yeah, every once in a while I get ideas and I'm literally like pen paper. Now I have it. And he's like right now we're having ice cream.

Speaker 5 10:04

I'm like, right now I just got the idea, so give me two more weeks and probably a little bit more space, but we had four awesome vendors move in yesterday that we're really excited about, and now I got to go back to the drawing board.

Speaker 1 10:16

That's good. Slow growth is good. Yeah, it's exciting, but a compilation of all these great things can't speak today. That you're talking about is what encouraged us to first reach out to you, because we were seeing that you were going outside of your brick and mortar. A lot of businesses just sit and wait for people to show up and I think you are establishing yourself and making sure that you're successful for yourself and for these great friends you're making and your makers and vendors that you have coming in, but you have recently. I think this coming weekend will be your fourth, august will be your fourth. You're calling second Saturday yes, and it's the second Saturday of the month, and I think you have diligently just worked out, reached out to touch every downtown Statesville business and say, hey, I want to do this thing, do you want to be a part? And they've embraced it. Right, I'm really trying.

Speaker 5 11:22

I really had some help because I'm just one person, it seems like it. It seems like you've started something really cool.

Speaker 1 11:29

So, tell us about it and tell us why everyone should come out this weekend at Downtown Statesville and experience Second Saturday.

Speaker 5 11:35

Sure. So Second Saturday, I guess, was denied Okay, backtrack. So, like downtown does so many awesome things and on those days I feel like the downtown businesses we do so well and we get to meet so many people and we get returning customers, but we always get to meet new customers. We get people from near, we get people from far. And you know, november I took over in November November and December were like wild, amazing, great.

Speaker 5 11:58

And then you hit January and then February we were cash mobbed, which was so cool, and then and it just, I think, slowly just started like made me realize like ooh, these like events are fun and they bring in a lot of people and we get to meet people. It's just, it's just a good day for I think, everybody downtown, right. And then I was talking to a couple of ladies. We had like the calm manner, just open and stuff like that, and we were just kind of networking and we're like let's do a sip and shop or this or that. So we came up with like a lucky event for St Patrick's Day and that was really great and we're like huh. And then Joe from Red Buffalo shook my hand and he's like hey, I'm so-and-so and I I don't know if you want to do this, but we're planning like a Mother's Day out. He's like let's do it. I'm like okay, and then I like reached out to Liz.

Speaker 1 12:45

Joe.

Speaker 5 12:45

Bondi's really good for that, yeah, and I was like, okay, cool. And then Liz Petrie from downtown reached out to her and she was like you know, I'm what's your idea?

Speaker 5 12:55

And I was like well, I just need some help. Maybe we could just get like a couple more people to like want to join the party. You know, and slowly but slowly but surely it's grown from just four or five businesses to six, seven, eight, and now in August now just this upcoming week we have I don't even know 20, maybe more. We just had another business meeting last week and we're working on improving it. We had a couple little hiccups on the last one, but we're just really excited to invite everybody in and we also have, so it's not just the storefronts that are doing things, but we're also inviting local vendors in. So it's just another way. Like my store is only so big, I can only fit in so many things. Obviously I love to support local, so this just gives more local businesses to have a presence.

Speaker 3 13:40

So it would be like a sort of pop-up sort of thing. Yeah, it's like, oh, we don't have space right now, but we're going to have this event, yeah, so we have 20 stores participating, let's say, and now we can have 20 pop-up vendors.

Speaker 5 13:49

And it's just fun. And it gives the community something to come do and come say hi. At our last one, we had people from out of town coming in. We had people that were like we picked you for a ladies night out and you know whatever. And I'm like woohoo, like that's cool, you know.

Speaker 3 14:01

So I love that Well and I think it's a cool opportunity too for people to see our downtown and some of these vendors, businesses, whatever that may not have a regular presence here Right Can see oh gosh.

Speaker 5 14:14

Maybe I'm interested in investigating that further Sure, so certainly a great exposure. It just gets more feet down here.

Speaker 1 14:19

Absolutely, I just like to have a good time, you mentioned Liz and I would say the team at Downtown Statesville Development Corporation, but it's a team of one. Now, just like you said, I'm one person and I think it's really cool, because I don't think they're used to someone coming to them with a solution and, hey, I want to do this, is it okay? They're used to someone coming to them with a problem or saying I need you to do this for me and their workload's already so big. So if they can just lift up and support a solution that someone's bringing them, it makes it. It turns into a really cool thing. It seems like that's what's happening for you guys.

Speaker 5 14:56

I didn't expect all this, but it's been a nice, pleasant surprise. What started as just four or five shops getting together and saying you know, hey, let's see what we can do for a Thursday from 5 to 7 has turned into once a month party.

Speaker 3 15:12

I think that's awesome. And to Cindy's point, I mean that's you know we deal with a lot with the city as well is that people often just come with a hey, what can you know, how can you fix this or what can you do. So when somebody does come to you with an idea and some energy, you want to help lift that person up and you know you're not taking on the significant piece of the burden. You know it's like well, we can certainly support you, we can help get your messaging out. So I think Cindy's right. I mean coming with an idea and then yeah, well, yeah, Broken clocks rock twice a day. That was my second analogy. I'm glad I didn't go with the first one, but no, congratulations, I think that's outstanding and you're bringing vibrancy to our downtown, which is amazing. Yeah.

Speaker 5 15:52

Thank you. It's really a team effort, like I appreciate everybody. I don't know I'm struggling taking like all the credit because it's not just me, I just Well, we only have two extra stools.

Speaker 3 16:00

I just have a cream. So I mean, it's you know?

Community Events at Mercantile on Broad

Speaker 1 16:02

I just have this idea. I'll take a little bit of credit.

Speaker 3 16:04

Tori wanted to invite a whole bunch of people, but we had a limited amount of seating.

Speaker 5 16:07

I was like okay, I'll just bring one, sure we tag you in the comments. You're all awesome too, but she said no, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. We're already very close.

Speaker 1 16:22

I was going to say people are used to that from me, tori. No, you're the best. I appreciate it. So we're very excited about it. So it's happening this coming weekend on Saturday, the second Saturday in August, and then your intention is just to keep growing it and keep it going every second Saturday. Now, one thing we didn't talk about is you have more than just second Saturday going on at the Mercantile and Broad. You have lots of pretty cool events, don't you? I've seen some other events. We do try, yeah, so talk a little bit about some of those.

Speaker 5 16:50

Yeah, so I don't know, I just grew up Italian. I grew up with a big family. I like to hang out with people. That's good. So we just kind of get creative and come up with ideas, whether it be a ladies' night or last week we did Christmas. In July we had Foster Love, adopt, repeat, a local foster organization, come in and we all got to have fun doing that. And just because we have so many makers, sometimes we get to do DIY. So we've done like trucker hat bars, make your own this, make your own that, and we just have fun.

Speaker 3 17:23

When are you going to do another one of the trucker hat things?

Speaker 5 17:26

Well, saturday, when do you want?

Speaker 1 17:30

it. Come on out, richard.

Speaker 5 17:33

Here's the cool thing too If somebody wanted to like throw a party, have a party, we could do that too. Like we do customs, we do parties, we do fundraisers, I mean.

Speaker 1 17:45

That's great to mention.

Speaker 5 17:46

I mean.

Speaker 3 17:47

Yeah, I just thought of that right now, for people who might oh, you know, we've got a group of friends, we get together but we struggle for things to do. I mean, I think there are groups out there that probably my buddies and I don't struggle for things to do.

Speaker 1 17:57

You don't want to have a trucker hat party. Well, maybe Now that I know that's an option.

Speaker 5 18:01

That's very possible.

Speaker 3 18:02

But I think that you're throwing your hat in that ring and that, hey, here's another activity that you can throw in the mix Contact you guys, and coordinate it?

Speaker 5 18:09

I don't know. We just like to think we have fun inside. That's outstanding.

Speaker 3 18:20

So pretty much any holiday coming up in the future people should at least look and check and see.

Speaker 5 18:22

I wonder what the Mercantile Unbrought has. So the cool thing too is we have new stuff all the time. I think it's cool because the vendors are constantly rotating stuff. When they have an idea and they make something, they bring it in. They don't have to wait. They just got to restock their space and whatever their creative idea is that week or month, that's what it is.

Speaker 3 18:40

Have you done kids workshops?

Speaker 5 18:41

Yes, we have. We have one coming up on the 17th. Okay, yeah, we have stuff all the time. She's got it all.

Speaker 3 18:48

It sounds that way. So you know, Richard said so four-year-olds just raising themselves all year round, working all the time. Now, now, now, nice return.

Speaker 5 18:59

My little now, now, now, my little Levi is. He's my biggest fan. I don't know, you have to fight me anyway. No, but I do, because I have so many makers we can have power. Like, when she comes over I have to kick her out. Just keeps talking. No, but we just, we're always.

Speaker 4 19:13

It's very true, but it's just like that. She gets a look on her face.

Speaker 5 19:16

No, I'm kidding, she's so cute no, but because there's so many people involved in the store, we can come up with an idea for just about anything. So that's why, when people come in, we're like well, what's your idea? Give us 10 days, maybe we can make it happen.

Speaker 3 19:30

It's sort of like the analogy. We're talking about the second Saturday event. It's like somebody great, let's figure out how to do it, and so you've got people coming to you with ideas, which certainly helps with that collaborative effort and energy.

Speaker 1 19:42

Yeah, so we mentioned make sure people go out and look to see what you've got coming up. Tell people how they can go out and look. Tell us how we can find you on social media website.

Speaker 5 19:52

Sure, so the Mercantileroadnccom is our website, and then we have the Mercantile On Broad, facebook and Instagram, and then we're located at 108 West Broad Street in downtown Statesville. And what are your hours? 11 to 6, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday is 11 to 7. And Saturday is 10 to 5.

Speaker 1 20:12

Yeah, you've expanded your hours, so thank you for doing that.

Speaker 2 20:15

Yeah.

Speaker 1 20:15

I think it makes it easier for people to come see you doing that. Yeah, I think it makes it easier for people to come see you. Yay, and then May 10, courage is also.

Speaker 4 20:21

How do we we're on Facebook and Instagram? Yeah, I do local art shows and craft shows in North Carolina and I have a storefront. I have a space at the storefront.

Speaker 5 20:31

And she'll be with us this Saturday.

Speaker 4 20:32

on our second Saturday, I'm going to be a pop-up vendor, so I get to talk to people, which I love doing.

Unveiling Discover Statesville Journeys

Speaker 1 20:36

Yeah, so find some of these great items at Mercantile and Broad. Well, we really appreciate you guys being here and so normally when we well, I'll say this a minute I do want to say that the Discover Statesville show is made possible by the Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau, driving visibility and tourism for Statesville, North Carolina. So we're very appreciative of that. And that sounded like I just said I'm appreciative of myself, but it's the board of directors who allow us to do this, to bring the behind the scenes of what's happening in Statesville to the forefront. So we're very appreciative of that. And normally when we say goodbye, we wave, but I saw Tori and her friends did this great reel that everyone's been doing. So I think when we say goodbye today I don't know, I don't know.

Speaker 1 21:24

I have no idea what's about to happen. I don't know where you're going with this, really. Yeah, so for Second Saturday, instead of waving goodbye, we're going to say Thanks, statesville, see you next time.

Speaker 2 21:35

Yay, thank you for joining Discover Statesville. You can email us at discover at statesvillenccom. Check us out on Facebook at Discover Statesville, nc hashtag Discover Statesville and our website statesvillenccom. Catch us next week as we continue on our journey to uncover the hidden gems, culinary adventures, entertainment, and to be inspired and enlightened as we Discover Statesville.