From uptown Somerset to downtown Johnstown and surrounding areas, new small businesses are blooming across the region this spring.
Two new businesses opened on West Main Street in Somerset this month with the help of Somerset Corporation’s Rent Relief Program.
“We are very excited to have two new entrepreneurs bring new products to Somerset,” said Regina Cogner, executive director of Somerset. “These two stores are two of the most unique and beautiful stores in Uptown Somerset. You can tell they love what they do and it’s contagious. I will go.”
For plant lovers and first-time houseplant buyers, Logan Byers opened Byers Botanicals at 152 W. Main St., Somerset, offering houseplants, accessories, soil and fertilizer. Byers said there will also be workshops for terrarium building, moss art and plant education.
“We are trying to bring more vibrancy to the community by introducing people to different plants,” she said.
Byers, a former restaurant server and personal trainer, decided to start her own business after taking maternity leave.
“I have the flexibility to be with my son more,” she said. “I can take him with me. Being with him has given me more freedom than going back to a traditional job.”
Byers Botanicals also supports other women-owned businesses with its products.
“I try to work with women-owned businesses because I am one of them,” she said.
“I sell soy candles and beauty products from women-owned businesses.”
Erica Taylor opened My Asylum on April 12 at 109 W. Main St., Somerset, a few hundred feet from Byers Botanicals.
The shop includes her workspace and retail shop, where she displays her artwork and sells the work of other local artists.
Taylor specializes in laser cutting and engraving bulk items and walk-in custom gifts for local business customers.
She said she aims to make her store a place where people can shop and relax.
“I hope this inspires people to come here and paint,” she said.
Taylor decided to open his own business and end his career as an inspection services contractor for a mortgage company.
“I had been doing that job for 13 years and was tired of driving,” she said. “During my travels, the idea of what I was going to create next came to mind, and for the past few years I have been planning how to go about it.”
Downtown Johnstown entrepreneur Wesley Edd had a similar inspiration in February when he opened Wolf and Wyvern, a game and hobby store while driving home from a job interview in Greensburg.
“The interview was for a job I didn’t want to take, and I thought, ‘I don’t want to work for anyone else,'” Ed said.
“When I drove by the Toy Soldier Gallery in Ligonier, which got me into miniatures gaming, I thought, “That would be fun.” I went home and stared thousands of meters away. And my wife Maria said, “Okay, what are you thinking?”
The Wolf and Wyvern opened April 12 on the first floor of 139 Clinton Street in downtown Johnstown.
The store has games, accessories, and table rentals, and overnight games and themed private rooms are also in the works. Ed plans to implement a “bring your own beer” policy there.
“There’s a game for everyone,” he said.
“If you come to a place like this, it may open the door to unexpected hobbies. We are in a renaissance of having fun, and I realized that there are many ways to have fun.”
Ed said about 30 customers have bought a particular game, Warhammer, in the past week and said the same thing. He said: “I don’t think anyone else is playing Warhammer.”
“I said, ‘You guys just don’t know each other,'” he said.
Wolf and Wyvern is open Monday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., Friday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Bridge and Rising Studio and Lofts Photography studio and loft rentals are located on the second floor of the building at 139 Clinton St., and Trippy Hippy Healing has opened on the third floor.
Serena Bridges, owner of Bridge Perspective photography and videography business, purchased the building in February. A grand opening for her photography studio and second-floor Airbnb apartment is scheduled for May, she said.
Another downtown Johnstown business, Elevate Retail Clothing Company (517 Main St.), has opened its second store in Somerset County.
Elevate’s new store at 3006 Somerset Pike opened April 17th.
Owner Christy Hagan says, “The store offers products made entirely from natural materials, including vintage clothing, freshly cut flowers, and products made from organic cotton and linen, as well as items made from recycled materials.” We are planning to feature it.”
“It’s going to be a more natural side of Elevate. The downtown Johnstown store has a more hippie, homegrown feel.”
Hagan opened the Somerset County store as sales at the downtown store doubled from year one to year two and are now in their third year.
“We wanted to serve more people in Somerset County,” Hagan said. “It’s just a different population. It’s in a natural environment with a stream behind it, a forest around it, and an Airbnb rental.”
Three young entrepreneurs opened an escape room called Locked in Westmont in April in the West Hills suburb of Johnstown.
Bill Stasko, Brandon Bloom and Drake Chose opened Locked In Westmont at 1742 Lyter Drive.
Across the street is Pizzaman’s Pizza and Westwood Bar and Grill, and Stasko said the escape room is part of the puzzle to bring more people to the area.
“This is something we want to do to make Westmont better and bring revenue to family-owned places around the escape room,” Stasko said.
Stasko said Locked in Westmont will add an entertainment dimension to a business district that may one day look like Ligonier or downtown Bedford.
“People drive from Johnstown to Bedford or Ligonier, and if people put in the effort, they could do that in Westmont,” he said. “Being from Westmont, I just want to see Westmont thrive again.”
Stasko said the escape room is now “Blackbeard’s Revenge,” with a pirate ship theme.
Reservations can be made at Lockedinwestmont.com.
Some businesses have just opened, while others are expanding or relocating in their current location.
Mohamed Barakat, owner of Gyro Joint (134 Ohio St.) in Johnstown’s Moxham neighborhood, added dine-in tables and seating in April.
“A lot of people wanted to sit down and eat, so now we have plenty of space and tables and chairs for people to sit,” he said.
Richland Township’s Eat & Sleep Latin American Food has moved from the Johnstown Galleria to a new location at 1240 Scalp Ave., Suite 3.
The location on Scalp Avenue has brought in new customers, including truck drivers passing through town looking for “the best food in Johnstown,” co-owner Dorcas Rodriguez said.