Dahlia Ghabour|Louisville Courier Journal
When the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. last year and people left their offices and began to work from home, thousands of neighboring businesses struggled, especially in downtown Louisville.
But businesses near high residential areas did surprisingly well during the pandemic, and nowhere is that more evidentthan in the live-work community of Norton Commons in Prospect, Kentucky.
Marilyn Osborn Patterson, general counsel and marketing director for Norton Commons, said the businesses theredid well because neighbors "came out in a big way to show their loyalty and support for them."
"A lot of the [new businesses] said they had low expectations for opening in the midst of a pandemic but in almost every case, they were blown away," she said. "It was wonderful to hear from our perspective."
Norton Commons is spread over nearly 600 acres in northeast Jefferson County and is home to 4,600 residents and more than 90 businesses. About half of the business owners in Norton Commons also live in the community, which was designed to be a walkable area where parks and paths connect homes to the town center businesses.
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Norton Commons' built-in customer base has become more and more attractive to small business owners. Since last spring, 13 new businesses have opened there,including a tea shop, pizza restaurant, candy store and Venezuelan restaurant —and there's more on the way. The longstanding Highlands restaurant Ramsi's Cafe on the World is opening a second location in Norton Commons in the coming months, and New Albany charcuterie company Board & You is opening a bistro concept in the fall.
Boutiques, a pet store, a barber shop, clothing stores and even a law office also opened doors in Norton Commons over the last year.
Patterson said she's noticed Norton Commons restaurants are now "swamped" at lunchtime with office workers who previously traveled downtown for work.
"It seems like people are really making the most of their own communities, and we’ve seen that in big ways reflected in business sales and patronage," she said.
One of the new businesses, called Fleur de Tea, 10704 Meeting St., took a little while tofind its footing. The shop opened in January, and things have been picking upsince COVID-19social-distancing requirements were lifted.
"Being in a community like Norton Commons is wonderful because we have great relationships with the other stores here," said Jenna Ebel, an employee at Fleur de Tea. "With COVID restrictions up, people can sit down and have a cup of tea and chat. It's a wonderful place for a shop like ours."
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In September, Norton Commons resident Maria Cunningham opened up Sugar Tree Sweet Shop, 9444 Norton Commons Blvd., because she saw a need for shops oriented toward kids. Sugar Tree Sweet Shop sells 16 flavors of ice cream, milkshakes, candy, scoopable gummies and truffles, among other sweets.
"It was a struggle opening up at first because a lot of distributors and suppliers were having staffing issues, but now it's going smoothly," she said. "The best thing is being part of this community. Anything new brings more people into the community and helps us grow, so I'm really excited for it."
Ali Mustapha opened a second location of Old School NY Pizza,at 10600 Meeting St.,in September and said business has been "better than expected." The restaurant serves by-the-slice and 18-inch pizzas, salads, garlic knots and calzones, subs, hoagies and wings.
"Things are going very well," Mustapha said. "It's a very nice neighborhood, people are very kind and they came out in COVID to support [us]. This area is a hidden gem in Louisville to be honest. You don't know about it until you are there."
Patterson said two more restaurant concepts are close to signing on to Norton Commons, and several other concepts are in the works, including 20 live-work spaces and some residences in Oldham County. There's even a bourbon membership bar, Watch Hill Proper, set to open atthe beginning of next year in a new high-end apartment community.
"Some of the concepts are ready to share, and some are not," Patterson said. "There's a lot of irons in the fire."
Dahlia Ghabour:dghabour@gannett.com; Twitter: @dghabour.
New businesses in Norton Commons
- AR Workshop Prospect
- Alchemy Venezuelan Cuisine
- Andrew Gailor Law Offices
- Beards & Beers
- Bluegrass Witch
- Boulevard Private Wealth
- Dattilo Law
- Draped in Style
- Fleur de Tea
- Found in a Field Jewelry
- Jughead & Bean’s Toy Shop
- Liz and Roo
- Nicole & B Boutique
- Old School NY Pizza
- Pet Wants
- RRJ Boutique
- Steel City Pops
- Studio Pilates International
- Sugar Tree Sweet Shop
