ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Five business owners who typically sell their products at a marketplace known as "Saturday Shoppes" will have a new opportunity to reach more customers.
Saturday Shoppes is a marketplace for women and minority-owned business owners. Vendors typically sell their products on Saturdays at various locations.
The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting to celebrate five business owners who will have their products for sale at The St. Pete Store and Visitor's Center inside the chamber building on 2nd Avenue North in St. Pete.
The five businesses include Madam Naka's Emporium, Brun Rub, Body Polished, Passion Geeks and Yole' the Brand.
Nancy Gamble, owner of Madam Naka's Emporium, makes jewelry out of copper. Her jewelry will now be available for purchase at The St. Pete Store.
"Being a vendor here at The St. Pete Store is a perfect fit. I can make the jewelry. I only take a small area of the store and win, win. I have a place to sell. They have a new product to sell for me," said Gamble.
Ed Brunson created Brun Rub and makes handcrafted barbecue rubs and season blends. He credits his late mother, who taught him as a child how to read as she would cook.
"I was always the barbecue guy, barbecuing, cooking. My mother actually taught me how to read while cooking. She would have me read books. She's passed away. I feel her here," said Brunson.
Renee Edwards-Perry is the founder of Saturday Shoppes. She is excited to see small business owners have a platform to sell their products.
"This is like a dream come true because that's the goal for me is for vendors to be able to be extremely successful to be able to continue to live in Tampa Bay. They need different strains of income to pull together to be able to pay their bills, so with the chamber allowing this, these vendors and vendors to follow them will have an extra source of income," said Edwards-Perry.
For more information on the St. Pete Store and Visitor's Center, visit here.
