A glum end to a KickStart winner
While getting a rent-free space might sounds like the perfect gig, Sweet Simpliciteas couldn’t make the KickStart winnings work. The last week of September the tea shop closed its doors on Third Street. “It’s really difficult, but I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel,” owner Aisha Echols told Columbus Business First. The tea shop was given a rent-free space, but the lack of foot traffic eventually crippled the brick and morter business and Echols has gone back to selling the teas whole sale. Economic and Community Development Institute who picks the candidate for the free space might work on finding a better location. “It’s absolutely our job to get her back to that place where she knows she can at least have a profitable (operation),” ECDI President Steve Fireman said, according to the paper.
Previously June 12, 2014
A different kind of sweet tea, opening Friday
Sweet Simpliciteas will celebrate their grand opening Friday and Saturday in their new digs downtown likely making them the envy of business owners across the city (especially downtown), because Sweet Simpliciteas isn’t paying for the prime real estate. The shop won the space through KickStart and will enjoy the luxuries of a rent free store for the next year. The speciality sweet teas aren’t the deep south kind, but gourmet dessert teas, and owner Aisha Echols plans to kick off the opening with a two day event with free samples, prizes and specials on the drinks. Among the drink menu, Sweet Simpliciteas will also serve goods from The Angry Baker.
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