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Opening next door to national chains at the approximately $350 million Liberty Center development are locally-owned businesses hoping to get more exposure at the high-profile Liberty Twp. site.
The grand opening for Liberty Center's first phase, consisting of over 1 million-square-feet of shopping, dining, office and residential space spread over about 65 acres, begins Thursday and continues all weekend. While a majority of first phase tenants open Thursday, more openings are planned throughout the fall and into January, Liberty Center General Manager Kevin Cedik has previously said.
Anchor tenants Dick’s Sporting Goods and Dillard’s department store are now open.
“The exposure for any business there is going to be great,” said Mike Folchi, whose family owns Folchi’s Fine Men’s Apparel and Formal Wear, which will open a Liberty Center store.
Estimates are for the center’s retailers, restaurants and other businesses to create approximately 3,500 new jobs by 2018, according to Liberty Twp. It is believed to be one of the largest developments in Butler County history.
Visitors interested in buying chocolate and desserts, gift items and jewelry, or those needing outfitted for a special event can still shop local at Liberty Center by patronizing the following Greater Cincinnati-based businesses opening doors at the new destination.
RUBY’S CHOCOLATES
Shoppers of Jungle Jim’s International Market and Dorothy Lane Market might already be familiar with this local business. Currently, Ruby’s Chocolates sells gourmet desserts such as truffle cakes on the shelves of the specialty grocery stores, but soon the operation’s Fairfield Twp. warehouse will start producing black raspberry, peanut butter and other truffle cake flavors at its first storefront opening Thursday at Liberty Center, said Owner Melinda Mueller. She also supplies weddings and special events.
“I wanted to make it look great but taste great too,” Mueller said.
Ruby’s Chocolates, named after Mueller’s grandmother, has been selling products wholesale since 2008. But the family business — Mueller’s son Sina Danesh will run the Liberty Center store — is making the leap to retail.
Chocolate covered coffee beans; truffle cakes, which are small chocolate-covered cakes filled sometimes with a ganache center; buckeyes with almond butter and other specialty nut cores; a Squeal Appeal product line including caramel-drizzled and chocolate-coated bacon; and more will be for sale at Ruby’s Chocolates’ Foundry location at Liberty Center. The Foundry is the site’s enclosed mall.
Ruby's Chocolates' hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays to Saturdays; and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. For more information, go online to www.rubyschocolates.com.
SMARI DESIGNS
After getting her start hand-making jewelry from her dining room table, Marianne Dunham is now celebrating about five years in business at sMari Designs in The Streets of West Chester. The jewelry and gift shop now sells Dunham’s jewelry creations as well as other accessories, home décor and gift items, including Cincinnati-themed pieces.
Dunham is ready to make the short move to neighboring Liberty Twp. where she’ll compete with other nationally-known retailers off Gibson Street in the Liberty Center development.
“The traffic’s going to be huge up there,” Dunham said. “(West Chester) was a great start for us, we have a great clientele, but I just wanted to get the next step going.”
“We just want to be in the limelight with everybody else,” she said.
sMari Designs will open at Liberty Center in mid-November where Dunham hopes to expand the jewelry collections for sale, she said. Hours are expected to be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. For more information, go online to www.smaridesigns.com or call 513-777-6274.
“We have a great following because there’s not many gift shops anymore,” Dunham said.
FOLCHI’S FORMAL WEAR
After about 10 years in the northern Cincinnati market, family-owned Folchi’s Formal Wear will relocate its West Chester Twp. store, currently located in the Voice of America Shopping Center, about a mile away to Liberty Center, said owner Mike Folchi. He anticipates opening at Liberty Center before Thanksgiving, but will not be part of this week’s grand opening.
Folchi’s was founded by Mike’s father in 1973 and has three Greater Cincinnati locations: Kenwood Towne Centre, Anderson Towne Center and soon-to-be Liberty Center. The store specializes in men’s tuxedo rentals, suit sales and menswear, Folchi said.
“We felt this was a good opportunity for us to get better exposure mainly for our clothing end,” Folchi said.
Even though Folchi’s is best known for its tuxedos, the owners hope the Liberty Center site will boost awareness of its menswear clothing line including brands such as vineyard vines, Southern Tide and johnnie-O, he said.
“If you’re looking for menswear, we’ll be a place to shop,” he said. “I think we’re unmatched in the city.”
The second generation family business is co-owned and operated with Mark Folchi and Marisa Folchi-Strickland.
OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES TO WATCH
Graeter’s Ice Cream may have multi-state distribution, but the maker of one of America’s “Top 5” best ice creams is Cincinnati based and will also be part of the locally-owned lineup to debut at Liberty Center.
Graeter's already has a nearby West Chester Twp. eatery, but the dessert chain couldn't pass up the opportunity to open a location that would attract dinner and movie-goers, Chip Graeter, one of the family owners and chief of retail operations, previously told Journal-News. The West Chester store is a full-service location with a bakery and candy line, but Liberty Center will be a smaller scoop shop, Graeter said.
Cincinnati’s Rookwood Pottery Co. will expand to Butler County with a Liberty Center showroom, according to Liberty Center developers Steiner + Associates and Bucksbaum Retail Properties.
Celebrate Local, which first opened in 2011 at Easton Town Center in the Columbus area, sells products and services made by small business vendors. Liberty Center is Celebrate Local's second location. It mainly sells only Ohio-made art, apparel, wine, beer, food and more, but vendor applications were accepted from throughout the Tristate for the new Cincinnati-area store opening Thursday, Heidi Maybruck, president and co-founder of Celebrate Local Enterprises Inc., previously-told Journal-News.
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