A micro experiment continues: Retail incubator spaces welcome new tenants

BY RADONNA FIORINI

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV AND PROVIDED

It’s been a little more than a year since the City of Lafayette first rented out the micro-retail incubator spaces at 619 Columbia Street in the Public Safety Center. A fashion designer and collectibles shop now occupy the two 306-square-foot spaces, and one of the first renters has moved to a downtown building six times bigger.

Lafayette’s Economic Development Director Dennis Carson calls that a success.

“It’s going really well, as far as I’m concerned,” Carson says. “We’ll continue doing this.”

The business incubator space contains two identical rooms that feature big windows and cement floors joined by a hallway with a restroom. It can be occupied by one or two businesses on a three-to-12month lease at an affordable rate that includes internet service and utilities. Almost any retail establishment could use the space except food service. The goal is to provide a small business space to try running a brick-and-mortar store without buying property or signing a long-term lease.

The concept helped Emily Colombo launch her local shop, A Pinch of Pepper and Spicery, in November 2023 as the first renter. She began curating and selling spices and tea online in the spring of ’23 and then took advantage of the micro-retail space to see if the business could be successful on the ground.

“(The space) definitely reduced the barrier to entry,” Colombo says. “I wouldn’t have started a brick- and-mortar this soon in my journey without it. I was happy to be the guinea pig.”

Colombo moved Pinch of Pepper to 101 North Sixth Street after the micro-retail lease ended and opened the new shop February 1. The shop jumped in size from about 300 square feet to 1,800 square feet with 1,100 square feet of retail space. She has increased her inventory, has room to store product and has an event room for cooking classes.

And her rent is more than five times higher than at the micro-retail space. While Colombo knew there would be some sticker shock when entering the downtown retail market, she was surprised that the city didn’t offer more training and support in transitioning to a bigger space.

“No matter what, the jump was going to be very stark, but there wasn’t really a bridge,” she says.

“Yes, it was a great opportunity but there’s a lot more to running a business than just the space. This is such a unique and innovative program and there could have been more support.”

Carson acknowledges there was a learning curve for everyone in opening the retail incubator space. He recognizes the challenges Colombo faced in moving to a more permanent location, while also being realistic about the city’s capacity to help.

“We might be able to help someone identify spaces available downtown,” if the business wants to stay in that area, he says. “But for other kinds of support, I would refer them elsewhere.”

Carson is pleased to see a burgeoning cooperation between business-related groups dedicated to attracting and helping retail owners succeed. The MatchBOX Co-Working Studio offers a business accelerator program that has courses and support for those starting out. Others, such as the Downtown Retailers Association and Greater Lafayette Commerce, are joining forces to encourage entrepreneurship in the city’s center, he says.

“It’s an evolution as we move along in time,” Carson says. “There are more programs coming online and more cooperation to support small business.”

And while Carson is not ready to reveal details, he says officials are considering creating another retail incubator in downtown Lafayette.

After having made the move, Colombo is pleased that the relocated Pinch of Pepper receives a lot more foot traffic. She already has hosted pasta-making and sourdough bread classes in her event room. One of her dreams is to begin hosting a Sunday supper club, collaborating with local caterers and inviting the community in. Her event room also is for rent to the public.

Sarah Harmon is a regular Pinch of Pepper customer who finds the new location makes it easy to stop in when she makes a farmers market run.

“I’m there at least once a month, but more frequently now that we head to the farmers market on Saturday mornings,” Harmon says.

“I love the new location! So much more room to take in all the fun product lines she carries, and there’s still room to grow, too. I think her community room is going to be such a gem and great addition to downtown as folks start to discover the space.”

Colombo has expanded her retail offerings and now has spices, dried beans and pasta, tinned fish, hot sauce, oils and vinegars, and lots of tea brands in both loose leaf and bagged. In keeping with her desire to be environmentally aware and health conscience, all tea bags are free of micro-plastics.

Because of Colombo’s collaborative spirit and desire to bring the community together, the shop features succulents for sale from a Lafayette grower, and you can often find other products from local retailers.

“I’m still in the early stages of what I want to do,” she says. “I want this to be a community gathering place where I can make a difference.”

The Retro Room

Back at the Columbia Street incubator space, the east side originally was rented by a vintage clothing store, Arondite Vintage, and owner Ella Seet still has some of her clothing and accessories at a couple of downtown shops and in Indianapolis.

Now occupying that space is a collectibles store called The Retro Room. Owners Steve and Mary Hinckley opened the shop on weekends in midJune and offer lots of vintage toys and collectible pop culture items from the 1980s and ʼ90s.

For about 25 years, the couple has been collecting toys, dolls, games and other items from the eras of their youth, says Steve Hinckley. They exhibited their collection at pop culture conventions and then opened booths in antique malls and pop-up markets as the number of vintage items grew.

“There are a lot of memories tied up in these things,” he says. “We enjoy the youthfulness of it and there is a real community around these collectibles. People kept asking where our shop was, and now we have a location to give them.”

While the focus of the store is on toys, the shop will sometimes feature other items such as books and vintage clothing that help create a time capsule from 30 and 40 years ago.

Iván Delfín LLC

And on the west side of the incubator space fashion designer Iván Delfín is busy making the little shop his own for the next year, setting up mannequins dressed in custom gowns and decorating the room in rich colors and Swarovski crystal lights.

Delfín lives in Indianapolis with his husband, Steven Flowers, and has a small workspace in their home. But Flowers, executive director of the Greater Lafayette Family Shelter, works in Lafayette and the couple wanted to be able to meet for lunch and spend more time together. So Delfín began looking for an affordable space to rent locally where he could sew and meet with clients for fittings and consultations.

“I appreciate this space, and I waited a year to get in here,” says Delfín. “It’s a good program to help a small business get started.”

Delfín also appreciates Lafayette’s small town feel after living for many years in large metropolitan areas. Although he was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, his parents also owned a home in southern California, so he lived in, and learned from, both cultures.

He says he knew very early on he wanted a career in fashion and started modeling, but he soon realized his favorite spot was behind the curtains. He earned a fashion design degree from University of the Californias International in Tijuana and scored an internship with a famous fashion house in Guadalajara, Mexico. He also worked there for a bit, learning many tricks of the trade.

Delfín then opened his own business designing and sewing wedding gowns and Quinceanera dresses for teen girls in the Hispanic tradition of celebrating their 15th birthday with a coming-of-age party. Business grew as many of the girls also hired him to create dresses for prom and eventually their wedding, and he hired five people to work in his studio.

He moved to Seattle in 2019 and hosted three runway shows, deciding to stay in the U.S. when the pandemic hit. His custom gowns, pant suits and party dresses were featured in a 2023 edition of Seattle Fashion Collective magazine, and he has continued to create since meeting Flowers, marrying, and moving to Indiana.

“It’s harder to find this kind of business in the U.S.,” Delfín says.

“There are lots more celebrations in Mexico that women have a custom gown made for. My customer is the woman who can’t find the quality and fit she wants in a store.”

And while Delfín recognizes that custom clothing is expensive, he contends that the finished product is worth the price.

“So much of the clothing (in top department stores) is low quality with cheap fabric,” he says.

“Women pay a lot for a dress and then discover it doesn’t fit them well or the lining is uneven, so they have it altered.”

By the time the process is finished, they’ve paid almost as much as they would have for a custom dress, designed to fit their body and their personality, he says.

Delfín is choosy about the fabrics he uses, often buying from importers in Los Angeles. The fabrics must be comfortable, breathable, soft and beautiful so the wearer can forget about the dress and move with confidence into any celebration, he says. He loves working in monochromatic colors, adding special touches that reveal the personality of the wearer and focus on movement and elegance.

After Delfín creates a gown, the owner can bring it back and he will deconstruct it and use the fabric to make a new piece for them, or he’s happy to buy the gown back and then rent it to someone else.

“Every woman should treat herself to at least one custom gown,” he says. “If you know of a special event coming up, just prepare in advance and save up to have the gown made. Clothes can help you free yourself and feel confident.”

Delfín takes care of each step of the process, from talking with a customer to discover their personality and hopes for the dress, to measuring and creating a pattern, to sewing and altering the gown for a perfect fit. And he will work within your budget, choosing less expensive fabrics if necessary. Much of his work is in alterations out of necessity, although designing and constructing a piece of clothing is the best part of his craft, he says.

Delfín is passionate and committed to helping people feel confident and comfortable in their clothing, so much so he is happy to consult with anyone who is unsure about their style or body type and will even advise them where to buy something off the rack if they don’t want to go the custom route.

“Find your personality, find your style and find yourself in your closet!” he says. ★

You can find Iván Delfín by making an appointment through his website, ivandelfinfashion.com, or calling or texting 206-550-6972.