GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY

The Wealthy Street Business District is now one of the trendiest, most popular downtown neighborhoods. The diversity of small businesses in the neighborhood is an ode to the vibrant history of the district and contributes to the revitalized residential real estate market. For locals and tourists alike, the walkability and versatility of Wealthy Street and its businesses is truly incredible. Whether you are looking for a bite to eat, a haircut, yoga, or boutique shopping, this district has it all!

1 Art of the Table

Established in 2003, Art of the Table is a specialty gourmet shop carrying deliciously curated products, perfect for hosting gifts, a dinner event, or a self-care shopping trip. The store carries wine, beer, spirits, yummy treats, and unique décor— things you can’t find just anywhere. Prior to Art of the Table opening, several party stores phased through the space. Owners, Steve and Amy Ruis, envisioned a more unique approach, and Art of the Table was one of the first businesses that helped spark the revitalization of the district.

2 Wealthy Street Bakery

Owners Jim and Barb McClurg opened Wealthy Street Bakery in 2002 with a mission to invest in a neglected neighborhood. The bakery offers delicious options for breakfast and lunch, with everything from sandwiches and salads to pizza and calzones. They also have a selection of craft beer and wine to enjoy when you dine in!

3 Proprietary

A new business on Wealthy Street, Mike and Elizabeth Diasppara recently opened Grand Rapid’s first bulk food store. They were looking for a business venture that had a positive impact on the community. Since Elizabeth’s grandparents were local farmers who sold their goods at the Fulton Street Market, the store is a way to continue that legacy. Proprietary is a minimal waste bulk food store where customers are encouraged to bring their own containers to fill and pay as they go. The name, Proprietary, means ownership, and the idea is that people in the community should have a say and a sense of ownership in the products they purchase. Mike and Elizabeth are constantly looking to add great, local brands and bring eco-friendly, delicious, and nurturing products to the Grand Rapids community.

4 Fox Naturals

The all-natural skin and body care brand has products that smell wonderful and emphasize natural ingredients that can be tailored for different skin types and needs. Owner Patrick Stoffel started an Etsy shop in 2008 and operated out of his home until the brand got big enough to open his storefront on Wealthy Street in 2018. All Fox Naturals products are never tested on animals, and they are committed to quality, transparency, and ethical standards.

5 Swirls Boutique

Founded in 2011, Swirls Boutique strives to accommodate both younger and older styles, with sizes across the spectrum. With an emphasis on sustainable, quality clothing, owner Cindy Speenstra is committed to running a socially responsible business and supporting other local businesses and unique places throughout the state.

6 Thelma’s Flowers

Jordan Fisher has a long history with flowers and the Wealthy Street area. He and his wife, Faten, had their first date at the Winchester, and they owned their first home together in the neighborhood. Fisher would drive twenty minutes just to get flowers for his wife—something he did weekly. Realizing a flower shop was missing from the area, the couple decided to open one. Thelma’s opened in 2018, and the shop has both pre-made bouquets and individual stems for customer-crafted bouquets. The flowers are locally crafted, and the stems are hand-cut on site every day, so you can always make something new! The shop is named after Fisher’s grandmother to whom he would bring flowers when he visited from out of state as a child. The store’s logo is inspired by grandma Thelma’s handwriting, and the two pink chairs in the shop were salvaged from her home and now serve as a seating area in the shop.

7 Wealthy Studios

Photographer Michelle Cuppy, opened Wealthy Studios in 2018. After switching her career path from medicine to pursue her passion for photography, Cuppy wanted a space to help bolster creatives in the Grand Rapids area. Her concept was to have a space to inspire growth and creative empowerment. Wealthy Studios in a photography studio and a space for creatives to collaborate. Cuppy specializes in senior photos and fashion photography, and offers portraits, headshots, workshops at the studio. The space is also available to rent for pop-ups and events.

8 Donkey Taqueria

Opened in 2013 by Paul Lee, the taqueria breathed new life into a vacant auto service station. Donkey is a Mexican street-food restaurant inspired by the Latino and Hispanic cultural flare of Austin, Texas—serving up delicious tacos and fresh margaritas.

9 Rowster Coffee

One of Grand Rapids’ first specialty coffee shops, Rowster, had humble beginnings. Kurt Satuffer, owner and founder started learning about the coffee roasting and brewing process and became enthralled. He purchased a large shop roaster which he used to roast the coffee from his home for four years. Knowing he wanted to open a coffee shop to bring this type of coffee to Grand Rapidians, Kurt opened Rowster Coffee in 2010 on Wealthy Street. It wasn’t always a hit—people didn’t really understand it at first, but Kurt was driven to bring that “aha moment” to every coffee lover and to create memorable experiences through the caffeinated beverage. He had many hard years, but now Rowster is a Grand Rapids’ staple. The name “Rowster,” is the combination of roasting and rowing—rowing inspired by the waterways that encompass Grand Rapids.

10 Premier

Californian skateboard enthusiasts, Eric Blanding and Josh Higginson, brought the Midwest its first skateboard focused retail store when they opened in 2001. The store has expanded from just a skate shop into a full retail experience with footwear, apparel, accessories, and brand of its own.

11 Mokaya

Mokaya is a Meso-American inspired chocolate boutique, opened in 2016 by Charles Golczynski and his son, Max. Mokaya’s chocolates are made by hand using Latin American cocoa beans with fair trade practices and locally sourced, natural ingredients. The Golczynskis are passionate about the environment and local community. Striving to minimize their environmental impact the shop uses all eco-friendly packaging. Building relationships with both patrons and other local businesses is also very important to them.

12 The Winchester

Wealthy Street’s neighborhood bar and restaurant opened in 2009 and provides a unique twist on American bar food. With a focus on great food, great service, comfort and quality, this restaurant is perfect for a casual lunch, late-night fun, a Sunday dinner, and everything in between. As the All In Hospitality group’s first restaurant, the Winchester contributed to making the Wealthy Street district a foodie destination.

13 Palace Flophouse Salon

Ann Van Weaver opened Palace Flophouse Salon in 2018 with the intention of creating a welcoming salon space focused on embracing and enhancing beauty while cultivating community. The eco-friendly and pup-friendly salon blends hair, music, and style in their intimate boutique salon. The salon puts an emphasis on kindness, being good to one another, and being good to the Earth.

14 Dime & Regal

This jewelry store and boutique was opened in 2015 by Courtney Jones to give women a space to sell their handcrafted goods and to connect with customers. It is a 100% women owned and run business, and the products are all made by female artisans. In 2017, Jones partnered with fellow metalsmith, Samantha McIntosh, and moved the store from its location on Division to Wealthy Street. Dime & Regal specializes in handmade fine jewelry, as well as offering apparel and accessories, jewelry repair, custom jewelry, and wedding bands.

15 ELK Brewing

Opened by Eric and Lisa Karns in 2014, ELK Brewing was the first brewery in the Wealthy Street Business District. Lisa bought Eric an at-home brewing kit as a gift, and he grew to love it so much that he even made his own beer for their wedding! Eventually they turned his hobby into a business, and the name was born from each of their first initials and the first letter of their last name. Enjoy a beer on ELK’s outdoor patio next to the fireplace, or catch your favorite game on one of the TVs in the taproom. ELK Brewing expanded with a second location in Comstock Park in 2017. Jeff DeLongchamp came along and purchased the company from the founders in 2019.

16 Stoffer Home

Chicago native and interior designer, Jean Stoffer, opened Stoffer Home in 2018. Originally, Stoffer focused mostly on unique and timeless kitchen designs, but now she is well-known for her elegant and approachable designs for the entire home. The store features her curated collection of home accessories & furnishings, lighting fixtures, and rugs that complement each other perfectly and mimic her transcendental designs. To accompany her passion for kitchens and old homes, Stoffer launched her cabinet line, Stoffer Home Cabinetry, in 2019 that is featured in her store. Stoffer Home is truly a family business. Jean’s daughter, Grace, is her design partner, her son and daughterin-law photograph her designs, and her husband, Dale, and sons, David & Dan, also contribute to the business.

17 City2Shore Real Estate

City2Shore opened in 2011 with the founding principles of providing topnotch service to clients and helping agents create a balanced, sustainable, and profitable career in real estate. The real estate brokerage is committed to investing in and empowering agents to become top producing agents. Their Grand Rapids location was opened in 2017 on Wealthy Street.

18 Živio

The Bosnian-inspired restaurant is a first in the Grand Rapids area. Damir Duratovic and sons, Dino and Denis, opened the Živio in February 2019, and they bring a unique and delicious taste to the Wealthy Street Area. With Bosnian, Turkish, Greek, and Central European inspired dishes, the restaurant offers catering, as well as, dine-in service. They also have a weekend brunch and delicious cocktails! With a name that means “cheers” or “live on” in Bosnian, you are sure to have good time!

19 Royals

All In Hospitality owner, Paul Lee,thought the neighborhood was missinga breakfast and brunch destination, sohe recently opened Royals. This dinerstyle restaurant has an out-of-the-boxmenu offerring delectable brunchoptions all day.

20 Wanderlux Beauty & Wellness Spa

Jessica Geerling opened Wanderlux in2016, and the salon offers a wide rangeof spa, beauty, and wellness services.Geerling is a registered yoga teacherand has been a licensed estheticianfor nineteen years. She aspires for thesalon to be a haven for healing and anempowering experience, helping peoplebe their highest and most beautifulselves. This salon doesn’t stop at beautyservices—they offer massage, energyhealing, infrared sauna, and other bodywork treatment. Truly working from theinside out, they strive to promote innerbeauty that radiates outward.

21 Kula Yoga

Megan Rader began practicing yoga in high school and fell in love! Opening Kula Yoga in 2014, she wanted her studio to be inclusive and judgement-free, and to offer classes that are accessible yet challenging. Kula provides Grand Rapidians with a warm and welcoming space to explore what yoga has to offer and does so with a great community of people. Megan Rader and Wanderlux owner, Jessica Geerling, teamed up in 2018, sharing their Wealthy Street location. Together they converted the 713 Wealthy Street house into a yoga studio and a wellness spa. The move allowed for more space and additional class offerings at Kula. The two owners share a vision of self-care, women empowerment, and holistic healing. So the partnership—and friendship—was a natural fit!

22 Lee & Birch

Founded in 2007, fashion boutique Lee & Birch has 4 locations in West Michigan. Their Wealthy Street location opened in 2014 in an old car wash and service station. Owners Nikki Gillette and Kristin Nipke travel the nation to stock their stores with the best clothing and accessories, and they take pride in feeling every piece before deciding to carry it. The boutique offers a personalized shopping experience for each customer with unique and stylish clothing. Their goal is for every woman who shops with them to leave feeling better and more confident than they did when they walked in.

23 Woosah Outfitters

Erica Lang opened the Michigan-made art and lifestyle apparel brand in 2015. Erica is a woodblock print maker and graduate of Kendall College of Art and Design. Erica’s designs are usually nature/outdoors inspired, and all start as woodblock prints carved by hand and printed in limited edition runs. Erica is passionate about spreading the Woosah by collaborating with other local brands, participating in neighborhood cleanup days, and supporting social justice causes.

24 Outside Coffee Co.

An extension of Woosah, Outside Coffee Co. was born out of Erica’s desire for a space to cultivate a sense of community and for people to enjoy a little bit of solitude in the middle of the city. The coffee and other treats are sold out of a vintage travel trailer that they renovated to serve as a fully functioning coffee shop. Stop by during the winter to enjoy your coffee in one of their heated igloos!

25 Jeffery Richard Salon

Jeffery Richard was studying business at Ferris State University when he realized he had a passion for cutting hair. So, he changed career trajectories to pursue his craft. In 2000, he opened his salon on Fulton Street, and in 2011, they moved to Wealthy Street for more space. At Jeffery Richard salon, they do things a little different—it is a no tipping salon, and they are committed to giving each guest a one of a kind hair experience. It is all about the client and they ensure an exceptional guest service experience every single visit. Jeffery Richard is also very active in the community and participates in many philanthropic endeavors. Each year, they raise money for Earth month, do a coat drive for a local Head Start School, and donate to Kid’s Food Basket, GR Pride, and GR Red Project.

26 Root Functional Medicine

Grand Rapids’ first MD functionalmedicine specialty practice, Root, wascreated to help everyone feel and betheir best. Erica Armstrong, MD is thefounder and CEO of Root and openedthe business in 2018. Their team of MDs,functional dieticians, and nutritionistshelp people find the root cause of symptomsto restore wellness and preventdisease. By using functional medicineand nutrition, the team creates a customizedwellness plan for each clientbased on testing, review, and in-depthevaluations. Root specializes in guthealth, food sensitives, thyroid, PCOS,healthy weight, skin health, mentalwellness, autoimmune conditions, andhormone balance. Root also offers aweekly meal service that is availableto anyone! Their delicious and healthymeals are pre-cooked and are ready toeat in under three minutes.

27 Kitchen Design Studio

Bonnie Schut, interior designer and owner, opened the business in 1994. The studio does both new construction and remodels, and they specialize in space planning & cabinetry for kitchens, baths, and the rest of the home. Having completely renovated their Wealthy Street showroom when they purchased it, they understand what their clients go through during a renovation.

28 Fusion Salon

Opened twelve years ago, Fusion Salon is a high-end salon with a laid-back feel. The current owner, Ashley Lundquist, was a stylist there for ten years before purchasing it in 2018. The salon is passionate about their community and neighbors and have been involved in community fashion shows with Lee & Birch and Drag Brunch. The salon prides itself on making everyone feel welcome, and they specialize in haircuts, hair color, styling, and waxing.

29 Urban You

The modern beauty and wellness experience that Urban You offers is both unique and convenient. Urban You and its cutting-edge services are about empowerment and self-confidence which is why CEO, Nicole Gregory, found it important to make medical beauty procedures “street level.” They strive to take the taboo out of services like Botox and make them accessible and approachable for everyone. That is why they offer these services in a comfortable, nonclinical setting while maintaining the medical grade professionalism. Urban You opened on Wealthy Street in 2017 in a building that was originally a grocery store, and the historic detail remains intact which contributes to the uniqueness of the salon. The walkability, approachability, and eclectic vibe of the area made Wealthy Street the perfect location for their second salon.

30 The Counting House

Opened in 2018 by Megan Adams, The Counting House is a beautifully curated home and lifestyle store, located in a building rich with history. The building was originally a bank, which Adams was able to maintain the character of by keeping the bank lobby’s checkered tile sales floor, and utilizing the original teller counter and cash vault. Adams has a background in merchandising and purchasing, and she always knew she wanted to open this type of store. Originally from Ann Arbor, Megan had her sights set on the Wealthy Street corridor because of the creative community and art scene of the area. When she found this historic, beautiful building, she knew she had to jump on the opportunity. The Counting House features an inventory that includes furniture and décor, household provisions, clothing and accessories, and vintage treasures. The Counting House is a perfect blend of contemporary and vintage and it’s so homey, you may never want to leave!