LEGO bricks, burritos are 2 newest business additions to Main Street Fort Mill
Dave Hipp arrived late to LEGO, but it didn’t take him long to figure out how the business pieces fit together.
“My first thought was downtown Fort Mill,” said Hipp, who alongside wife Tara will open a Bricks & Minifigs aftermarket LEGO store on Main Street this spring. “I just loved the thought of being a store downtown.”
The same Fort Mill School District that drew his family years ago from Oklahoma still draws families with children. There are growing numbers of adults building LEGO sets, gathering in communities and conventions. There’s also increased foot traffic downtown.
“Being down there during the day, working in the building and everything,” Hipp said, “it’s amazing to see how many people are walking around and how busy Hobo’s is, Amor Artis, different places.”
Hipp’s store at 221 Main St. is one of several spots renovated in recent years by Kuester Commercial. The Center Theatre property at 100 Main St. is another. Charlotte restaurant Phat Burrito signed on there, replacing Center Theatre Pizza & Ice Cream after that restaurant announced its closing in January.
Both Bricks & Minifigs and Phat Burrito aim for May openings. There are ongoing plans to fill the former Moxie Mercantile space that closed in February at 219 Main St., said president and broker-in-charge of Kuester Commercial Shaw Kuester. But the deal isn’t finalized so details haven’t been made public.
There’s also activity on the northern end of Main Street. Developer Growing Main got town approvals in January to prepare the former Kimbrell’s Furniture building at 232 Main St. for new tenants. Submitted plans showed five business suites on two levels. The only named tenant was self-defense training business Treadstone Defensive Tactics.
Online property listings still show the Kimbrell’s building and a warehouse beside it at 102 Tom Hall St. for sale or lease. Growing Main previously approached the town about possibilities there like a restaurant or brewery. Property uses for three suites in the two buildings are listed online as retail commercial.
LEGO store in downtown Fort Mill
Hipp, 51, didn’t play with LEGO as a kid. He recalls a small bucket of mismatched pieces his grandmother had. It wasn’t until three years ago he got into the hobby, when Tara — on a Target run and nearly out of ideas for a Christmas present — bought him a Millennium Falcon set from the Star Wars franchise.
“I had never really honestly done a complete set build before, and that was the spark that caused all of this,” Hipp said.
Now he probably has more than 150 Star Wars sets. Tara collects Disney sets, including castles. The couple’s new store in Fort Mill should naturally appeal to kids, Hipp said, but it won’t be solely for them.
“They’re not age-specific,” he said of LEGO. “There are collectors and fanatics that are kids and teenagers, young adults, adults, everybody.”
The Bricks & Minifigs concept started in Utah. It aimed to connect enthusiasts something better than random online meetups. Now there are about 190 stores. Charleston, Clemson, Greenville and Myrtle Beach each have one. North Carolina has six locations, including in Huntersville and Indian Trail.
The Fort Mill site will be an authorized new and used LEGO resale outlet. Customers can buy and trade on-site. Bricks & Minifigs stores carry items like backpacks, cups and even third-party LEGO-compatible items.
“We have new Lego sets,” Hipp said. “We’ll have used Lego sets for resale. Basically anything Lego.”
The 2,500-square-foot store on Main will have a party room to accommodate about 15 guests. Families can stay or have events with a host. The room also can be a classroom for summer camps, robotics lessons, building sessions or small builds. There’s a racetrack and timer for guests who want to build LEGO racecars.
Growing business in Fort Mill
The Hipps moved to Tega Cay years ago, largely for the schools. Their children are now in their 20s and 30s. The Hipps moved to Rock Hill, but still have ties to Fort Mill.
They looked at about 20 locations before settling on the first one they’d seen, in downtown Fort Mill. Dave Hipp envisions future stores in the region, but first he’ll focus on connecting businesses on Main. He’s excited about Phat Burrito, a popular Charlotte spot that serves burritos, tacos, quesadillas and salads. There are established restaurants right beside him, too, like Hobo’s, Improper Pig and Fortes Mill Eatery.
Hipp wants to be part of a continued downtown revitalization. After a soft opening in early May, he’s planning a large grand opening mid-May with LEGO set and birthday party giveaways, games, activities and perhaps unique guests.
“Hopefully we’ll have long, long, long lines with a lot of people,” Hipp said, “that we can give a lot of stuff away.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
