Eden Fashion Boutique closed the doors to its downtown storefront, but business partners Katie Thompson and Kala Barcus don’t plan on leaving the area.
In fact, Thompson and Barcus plan to revamp the Eden space to house their new monthly market, Oak Grove Collective.
“I think we were both ready to change our independent business models…It was time to kind of redo what we had in place,” Thompson said. “Kala was very familiar with the monthly market concept of operation, so she and I met to talk about it and decided I think it would be a good fit for Bowling Green.”
Thompson is a working mom of six and Barcus owns and operates her own jewelry business, Lin and Mae. A business model that reduced their overall daily responsibilities while staying involved in the community was their main reason for closing Eden and rebranding to Oak Grove Collective.
The new market will feature goods from 25 local vendors and artisans, as well as other goods sourced by Thompson and Barcus. It will be more of a home goods and gift experience as opposed to a craft store. Clothing, jewelry, lotions, candles, artisan sourdough and much more will all be up for grabs. Thompson encourages vendors who are interested in having their goods in the market to email [email protected].
“We will keep the door open to continuously build relationships with vendors and we want to have a robust selection. We are still actively taking in vendors now,” Thompson said.
No specific qualifications are required of vendors to have their goods featured at the monthly market. Thompson discussed how her and Barcus just look at how a vendor’s goods will fit in with the others to achieve a “beautifully curated” look to their market.
However, Thompson and Barcus are passionate about keeping a variety of items in stock because they recognize that everyone has different preferences. Depending on the month, the market will also have seasonal decor in stock.
Much of the store had already been remodeled in preparation for the grand opening of Oak Grove Collective from Oct. 10-12.
Thompson said the quick turnaround required all hands on deck since the store doors closed on Sept. 8. Their store will be open three days a month, 10 months out of the year, with January and July being the months off. These three days will always be a Thursday to Saturday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. The store will be open three days per month, excluding January and July. The market’s doors will be open Thursdays to Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“We will make it a true event and market style experience even though you will be entering into a storefront,” Thompson said.
The business partners plan to pack the three days they are open every month with a punch. Depending on the month, they will have food samples, tastings, demonstrations, collaborations with local restaurants, and local musicians incorporated into the atmosphere of the market. Really, they just hope this can become a fun opportunity for couples and friends to get out and get some shopping done at the same time.
Thompson and Barcus realize everyone has a busy schedule these days and really want to make this monthly event a meaningful experience for their customers and members of the community.
“We’d love for people to follow along. We’d love for people to come check it out. It’ll definitely be more of an event experience. We have a food truck and we’re partnering with the Clay Pot who’re offering drinks and appetizers and specials for the whole event,” Thompson said as she encouraged people to come to the grand opening.
Despite the hardships and stresses of opening a new business, Thompson and Barcus are excited for this new adventure and “felt like it was the right time.” They have various posts scheduled for the next few weeks to help explain more about the business, advertise specific vendors, and help potential customers get to know them more on Instagram and Facebook @oakgrovecollective.
