Tag: manatee county

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Businesses in downtown Bradenton are getting into the Christmas spirit, hoping seasonal events will bring in more customers after what they say has been a slow couple of months for sales.

Finding beauty in vintage items is an art to Carolyn Nees.

She is the owner of The Vintage Vine Market in Bradenton. The store opened in 2023 in Bradenton’s historic district.

But recently, she said business has been slow.

“You know, we’re probably year-over-year off about 25%,” she said.

She hopes to see a bump in sales by participating in local events like the “Holiday Shop Crawl.” Its purpose is to encourage people to buy local at 13 vendor shops in Manatee County.

“We’re hoping to, kind of as a community, as colleagues, try to introduce each other’s customers and cross-shop,” she explained.

Dan Yonko with the Manatee Chamber of Commerce spoke about how local events help bring people into businesses, and he explained some reasons why shops might be experiencing a dip in foot traffic.

“I think people are just — there’s a lot of uncertainty with the economy and, you know, just coming out of the government shutdown. So I think now that the government’s reopened, people are going to have a little bit more sense of security,” he said.

Yonko said they’re also seeing shops get creative.

“A lot of people are doing bundles and specials. One of the things we at the chamber do is help promote local businesses. Small businesses are the heart of our community,” he said.

For Nees, her biggest challenges came after last year’s hurricanes.

“This has been a difficult season for the community. And we recognize that our customers are going through some difficulties as well,” she said.

News hopes the local events this holiday season help her bounce back — and with community support, downtown businesses will benefit.

The Holiday Shop Crawl event will be going on until Dec. 15. If customers visit all 13 retailers, they’ll be eligible to win a prize.

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A recently completed Manatee County project is expected to bring in up to $40 million a year to the local economy.

A two-year, $54 million improvement project at the Bradenton Area Convention Center significantly expanded the facility.

Business owners like James Schumacher hope the project brings an increase in foot traffic to his location.

“It’s all made in house,” he said of Papa’s Pizzeria, which he has owned and operated in Palmetto for two years. Everyone calls him Papa Jimmy.

“I like being around people,” Schumacher said. “I used to be in the mortgage business, and I used to be in the restaurant business years before that. And I like the restaurant business.”

Now his main goal is trying to grow his customer base and eventually expand his business. One possible path to seeing more people buy his pizzas is through an increase in foot traffic from events held at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, located less than two miles from the pizzeria.

“From the gun shows to the Comic-Con and all these different things that they’ve got going on over there, they are popping in here,” he explained.

The convention center just completed a capital improvement project, adding 30,000 square feet of space to the building, including a grand ballroom, breakout rooms, meeting rooms and other additions.

Elliott Falcione, the executive director for the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, explained how this addition to the convention center will help.

The first event at the Bradenton Area Convention Center will be this Wednesday. It will host the Florida Sports Foundation Hall of Fame ceremony. (Spectrum News/Julia Hazel)

“We needed that second mass assembly room. That is needed to be able to bring in conventions to our community. So we’re at a 95,000-square-foot convention center. That is the biggest from Saint Petersburg to Naples,” he said.

He said the convention center is expected to significantly contribute to the local economy.

“(By) 2027 mid and beyond, this facility should be stimulating the economy by $30 to $40 million a year,” he said. “As you know, Bradenton and Palmetto are going through an extensive redevelopment process. You need assets like this to feed the small business community 12 months a year.”

The expanded convention center provides a new platform for the community — one that business owners hope will help them grow.

The first event at the Bradenton Area Convention Center will be this Wednesday. It will host the Florida Sports Foundation Hall of Fame ceremony.

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Weddings are meant to be a day to remember.

But more couples are making sure that big expenses aren’t part of the memory.

Smaller weddings became more frequent starting with the pandemic — but years later, the trend is continuing.

Being busy isn’t just a choice for Karen Riley-Love, who owns AMI Beach Weddings. It’s a lifestyle.

“That’s beautiful,” she said while looking at flower arrangements and preparing for three weddings.

Over the past year, she said most of the weddings she has booked have been small weddings.

“Part of it is, you know, the economy,” Riley-Love said. “People have less money to spend on weddings.”

The smallest package she provides is called the “Love Story Mini Wedding.”

She says it works for up to 20 guests and costs $2,800.

“That sweet spot — really around 20 to 30 guests — has increased by at least 30%, and my 50-guest weddings have come down probably by about 15%,” Riley-Love said.

Her Anna Maria Island business has taken a hit — not just because of last year’s hurricanes, but also due to the trend of smaller weddings.

She said her profits are down 7% year-to-date, although recently there has been reason for optimism.

“But this October has been my busiest October I’ve ever had. So we’re seeing it come back — I’m definitely seeing the markets are changing.”

According to The Wedding Report, the average cost of a wedding last year was more than $31,000 — an increase of 4.2% over 2023.

Other businesses that serve weddings, like Flowers by Edie, have also noticed an increase in smaller requests.

Riley-Love said if this trend of smaller weddings continues, she might need to change her business model.

“I do have concerns that I may have to raise prices on the packaging,” she said.

She cares about turning a couple’s vision for their perfect day into reality.

“It’s more important to me to have high-quality elements — those perfect pieces,” she said.

Because Riley-Love believes every wedding should be special.