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07/11/2017 05:30 PMSomething new is coming to the red, barn-like building at 56 Middlesex Turnpike in Chester that formerly housed an organic market and before that a bike shop. Chester’s Finders Marketplace will host artists, artisans, and vendors selling a range of goods from essential oils to antiques and repurposed furniture, and more.
The Finders Marketplace is the brainchild of Carla Marino, who also owns 4 Water Street Salon in Chester. There is space for 14 vendors, who will occupy their space in the store for anywhere from six months to a year, or longer.
“I’m passionate about people being able to express themselves,” said Marino. “It’s the opportunity to create within a space that is not too expensive.
“There is a beautiful commercial kitchen, too, and we’re going to have a smoothie bar on the weekend, as well as getting a prepared foods vendor in there,” said Marino. “It’s a huge space that needs to be oiled up and running.”
Marino hopes to use the walls as a space where local artists can show and sell their artwork. There is also the potential to have outdoor booths on the weekends.
“I’m forever dreaming. I have a lot of creative energy,” said Marino. “Chester is a really quaint town. People are drawn to it, they like to wander and poke around. There isn’t anything like this from Middletown to Old Saybrook.”
The idea for the marketplace came about when Marino was at her salon speaking about the empty building to a client, who just happened to own it. Yuko Hashimoto-Kehayias and her husband Peter Kehayias used to run the Organon Market in this building, but it had been vacant for three years. They loved the idea, and Marino ran with it.
“I’m excited to see the hustle, people in there, the building open again,” said Kehayias. “It’s exciting for the town—the building isn’t sitting idle any longer.
“Carla’s doing an excellent job. There’s a nice mixture of different items, and we’re working on getting the kitchen going for to-go items. It’s just going to grow and become more a part of the town,” continued Kehayias.
Tanya Bourgoin will be one of the inaugural vendors with a stall called Wild Hickory. Though now from East Haddam, Bourgoin grew up in Chester and Killingworth, and knows the area well.
“I’ve driven past this building in all of its forms and enjoyed coming here when it was Organon. I saw the sign, called Carla, told her a bit about what I do, and she welcomed me with opened arms,” said Bourgoin. “I repurpose things...I don’t like to see anything that still has a use wind up in a landfill.”
For Bourgoin, repurposing means taking something that has outlived its intended use and giving it new life as something else.
“The family joke is that I will repurpose anything into a planter,” said Bourgoin. “Right now, I’m working on a chalkboard end table, turning a snare drum into a light-up coffee table, and some things using ceramic mosaics from broken tile pieces.
“Carla’s got a great vision,” added Bourgoin. “When we’re all full, everyone’s booth will have a similar but different vibe. I’m excited. It’s going to be a really nice place to shop.”
Doreen Dominick’s Necessary Indulgences stall features women’s fashions, accessories, jewelry, and beauty items. She also sells at craft shows and fairs.
“I’ve been doing this for nine years,” said Dominick. “I love Chester. It’s a fun town, quaint and very New England. It’s an up and coming thing, these pop-up shops, and it’s a great space to bring unique vendors under one roof.
“We all promote each, it’s really nice and will bring that much more to Chester,” added Dominick.
“It’s like a little —you don’t know what you’re going to find. It’s not retail,” said Marino. “People find things, make something new from it, give it new life. It’s directly across from Main Street and off of a state road. Some people don’t even know Chester exists. We want to bring them in and direct people there.
“For this building to sit here and not come alive was crazy,” continued Marino. “So many people have this energy inside them. It’s so cool to have it come out.”
Chester’s Finders Marketplace will have a soft opening on Saturday, July 15 with a grand opening to be determined in early August. It will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.