FOOD & MORE
Peace, Love, & Tie-Dye, A Collaboration of Minds By A Lorain Local
In times of uncertainty and confusion, denim, signature drinks, burgers, and more brought some color to life during Peace, Love & TieDye, a clothing event at Broadway Mary's and Brew & Stew. The event featured a vintage clothing sale of denim shorts, T-shirts, hats, and other items that were dripped in tie-dye by Lorain native and entrepreneur, Reinaldo Contreras III, and his team of friends and family. Meanwhile, the newer downtown Lorain burger joint and cafĂŠ had some customers stopping by for Broadway Mary's signature burgers and a featured tie-dyed smoothie for the day's event while shopping for vintage tie-dyed pieces.
Photos provided by Reinaldo Contreras III
Peace, Love & Tie-Dye followed a few weeks after Ohio restaurants reopened to customers due to COVID-19. Like the great number of restaurants affected, this included welcoming back customers to dine inside of Broadway Mary's and Brew & Stew, in particular, after months of purchasing their meals by takeout only.
Contreras, 23, said he created the Peace, Love & Tie-Dye theme of his pop-up shop business, also known as Relic Clothing 3, for the exact reason of bringing peace, love, positivity, and color to a community and its businesses that were affected by COVID-19.
"The purpose is to bring some peace back to Broadway." "All of these businesses thought they would be getting ready for a great summer gig before COVID, but it turned it around," he said. "I know I can contribute in the community in some way, whether that's tie-dying old vintage clothes or taking photos or videos." l a c ol ni a r ol e h t @ | m o c .l a c ol ni a r ol
He added, "It feels good to be able to feel welcomed by other business owners." Contreras has collaborated with numerous business owners in Lorain and Cuyahoga Counties to offer his vintage clothing items and merchandise. In fact, this was not his first time working with Broadway Mary's and Brew & Stew Owner, Mary Szefcyk. Szefcyk noticed Contreras a few years ago and that he was a small business. She wanted to give him a spot to do a pop-up shop to sell his work on a small business Saturday in downtown. "It just worked out really well because I love cross-marketing," Szefcyk said. "It works out for the both of us."
Lorain Local Magazine | page 18
