REFUGIO, Texas — On 201 N. Alamo St. in Refugio, you will see a two story house that was once left unoccupied after Hurricane Harvey hit over four years ago.
Small-business owner Dorey Williams said had several booths at Full Circle Village in Beeville, where she sold antiques. She decided to purchase the property on Alamo Street, with big plans to bring the shop closer to home.
March 29 is National Mom-and-Pop Business Owners Day, dedicated to honoring small business owners across the United States.
According to the Small Business Administration, there are three million small businesses in Texas with 99 percent of those businesses being Texas-owned.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports Nueces County is home to just over 30,000 small businesses. But many more exist in the Coastal Bend, and the ones like Williams are investing in themselves.
Williams said every penny toward turning the once abandoned home into the Alamo Street Marketplace was worth it.
“This is the perfect place," Williams said. "It is right on the highway. I can get lots of highway traffic."
The marketplace has 11 vendors, all located in a prime location.
Williams said she opened her doors to other small-business owners in December 2021, giving them a chance to sell all sorts of items such as furniture and other collectible goods.
“We have antique pieces, we have new pieces, vintage, collectibles, a little bit of everything," said Williams.
And it's a hit with customers.
“It’s a cool place — it's the first time we have been here," said Marcus Cove, who was shopping around. "So I thought we would stop by and look around and see. A lot of neat stuff and cool place."
Fabric Moose owner Kristin McGee said Williams' efforts to provide a home for local vendors is amazing.
“I was a web-based business, and it gave me the opportunity to have a storefront and teach a craft that I love, which is sewing and quilting," McGee said.
With a little paint and love, Williams turned the abandoned eyesore into a one-stop shop for visitors to support local vendors.
“Just a variety of items where people don’t have to leave town to go shopping you know in Corpus, Victoria or wherever," said Williams.
The Alamo Street Marketplace is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For a list of vendors click here.
On April 2, The Alamo Street Marketplace will be hosting outdoor market days. It will be a chance for vendors to set up and sell their items.
If you are interested in renting a space, the set up will cost $25. The event starts at 9 a.m. and will end at 5 p.m.
