Norwich โฃPlaza Businesses Celebrate Resilience โahead of Small Business saturday
Norwich, CT – Just months after recovering from important flooding, businesses โin a Norwich plaza are looking forward โto a bustling Small Business Saturday, showcasing the community’s strengthโค and renewed spirit. The plaza, impacted by overflowing waters from the Yantic River in January of โคlastโค year, is now fully occupiedโ and thriving, according to business owners.
Erica Sullivan, owner of Smallโฃ Potatoes gift shop, highlighted the unique offerings available. “Everything is unique. There’s something for everybody,” she said. Sullivanโ expressed โpride in theโ plaza’sโ full occupancy, noting, “To see us all thriving here, it’s โคbrought โit back for โa lot of people.”
The January flood forced businesses to close for โa month for cleanup and repairs. However, Sullivan views the disruption as โขa catalyst for โคgrowth. “it all gave us an possibility to kind of re-evaluate and dig in into our businesses,” she explained.
The Norwich Community Development Corporationโ played โขa crucial role in the recovery, providing funds to help โbusinesses weather the temporary closureโ and minimize revenue loss. Mary Riley, Community Manager for the NCDC, emphasized the positive outcome. โข”The flood really helped โpeople connect and really showed Norwich as a cityโ as aโข resilient one and a great business community to be a part of,” she said.
New to the plaza is Aerial Arts Fitness, which opened approximately one month ago. Manager Sarah Luiz described theโ studio’s offerings: โข”We do bungee fitness. We do hammocks, weโ do lyra, we do aerial silks.” Sheโ cited ample parkingโ and โspace as key factors in choosing the โฃlocation,โฃ and noted proactive steps taken to prevent futureโฃ damage. “They raised โup some of the outlets. They changed some stuff around โฃto make sure when โthat happens,โ we have the minimal risk for our business,” โLuiz said, referring to work doneโ by their contractor.
Sullivan reassured shoppers thatโ supporting local businesses isโฃ a safe bet this holiday season. “Small Business Saturday โขfor โus is a chance to โbe a team and to do things for each other,” she said. Aerial Arts Fitness will celebrate its grand opening in conjunction with Small Business Saturday โฃevents.