By John Motiska
Harbor Center BID

ROBYN SCHNEIDER’S HOMETOWN BAKERY dedicated to dog treats is one of three shops chosen to open in a new business initiative by the Harbor Center BID. – Submitted photo

We are proud to announce the finalists for the Pop-Up Shop project. Out of eleven candidates that applied for the project, we narrowed the field down to three finalists. They are Pam Butler – Nest: Adorn, Jennifer Nowicki – Cultivate Tea, and Robyn Schneider – Hometown Barkery. We felt that these three business plans coincide with what we were looking for. They each have strong business backgrounds and great business models that the Sheboygan Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC) will be working with to make even stronger.

The City of Sheboygan found an accessible property located at 510 S. 8th Street which is managed by Gottsacker Realty and located next to Jimmy Johns and The Local Press restaurants. We feel this is an ideal location for the stores and will truly make a unique shopping experience within the surrounding shops and businesses.

Nest: Adorn, Pamela Butler Channel knows how to make a business work. She knows how to evoke a sense of home and how to craft an atmosphere that encourages people to create beauty and coziness at home. Nest: Adorn, which will inhabit 514 S. Eighth St. from Oct 1 to Dec. 31 will expand on the theme she’s established at her primary store, Nest, into wearables such as loungewear, scarves, handbags, accessories and more.

Cultivate Tea, Jennifer Nowicki has expertise in different kinds of teas with discerning shoppers looking for a little hands-on experience when she opens the doors of her pop-up shop, Cultivate Taste.

Nowicki is a certified tea specialist, a designation she earned from the Specialty Tea Institute in York City in 2009. She is the only person in Wisconsin with this designation.

Because of her education in tea, she has been invited twice by the People’s Republic of China to participate in world tea conferences.

Hometown Barkery, Robyn Schneider specializes in hand-made dog treats baked in small batches, including fancier iced treats and “pupcakes,” which are either 4-inch or mini cupcakes specially created for dogs.

The inventory will include things like mugs, signs, candles, stationary (those are for pet owners), as well as bowls, collars, bow ties and dress-up accessories for dogs.

She’ll stock gift baskets, custom Christmas stockings for dogs and unique items like treat-a-day doggie Advent calendars.

There are various benefits to pop-ups such as marketing, the testing of products, locations, or markets, as well as a low-cost way to start a business while filling up vacant retail space.

This is great news for everyone who lives or visits the area, workers have more jobs available, property values increase, and downtown becomes a much more engaging place to live, work and experience.

As this is Sheboygan’s first annual popup shop initiative, we at the Harbor Centre Business Improvement District in partnership with the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation have been impressed with the energy and enthusiasm from our existing downtown businesses and our larger community.

Our objective is to attract more customers and visitors, building sustainable businesses as we look forward to the successes of these individual stores.

We will also be looking at the successes of the surrounding businesses within the BID to measure the impact of this project.