Marketplace at Copps Hill on the Rise

When Quilter's Alley moves from Main Street to the space on Danbury Road being vacated by Ironwood Gallery after this month, it will join a growing group of local businesses at the newly-created Marketplace at Copps Hill.

"The new location will be a more visible spot with more people passing by," store co-owner Roxanne Lasky said.

The Marketplace, formerly Copps Hill Commons, is a concept that centers on a supportive and intimate community of independent small business owners, built around food, with an ability to cross market. Monica Brown, owner of 109 Cheese & Wine, which opened there three months ago, credits the leadership of landlord and property developer Steve Zemo for the location's success.

"Believe it or not, this is the 25th anniversary of Copps Hill Commons," said Zemo, of the marketplace's 103-105-109 Danbury Road location. "It was an opportunity to rethink it ... I was trying to come up with more Internet-immune businesses, and food rose to the top," he said.

For the holiday season, Zemo held a holiday raffle, offering $500 good at any of the Marketplace stores. He is also in the process of creating a market-wide mailing list to promote stores and announce the events they plan to collaborate on throughout next year.

"I am very fortunate to have a great group of entrepreneurial folks with lots of energy," Zemo said.

And the simple concept of offering good food and service at a convenient location has done more than satisfy local palates. With both new ventures like 109 Cheese and relocating standbys like Quilter's Alley moving into the European-style marketplace alcove in front of Kohl's, business is booming and employees are in demand.

Ross' Bakery alone employs 10 full-time employees and utilizes local products and services to run the thriving business.

"I started out with three employees, including myself," said Ross' owner and baker, Ridgefield resident Ross Schneiderman. "I had to expand my kitchen just weeks after opening to keep up with the unexpected demand."

"The fact that I have 10 full-timers is every bit as important as the bread that's being served here," Schneiderman said. "I even got a small business loan from Ridgefield Bank. I kept everything local, which benefits everyone."

Along with Ross' and 109 Cheese & Wine, the Marketplace's food offerings include the delicacies at Ridgefield Organics & Specialty Market and two eateries, Insieme Ristorante and The Cutting Board Cafe.

Douglas Hutton, owner of Hutton's Fine Menswear, next to Ridgefield Organics, said that Zemo has done a "remarkable" job reimagining the area. His store is a four-year veteran tenant at the Copps Hill location.

"The advent of the 'food people' has been good for my business," Hutton said. In addition to Hutton's store, other non-food shops include INK Fine Stationers, which opened its doors in recent months.

Marketplace business owners are proud of their up-and-coming locale, but many admit that they researched downtown locations first before settling there. Hutton said he looked in vain for two years for a Main Street location, and Quilter's Alley co-owner Stuart Lasky noted that businesses "pay a premium to be there."

"We seriously looked at a place on Bailey Avenue," Schneiderman said. "But there is a Main Street business that had it written into their contract that no other baked goods store could open near their business."

"It was not feasible for us to be anywhere on Main Street," he continued. "In hindsight, [the Marketplace] is a much better location. It's not easy to park on Main Street, and though we'd get more foot traffic, that does not always equate to business."