The Story
Berwyn is and has always been a great home for businesses and entrepreneurs, providing “Big City” opportunities combined with the feeling and connections of a “Small Town”. This dynamic combination is perfectly embodied in the new incubator space called Berwyn Shops.
Big City Opportunities
Specifically, The Berwyn Shops: A Homegrown Project takes inspiration from the Batavia Boardwalk Shops and fuses it with the historic elements engrained in the Roosevelt Road Corridor to help local makers, entrepreneurs, and artisans take advantage of the big city opportunities that Berwyn has to offer. The Berwyn Shops is comprised of twelve 12’x15’ cottage-style shops and provides its vendors with the support needed to succeed: a storefront, business education, promotion, and resources.
In addition to creating an ideal environment for its vendors, the Berwyn Shops will also help support local businesses by supplying the community with amazing future business tenants. This unique incubator will be a destination that draws new shoppers, new businesses, and generates a lot of excitement for the Roosevelt Road Corridor.
Vendors - Jury - Community Partners
The Berwyn Shops: A Homegrown Project involves three major groups. The first includes the vendors, who will have the opportunity to test the local market before committing to a full-blown store operation. As participants, they will not only open and operate a mini storefront, but they will also work collaboratively with other vendors by attending joint business advising sessions, maintaining the site, and supporting the project and other shops with promotions and marketing.
The second group is the jury committee. The 13 community volunteers will help review applications, give feedback, and select the participating vendors. The committee will be comprised of Roosevelt Road business owners, local stakeholders, Berwyn residents, and prospective clients of the Berwyn Shops. The goal is to incorporate a variety of perspectives and expertise, as well as reflect the array of prospective clients of the Berwyn Shops.
Lastly, Berwyn Shops would not exist without the support of the third group, the Community Partners. The City of Berwyn has graciously committed $200,000.00 to the incubator, which has helped facilitate the initial phases of construction on site. The Women’s Business Development Center will also be collaborating with the Berwyn Development Corporation to provide business training sessions for participating vendors. However, additional support is still needed. Consider partnering with us as we help entrepreneurs, artisans, and makers take their businesses to the next level at the Berwyn Shops: A Homegrown Project.
Other Homegrown Projects
7129 Cermak RD. Berwyn, IL 60402
www.BerwynSprout.com
Sprout is a shared retail space designed to help 30+ entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Located in the bustling Cermak Plaza, this homegrown project provides “Big Box” opportunities with “Shop Local” support.
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This dynamic combination not only cultivates artisans and makers, it creates the ideal shopping experience. In one convenient stop, shoppers can browse an array of artisanal products - everything from home decor and hand-made accessories to seasonal gifts and more!
Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to shop the array of stylish, quality, and unique products at Sprout!
7003 Cermak Rd. Berwyn, IL 60402
Berwyn Boutique is a shared storefront designed to help new businesses expand their product lines, increase brand awareness, and strengthen their community partnerships. Located at 7003 Cermak Rd, this homegrown project is the ideal transitional space for Berwyn Shops’ graduates.
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Boutique encourages its vendors to build off the momentum of the Berwyn Shops to grow their businesses in the local market before operating their own individual stores. Specifically, vendors are given: a physical space, access to business education, and marketing support.
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Follow the three amazing Boutique vendors
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Special Thank You
On behalf of the City of Berwyn and the Berwyn Development Corporation, we would like to give a special THANK YOU to Batavia MainStreet. While running their own organization, as well as the Batavia Boardwalk Shops, this incredible team has served as “incubator mentors,” graciously sharing their time, resources, construction concepts, and marketing materials. The Berwyn Shops truly would not have started without the support of Batavia MainStreet.
