3 Local Businesses Open Through Wakefield Initiative

WAKEFIELD, MA — Three local entrepreneurs have opened temporary storefronts in Wakefield as part of a town program aimed at supporting small businesses and revitalizing vacant retail space.

Wicks Please, Secret Stash Sweets, and Oolie Boolie Baubles are the first participants in Project Pop-Up, an initiative by the town’s Community and Economic Development Department and Economic Development Council. The businesses are located at 243 North Ave.

The program gives small business owners a chance to test a brick-and-mortar model at a reduced cost while receiving access to town resources. The town hopes the effort will bring new energy to an underused property and draw more foot traffic to the area.

“These are all Wakefield-based companies that residents may recognize from local craft fairs and markets,” Planning and Community Development Director Erin Kokinda said in a statement. “This program provides them an opportunity to explore a retail space and reach a wider audience.”

The pop-up store will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended hours expected during the holidays. The first season of the project runs through February, with two additional rounds planned over the next year.

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