How many people thought that when Judd Parkway’s northeast section was completed that traffic on Broad Street would just die off? And how many assume that Broad Street in downtown Varina is simply a cut-through to Walmart or Krispy Kreme?
Well, in fact, neither of those realities are true. When Judd Parkway opened up and offered a quick route to Hwy 401, the traffic through downtown Varina never took a hit. But rather than become a cut-through for travelers headed to other destinations, Broad Street in Varina has become somewhat of a destination spot. According to the owner of the Glittery Frog Boutique, “almost 50% of my customers over the last year have been first-time visitors to Varina, and many of them have been from out of town – either adjacent communities or even other states and countries.”
Several years ago, the Varina downtown area was limping along. It had long-standing businesses like Flowers on Broad Street, Cupcake Bite, Family Optical, and J&S Pizza, but with the advent of Aviator’s bottle shop and the upgrades to the Aviator Smokehouse, new businesses have come to town that are making a huge impact on the viability of Varina. Glittery Frog was the first business to take advantage of the trend toward more boutique-style businesses. When owner Kristen Farrington bought the former 2nd Look Children’s Consignment Boutique in May of 2014, she changed the name and began watching for trends with her customer base. “People are looking for new, higher end boutique items in Fuquay-Varina,” she shares. “I have been slowly transitioning to new product lines and limiting my consignment items to certain name brands that appeal to the discriminating shopper.”
She is not the only one who has noticed these trends. Donna Pittman from Flowers on Broad Street has been in Varina for many years, and is also happy with the changes in her location. “It’s amazing all of the changes that have happened over the past 18 years that I’ve been in business here,” she says. “It’s so exciting to see Varina become a vibrant downtown area!”
New businesses such as SUR Furniture, Carolina Monogramming, and Something You have made a similar investment in town and have not regretted their decision to locate in Varina. Carol and Eric Edwards had a successful online business for a number of years before taking the plunge and locating a storefront next to Nils Café on Broad Street. Although they still have a huge online presence, the storefront allows people to drop in and order as well as pick up items that have been ordered online. Something You has seen a ton of traffic since opening earlier this year, and is excited to be a part of the downtown culture.
Keri Zollo, owner of Carolina Monogramming, opened her shop in March, and can’t say enough about the change she is seeing in the quality of customers and the energy in the neighborhood. “We’re all like family here,” she says enthusiastically. “I’ve had businesses in other towns and never seen the kind of support I’ve gotten since opening here in Varina.” Originally from Garner, Keri grew up knowing a lot about Fuquay-Varina, but it wasn’t until she moved here two years ago that she realized how much the community had to offer. “I knew I wanted to be part of it.” From Day One of opening her store, it’s been a perfect match.
A couple of features of Varina that have had such a positive impact on the downtown district include the expansion of Aviator’s offerings and the mixed use phenomenon that includes the apartments over retail space on both sides of the street. “We have a bunch of Campbell University medical students living over us in Varina,” says Zollo. “It’s created a great dynamic where is almost looks more like a college town here than on Hillsborough Street! We have a lot of young people living within walking distance of our shops and its brought in a lot of positive energy.” Although Aviator owner Mark Doble’s recent expansion into the entire Varina Hotel building on the corner of Stewart and Broad Streets has displaced a couple of businesses, the new event space he is creating in those locations will bring many more new people into downtown Varina.
“The new space will be great,” says Zollo. “It’s interesting to see how many new people are visiting our downtown and exploring it for the first time. A new venue in our district will only provide new ways to attract people who will wander around and visit the rest of us.” Farrington agrees. “Relationships between business owners in Varina are blossoming these days,” she smiles. “I can’t wait to see what the new changes in downtown continue to offer the rest of us.”
The only hiccup in all this new energy and vitality in downtown Varina is a lack of parking. Even with the donation of land from the Stephens family to the town in 2014 that was converted into a municipal lot, it can be difficult to find sufficient space for the multitudes of people that descend on the area, especially in the evenings. “I think parking will be a constant issue for Varina business owners moving forward,” Farrington explains, “and I know the town has some solutions in the works, but as we grow, so will the need.”
Over and above everything else, however, is the consistent refrain from Varina shopkeepers that they are amazed and happy about how well things are going in their district. Glittery Frog is embarking on a #ChooseFV campaign based on something started by the principal of FV Middle School that celebrates the active CHOICE of new residents to move to Fuquay-Varina. T-shirts and other promotional items will soon be available for purchase. Carolina Monogramming also has a popular t-shirt that shares the geographic coordinates of Varina on the back. “We want to celebrate where we live and do business, and share with residents and especially potential residents, that we chose Fuquay-Varina for our families and businesses and that we love it here,” Farrington and Zollo both echo.
If you have not yet visited downtown Varina, it is time to do so. Grab the family and check out Sweet Creations ice cream shop. And while you’re there, stroll down Broad Street and check out Samantha’s Jewelry, Nil’s Cafe, Hook and Cleaver Market on Broad, the Toy Shoppe, and The Vine, as well as the businesses already mentioned.
