Locally Focused Community Gathering Space in Phoenix AZ acts as Hub for Supporting Small Businesses
The Churchill in Phoenix Arizona is host to ten small local businesses, three restaurants, two bars, a smoothie shop, independent grocery, and three retail spaces.
Operating now in its sixth year, the owners had a simple vision in mind, “Our goal was to create a space to bring affordable opportunities to small business owners.”
The space combines food, beverage, and retail with arts, music, and community in an urban development with a shared courtyard intended to inspire local connections and add creative experiences to an already vibrant community.
“Desert Born | Desert Bred” is the mantra for The Churchill, located at 901 N. First St. in downtown Phoenix. The brainchild of Hartley Rodie and his business partner, Kell Duncan, The Churchill is an innovative shopping and dining destination – innovative in the way of construction, as the center is fashioned out of 20 shipping containers.
The Churchill’s design spans a large courtyard that functions as an area for live music, classes, wellness events and other types of speakers, programs and artists.
“We were looking to build density onto a small parcel of land,” Rodie said, “and the shipping containers were perfect. By giving them new life, we’re practicing sustainability and it’s fun to use materials for a different purpose than they were originally intended.”
The Churchill was founded by FTG Projects as a sustainable development and local community gathering space inspired by creativity, collaboration, and community.
In addition to community events, artisan pop-ups, and continuous non-profit fundraisers, each tenant commits to performing a community service each month as part of their ‘social rent.’
Tiny Business Incubator Helps Small Businesses Succeed
After the first five successful years, many of the small businesses that started with The Churchill when it opened in 2018 have scaled their businesses so much that they aren’t “small” enough to fit the criteria!
One of the most important factions of The Churchill at its conception was to introduce local businesses to the community and give them a place where they could nurture and establish their brand identities in the valley while lending a helping hand to surrounding neighborhoods.
Not only has the social hangout done just that, but they’ve also been integral in creating valley-wide success for many of its tenants, with some even reaching National recognition.
Read more about how The Churchill helped scale small businesses: The Churchill’s Incubator Businesses are Expanding!
Sources: The Churchill & Arcadia News