How The Nest On Main Has Made Roost In Northport

NORTHPORT, NY — When Donna Moschella first started building the Nest on Main in November 2017, she had a crew of 10 or so artisans and vendors to sell wares with. Fast-forward just over four years later, and the flock has grown to more than 70, bringing to life Moschella's vision she had when she was inspired by the renowned Chelsea Market.

"It’s almost like ‘Field of Dreams’ where ‘if you build it they will come,’" Moschella, 61, of Northport, told Patch. "So many of the people who are part of our Nest family have heard about Nest through other makers or artisans or social media. That’s how we’ve grown."

Nest on Main, a 3,200-square-foot marketplace at 135 Main St., is a nest of small businesses, Moschella said. Thanks to a cornucopia of merchants, the market sells home decor, jewelry, grab-and-go food, antiques, painted pieces, American-made furniture, home decor accents, interior design services, skincare, bath-and-body, pottery, flowers, hand-knit blankets, and more. The vast majority of businesses of Nest are women-owned.

The shop also offers classes and workshops that are taught by the many merchants who call Nest on Main home. Moschella also encourages small businesses to reach out to her if they are interested in doing a pop-up shop at Nest on Main; as long as their products don't compete with her in-store vendors.

The original concept of Nest on Main was a wing and a prayer, Moschella said. She never could have imagined what has since been built from it.

"I had this idea, but to see it come to fruition, and the way that it has evolved and morphed over the four years, especially having to go through COVID and being closed for a little while and coming back and still being here and thriving, it’s really a testament to all the people who make it happen every day here," Moschella said.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Nest on Main, like many other businesses, had to shut its doors to in-person shopping from mid-March to mid-June. With a website that was built more for letting customers know about the shop's services rather than online shopping, things were difficult for Moschella and her team of "Nesters."

“I was absolutely terrified," Moschella said of the coronavirus's impact on her business.

To navigate COVID-19, Nest on Main began offering curbside pickup and free local delivery.

Moschella believes the pandemic made people aware of how important small businesses are to communities.

"I think it was a wake-up call for a lot of people," she said. "Shopping on Amazon is great, but you need to have your community places thriving. We make up the community."

Moschella had her own medical billing business for 18 years before she realized she had enough of the field. But she wasn't quite ready to retire. She wanted to found a new venture where her creative juices could flow freely.

Her friends encouraged her to try to open a consignment store, but Moschella had a larger vision: a marketplace. Moschella, at the time, was a board member of the Northport Historical Society. Her fellow board members and villagers volunteered to help her build Nest on Main when she came up with the idea.

"It was so serendipitous that everybody came together," she said. "I say this sincerely: I don’t think I could have done this in any place but Northport."

A few years later, Nest on Main has been built into a one-stop-shop for the home goods consumer.

"It’s been an interesting ride, and I certainly learned a lot," Moschella said.