A Bristol couple who own Dusty Dude Woodworks plan to open a unique business downtown: a one-stop marketplace featuring handmade products from various vendors and small events.

“Bristol Bazaar” will be housed in a 5,800-square-foot space downtown at 67 Race St. and will have a “Boston Commons kind of feel,” said Carolyn “Care” Verikas, who is opening the business with her husband, Eric Verikas.

“We want you to feel like you’re walking in a park in Boston,” Care Verikas said. “It’ll feel like you’re shopping outside in a lively bazaar.”

The Verikases own Dusty Dude Woodworks, a custom wood shop that makes furniture and lawn games and also sells the wares of 15 makers.

“My husband and I traveled out West before COVID. We saw the concept, and we loved it,” she said. “We knew we wanted to do it on the East Coast.”

They plan to open in early 2023 and are funding the project with $235,000 in American Rescue Plan grant money awarded to them by the city.

There will be brick tiles, turf, faux trees, Juliet balconies and an anchor eatery where folks can get coffee, tea, hot chocolate, alcohol and light food such as sandwiches, salads, pizzas and pastries, she said.

The bazaar will feature the works of some 40 makers and a centralized cash register so those who have made the products don’t need to be on site. Each item will have a bar code.

A rendering of Bristol Bazaar, which a local couple plan on bringing to Bristol. The couple, Eric and Carolyn "Care" Verikas, own Dusty Dude Woodworks.

The business proposal has gathered support among town officials.

“The Bristol Bazaar will be a welcome addition to downtown, as it will provide a unique retail and gathering space for the area,” said Justin Malley, Bristol’s executive director of Economic and Community Development. “The project will support makers and other businesses — many being introduced to Bristol for the first time — who may one day choose Bristol as their permanent retail home.”

The couple will receive the American Rescue Plan Act grant money over time toward the business and must meet strict standards, said Cindy Bombard, president and CEO of Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce and a member of Bristol’s ARPA Rescue Plan Task Force.

She said the bazaar will bring the community and entrepreneurs together, bring business downtown and create jobs. Another plus is the business will occupy an old manufacturing building.

Bombard, who was on the five-person committee reviewing business proposals, said it was a hard sell for the other four committee members — all men — before they came to understand the concept. Bombard said the city received about $63 million in ARPA money to be distributed to approved businesses, nonprofits and city departments.

A rendering of Bristol Bazaar, which a local couple plan on bringing to Bristol. The couple, Eric and Carolyn "Care" Verikas, own Dusty Dude Woodworks.

Bristol Bazaar will have three space options — table, cart or walk-in space like a little store that can be customized. The prices range from $15.77 a day to $34.62 and there is a minimum one-month commitment, and vendors don’t have to worry about constant setup, breakdown or weather, as they do selling items at flea markets or fairs, Care Verikas said.

She said rates for the makers are “reasonable and competitive,” and they already have more than 50 applicants, about 10 more than they can accommodate at once. They are still accepting applications.

The products offered will run the gamut, Verikas said, including artworks, crystals, candles, clothing and homemade dog cookies.

“We’re really flexible,” as long as the product is handmade, she said.

They also envision space for events such as paint-and-sip classes, candle making and more.

In addition to featuring handmade products, they will host education for clients on how to grow their businesses, including how to turn a side business into a full-time career, Care Verikas said, noting they started their woodworking business with nominal resources and no one to walk them through the process.

Care Verikas hopes the marketplace will contribute to the revitalization of downtown Bristol by attracting people to the area.

“It’s a new way for my husband and [me] to give back to the maker community,” she said. “Bristol is family.”

Bombard added that the Bristol Bazaar should be a “win-win” for the Verikas couple, the community and the makers and artisans it will serve.

“It’s a destination for families, groups, kids, creativity,” she said. “It will be a place to go, something to do.”

Bristol Bazaar will be open six days a week, Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, go to https://www.thebristolbazaar.com/.

This article is originally published on: https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-bristol-bazaar-new-open-marketplace-20221024-7tu4ojbxt5dlljly3tdy5pqo2m-story.html