‘A new adventure’: new York boutique mall replaces 1950s grocery store
A new shopping venue in York has re-energized an old downtown grocery store and the owners hope a new business venture will draw tourist dollars from nearby cities.
The Yorkville Marketplace is a 12,000-square-foot boutique mall at a former Winn-Dixie grocery store on Congress Street in the historic district. The grocery store, built in the 1950s that sits across the street from Victorian homes, was vacant for more than 10 years, said Yorkville Market place co-owner Chris Holbert.
The new mall features nearly 30 locally-owned small businesses that sell items such as boutique clothing, home decor and furniture. The mall also is home to specialty shops.
“A lot of them have been selling online and were looking for an avenue to sell in an actual retail space for the public,” Hobert said. The 49-year-old Ohio native owns the mall with his wife, 50-year-old Kathy Holbert.
The couple also owns The Divine Horse, an equestrian boutique and tack retailer, in downtown York.
The Yorkville Marketplace opened in November and got a big business boost when it hosted a holiday event that drew large crowds, Holbert said. The couple got the idea for the mall from similar markets in Ohio.
“The Amish markets that are there are very much set up like this,” Holbert said. “We’ve seen some different variations and we’ve always had a dream of doing this.”
Vendor booths are filling up fast, he said, and the mall will be at full capacity in a few weeks.
The mall is home to the Rustic Pony, a home decor booth, several women’s clothing boutiques like Sophie Lou’s and Ella Ruth Boutique, a men’s clothing booth, a pet supply store and embroidery shop Sewmazing.
The mall also hosts a cigar shop, a furniture booth and a woodcraft booth. The Clay Cottage booth features pottery from Rock Hill artists.
Holbert said a tap room wine bar will feature wine from a local winery and a deli will offer outdoor seating. The Pour Farmer also serves coffee outside the store. The coffee shop’s beans are locally roasted at the York Coffee Roasters, which is run by MaxAbilities, formerly the York County Board of Disabilities and Special Needs. The roastery helps people with special needs in York County learn job skills.
The mall space also will have a music venue and offer events like craft fairs, vintage market days, festivals and workshops.
Lisa Stout’s booth, the Greenleaf Boutique, specializes in house plants, succulents, dish gardens and hard-to-find plants.
“Eventually I will have more of the rare plants that you can’t find at your general box store,” Stout said.
Tammy Fletcher opened her clothing booth, The Southern Kind, in January.
“It’s been a new adventure for me,” said Fletcher, who has worked in fashion retail for 20 years.
Fletcher lost her job because of Covid and finding a job was “very, very hard,” she said.
“This opportunity came available and I jumped on it,” she said.
Holbert said the city of York is seeing a lot of investment and The Divine Equestrian has done well.
“A lot of people are moving here, there’s a lot of growth,” Holbert said. “We saw that opportunity and said ‘now’s the time to do it if we’re going to do it.’ And we’ve jumped on that.”
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 10:56 AM.
