“This closure of the street gave us the tools that we need to share,” said Mariana Cortez, owner of Bunnie Cakes.
“We have been to generate a better flow of traffic to the store due to the increase of foot traffic here in the pedestrian area,” said Jose Pena, franchisee of Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming.
Business owners are thankful for the efforts Downtown Doral has put into making the outdoor mall area safe.
Mariana Cortez owns Bunnie Cakes and says when the mall closed off its famed “Main Street” in October, they immediately launched their “ventanita” pop-up to sell their products. Now that the store is up and running, they have other plans for the container.
“Right now because the retail store is finally open, we’re going to have seating space inside the container and eventually we’re going to activate the container for other projects that are super exciting,” said Mariana.
Mariana says as a business owner during the pandemic, she’s learned how to innovate and adapt to change.
“During the pandemic we activated our nationwide shipping. It was an amazing experience for our company because it was the first time that we were doing it. I think COVID provided us with that opportunity. We have learned a different side of the business that we didn’t explore before,” said Mariana.
Across the street, Jose Pena, owner of Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming, says he was one of the first stores in the mall to open during the pandemic. He had no choice but to take the risk in order to stay afloat.
“We have been able to engage with the community by having a couple of events. One of them was during Halloween, we had a pet costume party. We were able to bring more than 50 dog parents here. As well as a picture with Santa. It was super fun and it helps bring the community together,” said Jose.
The closure of Main Street between 87th and 84th avenue, was made possible in just a matter of days, credited largely to the City of Doral’s collaboration with developers at Downtown Doral.
“I think the idea of closing the street has provided us with an amazing opportunity to showcase our businesses and to share it with the community,” said Mariana.
On the Rebound, we’ve been highlighting local businesses and restaurants to help them stay afloat. If you are a small business owner or if you’d like to see a business featured, click here.
