"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 & Tie- Dye, 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 café 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.

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.

"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."

He added,

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."

The two business owners have continued working with one another in the last few years and thought a new pop-up would do well to bring people back to downtown Lorain. Szefcyk said Peace, Love & Tie-Dye brought the best business to Broadway Mary's and Brew & Stew since COVID-19 touched down locally.

Szefcyk added she was ready for the closing of her restaurant months ago from experience due to the Great Recession, in 2008. So, when COVID-19 affected businesses, they knew how to adapt, evolve, and operate during the closing by offering takeout, free meals, and collaborating with others. "Most of all, they had to remain positive," she said. "It helped everything keep going and keep spirits alive."

COVID-19 changed a number of people's lives and the operations of businesses. For example, Szefcyk said her whole business changed. Still, their creativity during those trying times brought more opportunities, such as their layered entity with Brew & Stew, which was originally located in another building on Broadway. She added that bringing the community together in a safe and positive way through Peace, Love & Tie-Dye is needed after communities were prohibited from these forms of activity.

Contreras said his pop-up shops are all about community.

He said he collaborates with many small business owners, especially in Lorain, because of that reason -- community.

he said.

Contreras has studio space on Broadway in the Black River Innovative Artists Residency (BRIAR) studios, where he can create more of his work through clothing or digital media at any time for himself and his brand for future customers.

To provide more sense of community and collaboration, Contreras wants to take his vintage pop-up sales mobile where he can travel and park with his products and take them to local fairs and markets to reach more customers.

he said.