New Year, New Locations for Local Businesses
New Year, New Locations for Local Businesses
Ava Grace Fashions moves back into the hub of Downtown EVL; Cupcaked relocates next door
Out with the old, in with the new - or in this case, out of the old and into the new! Ava Grace Fashions has returned to downtown Ellicottville in the former location of Cupcaked, which has also moved… next door to 24 Monroe Street! Ava Grace owner Jessica Maynard-Gilbert couldn’t be happier with the change, for not only is 22 Monroe Street a great location, it’s also next door to one of her best friends. On December 22, Maynard-Gilbert and Cupcaked owner Annie Coe proudly opened the doors of their new locations and began the next chapter of their businesses and their friendship.
Ava Grace Fashions began as an online shop in the attic of Maynard-Gilbert’s garage. It wasn’t long before her selection of women’s fashion, accessories, shoes, and gifts caught on, and Ava Grace opened its first brick and mortar location at 8 Washington Street. The business outgrew another Washington Street location before Maynard-Gilbert moved to the building she bought at 23 Jefferson. “I loved having the boutique inside a house and all the cute little rooms,” she said, “but I feel like some of my customers didn’t like it because it didn’t feel like a commercial space - it felt like someone’s house. Some people loved the homey feel, and others were turned off by it.”
When Cupcaked owner Annie Coe approached Maynard-Gilbert about moving into 22 Monroe, she jumped at the chance. “Annie was in need of a bigger space for a bigger kitchen, and when she gave me the opportunity to move in 22 Monroe Street where she started in Ellicottville, I took that opportunity.” During the week of December 19, Coe was moving Cupcaked out the front door and Maynard-Gilbert was moving in at the same time. Speaking of the move, Maynard-Gilbert said, “It was a whirlwind! I’m so thankful to my husband, Bill, and my parents for helping me move in. Betsy from Betsy’s Consignment helped, and so did Jenn from Jennifer Powers For Hair. It was a team effort!”
Since moving into the new space, business has already picked up, and Maynard-Gilbert is thrilled to be downtown working next door to her close friend. “Annie and I became friends because we’re both really active with the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce,” Maynard-Gilbert explained. “Annie’s original training and business are in event planning - she has so many really fresh, fun ideas. I also have a reputation for wanting to try new things! We met through working together on a few events. She’s a great person - a great businesswoman. I’m a very big fan of Annie as a person and Cupcaked as a business. But we’re not just business friends… we’re true friends.”
The mutual support of Maynard-Gilbert and Coe is a gift in its own right but also a reflection of the Ellicottville business community as a whole. “The biggest thing I can say about Ellicottville in general is that with every single move, it doesn’t matter that I move because all of the other shop owners and employees - if they hear a customer say, ‘I was going to go to Ava Grace, but they must have gone out of business,’ will respond, ‘Oh no, they just moved!’ The support of the business community in that way is amazing.” According to Maynard-Gilbert, there’s a recognition that there is plenty of business to go around, and the greater variety of businesses means more traffic to Ellicottville. “It’s the ‘rising tide raises all boats’ type of attitude as a community that has been really supportive of Ava Grace and all the different moves,” she said.
As for Ava Grace’s former location? Maynard-Gilbert is committed to making that space a great opportunity for another local business or two. “It’s a great location for an appointment-based business,” she pointed out. “I already have a lease starting in January for 716 Realty. They have a presence in Ellicottville but haven’t had any office space until now.” While the upstairs is still available as Maynard-Gilbert’s Air BnB, the downstairs could be cordoned off into three more spaces that could be used as a law office or space for multiple beauty professionals.
When it comes to owning a business in Ellicottville, Maynard-Gilbert can’t say enough about the community she’s proud to be a part of. “This opportunity didn’t exist for me two years ago, and I’m so grateful to Annie for the opportunity to move,” she said. “We both reopened on the first day after winter solstice. It really is a time of rebirth: The sunlight starts increasing every day, and the days become longer. It coincides with where we are in our lives and what we’re doing in our businesses.”
Stop by Ava Grace Fashions and Cupcaked at 22 and 24 Monroe Street, respectively, to see their new spaces and start off the new year with a new style and a delicious treat! For hours and more information, follow Ava Grace Fashions and Cupcaked on their social media pages or visit www.avagracefashions.com or www.cupcakedbakeryinc.com.