“I don’t have a store location,” she says. “That’s why it’s really helpful for my business to have people know where they can find me and build customer relationships that way.”For Vernetta Rhodes, owner of Taste of Pound Homemade Cakes, the wait was even longer.Rhodes spent nearly two years on the waiting list before finally securing a vendor space after the market expanded.“I definitely believe in my product,” Rhodes says. “It’s a huge venue for small businesses because you get a variety of customers.”She says the market’s foot traffic has helped introduce her cakes to new customers and create repeat business through social media and word of mouth.“I’ve heard customers say, ‘We saw you on Instagram’ or ‘We saw you on Facebook and had to come try it,’” Rhodes says.The market also works to maintain a diverse mix of vendors, balancing produce, prepared foods, crafts, and specialty products so that businesses have room to stand out while giving shoppers a wide variety of options.The Midtown Association says all vendor spaces are currently full, and the market has a substantial waiting list. Businesses interested in becoming vendors should apply through the market’s online process, where applications are reviewed against vendor criteria and available space in each product category. The market expects to begin accepting new vendor applications again Saturday, Aug. 1.The Midtown Association encourages more Black-owned vendors to apply, especially for prepared on-site and prepackaged food vendors.For entrepreneurs such as McIntyre, the Midtown Farmers Market represents more than a place to sell products. It gives a chance to build a community, and grow a business, one weekend at a time.



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