What keeps Main Street going? Northport businesses are finding new ways to connect
A recent view of Main Street in Northport Village, where a large number of new businesses – with new strategies for success – are popping up, including Harbor Winds, a mahjong-focused store in the former Village Kitchen and Tile Expo space. More newcomers are expected in the former Northport Copy and Martoni Gourmet locations soon.
Walk down Main Street in Northport and it's easy to see that things are changing. Familiar businesses have moved on, new ones have taken their place, and others are in various stages of transition as new businesses prepare to open.
But a changing Main Street doesn’t necessarily mean a struggling one.
For the businesses that are making it work, having a good product or service is no longer enough on its own. With so much available online, store owners are finding ways to make the in-person experience worth choosing by hosting events, creating opportunities for customers to connect and collaborating with other local businesses.
A commercial real estate broker at Cow Harbor Realty and Main Street landlord who has helped bring numerous businesses into the Village, Jim Izzo said the way of thinking about small retail has changed.
“There has to be a shift from a shopkeeper mentality to more of an entrepreneurial mentality,” Izzo said. “You can’t just open your door from nine to five and expect to survive. You know those days are gone.” For Izzo, that means businesses need to think about more than what they’re selling. An online presence is important, but a physical storefront offers something a website can’t: an experience.
“With the people we’ve been working with on Main Street in Northport, everyone that’s successful has an experience component,” he said.
At Northport Books, that includes author events and book clubs. The bookstore recently partnered with the John W. Engeman Theater to launch From the Page to the Stage, a new literary series that will bring authors and other notable personalities to the theater for in-person conversations. For owner Jennifer McAuliffe, the collaboration is an opportunity to take the bookstore’s community-focused approach beyond its own walls.
That idea – businesses creating experiences and working together – is showing up in other corners of Main Street, too.
The Nest on Main has built its business around a similar idea, regularly hosting classes and workshops and welcoming pop-up vendors. The concept brings multiple local businesses and artisans together under one roof, giving customers something to do and discover while they’re there.
One of those pop-up vendors was The Village Cookie, a buzzing shop that opened in May. Owners Lorna and Philip Evangelista said the experience at The Nest helped give them the confidence to move forward with opening their own brick-and-mortar location on Main Street.
That connection is one example of how businesses can help create opportunities for one another rather than simply compete for customers.
Izzo pointed to The Wine Cellar on Main as another example. In addition to its regular business, owner Lindsay Ostrander hosts tastings and collaborates with other retailers, including inviting local businesses to showcase their products.
“There’s a cross collaboration,” Izzo said. “So you can't be independent anymore and survive.”
The Firefly Artists and Studio Kash have also made community engagement part of their businesses – hosting workshops, events and programs featuring local artists and artisans.
Moksha Cafe offers another example of that collaborative spirit. The cafe features local artists from Firefly, provides retail space for small vendors and sells cookies and sourdough bagels from Oh Crumbs, a local organic small-batch bakery. It also hosts events, such as painting classes, palm readings and live music, giving people another reason to stop in and stay awhile.
In a world where customers can order almost anything online, that face-to-face experience has become increasingly valuable.
Making Main Street a community
The collaboration doesn’t stop at events.
Many of the businesses on Main Street regularly donate products, gift cards and other items to local organizations, PTAs and charities. It’s a relationship that works both ways: local businesses support the community, and local residents support the businesses with their patronage and loyalty.
That sense of familiarity is part of what Izzo believes makes Northport’s Main Street different.
When he looks at potential new businesses for his landlords, he’s not only thinking about whether a business can succeed on its own, he said. He’s thinking about whether it will add something to the strip.
Keeping small businesses unique, and allowing space for businesses to complement one another, is a mix Izzo strives for – and believes is crucial to a successful Main Street, he said.
That mix is continuing to evolve.
One of the newest stores taking shape on Main Street is Harbor Winds, a mahjong-focused business that recently put up its awning at the former Village Kitchen and Tile Expo location. Izzo said the business will offer a new, interactive approach to the game while bringing something that hasn’t previously been offered on Main Street.
He noted that other unique concepts are in the works, including plans for the former Martoni Gourmet and Northport Copy spaces (Northport Copy has since relocated to Fort Salonga Road). The details can’t be revealed yet, but Izzo said both will bring something new to the Village.
The changes are happening alongside some familiar names and established businesses, creating a Main Street that continues to shift without losing its independent character.
Surviving more than the busy season
Of course, creating a good customer experience doesn't eliminate the financial challenges of running a small business. Northport’s summer season brings plenty of activity, but retailers also have to figure out how to make it through the quieter months.
“I know you have to survive January, February, March as a retailer,” Izzo said. “You got to, you know, squirrel away your nuts for the winter.”
The cost of getting into business has also increased, he said. Izzo estimates that rents for non-owner-occupied Main Street properties have roughly doubled since he started his real estate company 11 years ago.
Taxes, insurance and the funds needed to build out a space all add to the financial hurdle facing new business owners.
“The barrier is a little higher now,” he said.
Izzo wants to see the businesses he helps bring to Northport succeed, and looks for business owners with a plan, sufficient capital and a creative concept. “It sounds hokey, but it’s really nice to drive down the street and say, ‘I put that guy in business. I put that guy in business. We helped them,’” he said.
A changing Main Street
There are currently more storefronts in transition than Northport typically sees, Izzo said, but he doesn’t necessarily view that as a sign of trouble. He compared it to a neighborhood where families eventually move on and new ones take their place.
“It’s almost like a residential area, where you know the families age out and the owners scale back,” he said. “And you get a changing of the guard in the neighborhood. It happens too with retail and office space.”
The challenge is making sure the businesses that come next can adapt to the way people shop now. For Izzo, that means businesses need to be willing to change with their customers and recognize that being part of Main Street means being part of something larger than a single storefront.
“The world changes, and you’ve got to change with it,” he said.
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