TIFFIN, Ohio — A small business in Tiffin that we first told you about last year, is ready to celebrate its one-year anniversary.
WTOL 11 took the trip south to ask the owner what it's been like opening a new shop in such a tumultuous time.
Chelsea Lonsway started her boutique business Kesler and Co online 5 years ago and last year made the move into a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Tiffin.
With the move, she also brought her mission of promoting self-love and mental health for her patrons by offering trendy clothes in all sizes from small to 3XL.
"To ensure that everyone feels enough when they walk in those doors, they're welcomed, loved," explained Lonsway. "And really embracing the open environment that we have here."
Lonsway says this first year was a great success, despite opening the shop in the midst of a global pandemic, thanks in part to a new appreciation for supporting and buying local.
It's an initiative the local chamber of commerce has helped promote.
"But really, it's in the impact you make for a small business. I say that they hire our friends and families and our neighbors, so at the end of the day by supporting local and shopping local, we're supporting our neighbors and friends," said Bryce Riggs, Executive Director of the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Lonsway also says the pandemic has changed the mindset of small business owners from competing to collaborating. It's a change she says benefits the entire community.
"There's no competition here in downtown Tiffin here, it's just working together and making sure that everyone stays within the community rather than leaving the city limits," said Lonsway.
Kesler and Co Boutique will be celebrating its one-year anniversary Thursday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. with a special anniversary ribbon cutting, followed by an open house that runs until 7 p.m., with special grab bags for the first 30 visitors.