The Bristow Farmers' Market will be finding a new home that is more suitable to accommodate their growth, after a recent dispute between Smart Markets and Bristow Commons on how to manage the quick growth of the market.
“The parking overwhelmed us,” said Smart Markets founder, Jean Janssen. “There was no way to solve it without harming the market or having an issue every Sunday.”
According to Murad Pandit, one of three owners of the Bristow Commons, Janssen decided to take her market off the property after negotiations broke down just days before the market was set to open for Memorial Day Weekend.
“I think they grew very quickly,” Pandit said, adding, “Part of growing is putting the structure in place to grow.”
Pandit said Bristow Commons had asked Smart Markets to manage their growth by adding personnel and reconfiguring parking to accommodate traffic complaints from local residents. According to Pandi, homeoweners in the community across from the market on Devlin Road loved the farmers market, but did not appreciate customers parking on streets in their neighborhood.
Bristow Commons was prepared to support Smart Markets in its growth, but wanted certain elements in place that would assure safety.
“I think it is the right think to do,” said Pandit, “It needed some stewardship by them. When businesses get to that level, additional measurements and controls are needed.”
Pandit said they offered Smart Markets a few options including, offering them a larger lot and closing off the entire street, but Smart Markets refused the offers.
Janssen disagreed that it would be the most practical solution for her market. Considering logistics, cost, size and space, she decided to move the market, temporarily closing Bristow Smart Markets until they can secure a more suitable location.
“(We were) beginning to worry, not just about our customers parking easily or effectively, but their overall safety parking and crossing the streets," said Janssen.
She decided the best move for her business, would be just that, a move, “To where we can grow as much as we want, and parking would never be an issue.”
Janssen is currently in discussions for a new location in Bristow.
Although she has been offered locations outside of Bristow, she remains adamant in her dedication to the community, mainly because of the positive responses she has received from her Bristow Market.
“Sales figures were going up every single week from January,” said Janssen. “This is one market where I get requests all the time from vendors. For the last month or so, I’ve had to say 'no.'”
Besides the success of the Bristow Smart Market, Janssen felt it was a needed entity in the community.
“The community is so excited to have us there,” she said, noting residents were especially proud, “because we actually called ourselves the Bristow Market.”
Perhaps in response to that success, Janssen said that all of her vendors have chosen to stick with her until she can provide a new location for the market. She expects to announce one shortly.
As for Bristow Commons they stand behind their initial belief in Smart Markets.
“Smart Markets is a wonderful concept, and there is huge demand for it partly because there is nothing like it; and there is demand for locally sourced food,” Pandit said.
Going forward, Pandit said his vision for Bristow Commons remains constant, a family friendly place to grow community and local businesses.
They plan to have retail spaces built by next Spring, and will be leasing storefronts.
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