Over-the-Rhine Main Street Pop-Up Program's First Tenants Celebrate Grand Openings

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Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Main Street in Over-the-Rhine.

Over-the-Rhine will welcome four new stores Friday with a ribbon-cutting celebrating the launch of the Main Street Pop-Up Program.

The program, a collaboration between the City of Cincinnati, 3CDC, Urban Sites, Model Group and other property owners on Main Street, announced its first tenants — Selfie Cincy, Hello Beautiful, i75 Sumitt Club and Thee Make-Up Room — in August. The businesses will fill vacant storefronts along Main between Central Parkway and Liberty Street in an effort to activate the area and complement the recent improvements to and the expansion of Ziegler Park.

“The Main Street Pop-Up Program and the businesses participating in it have so much potential,” Lindzie Gunnels, commercial leasing manager with 3CDC, said in an August press release. “These are just the program’s first four tenants – and we believe the positive change they are going to have on the community will quickly become evident. These businesses are excited to be joining the neighborhood, they’re committed to success, and they want to help those around them be successful, too. This program is only getting started, and we can’t wait to share more lease signings in the coming months!”

The program offers entrepreneurs short-term leases, which range from three months to a year with these initial tenants, as well as potential financial incentives and the opportunity to test their business concepts before committing to a longer lease.

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Here’s who’s coming to Main Street:

Hello Beautiful, 1415 Main St.: Hello Beautiful is a women’s apparel store from Shavonna Cole. Cole originally operated the business from the trunk of her car but opened her first brick-and-mortar store on the West Side of Cincinnati in 2020. Hello Beautiful follows the latest trends and carries everything from track sets and basics to evening wear and accessories. More info: www.instagram.com/hellobeautiful___btq.

Selfie Cincy, 1316 Main St.: A selfie museum, Selfie Cincy from Amari Samya has nine different selfie installations that will cater to local, small establishments and entrepreneurs looking to showcase their businesses in a unique and fun way. Most installations will change on a bi-monthly basis. The space is handicap-accessible and offers a dressing room to change into various looks. Professional photographers are also welcome for an additional fee. More info: selfiecincy.com.

i75 Sumitt Club, 1319 Main St.: You can buy, sell and trade shoes and clothes at i75 Sumitt Club, which focuses on restoring gently used wearables. Owned by Ray Terrell and Christian Cunningham, the store looks for a variety of brands at a range of price points, from popular local brands to ones like Nike and Alexander McQueen. Terrell and Cunningham also offer free monthly classes that teach neighborhood kids how to restore their shoes in an effort to prevent bullying. 

Thee MakeUp Room, 1249 Main St.: Thee MakeUp Room is a “walk-ins welcome” makeup salon from Rachel Wynn. During both walk-in and appointment-only hours, customers can choose from varying levels of service, including a luxury makeup option that utilizes high-end brands. The salon will also offer makeup memberships, which allow clients a set number of visits per month. More info: theemakeuproom.com.

The ribbon-cutting to celebrate these businesses’ grand openings is happening at noon Friday at 1233 Main St. The business owners will also be making brief remarks.

3CDC says it is still accepting applications for its pop-up tenant program. Learn more here.