New Businesses Spring Up At Village Gate
By: Caroline Tucker
Updated: February 7, 2013
The Village Gate Square is filling up fast.
"This will be one of the classroom spaces," said Danielle Raymo, as she gave News 8 a tour of her new digs.
27-year old Danielle Raymo is one of the minds behind the soon-to-be Rochester Brainery.
"Rochester Brainery is a place where people can come and share ideas and learn affordably," said Raymo, co-owner of the Rochester Brainery.
You'll be able to take a class in everything from painting to beer tasting.
Raymo and her business partner, Stephanie Rankin, saw similar businesses in New York City and wanted to bring the idea to the Village Gate.
"We feel that it is a really creative artsy space and fits our business," said
Down the hall. Get caked is getting set up.
"I have always been the entrepreneurial type so I took the plunge ," said Kelly Halligan, owner of Get Caked.
24-year old Kelly Halligan has grown out of her home bakery and found a new home here.
"It's really an up and coming area popular way back in the day and my parents used to come here all of the time," said Halligan.
Halligan's take is gourmet, mostly vegan recipes.
"This is just a cake I made last night in 5 hours," said Halligan as she showed off a three-tiered cake creation.
Renovations in the Village Gate are expected to be finished by May and there will be still 5-thousand square feet of space for lease.
Longtime businesses like the Yankee Clipper say more businesses will draw more traffic.
"I think it will help once people find out the new places that are coming here and that it is looking nicer," said Emily Caulkins, whose father owns the decades-old shop.
Renovations have been underway over the last year.
"I think the more businesses that come here the better and better it's going to get," said Raymo.
The changes are expected to mean at least 50 new jobs in the next year.
The Rochester Brainery and Get Caked are expected to open on March 1.
For more information on the Rochester Brainery click here.
For more information on Get Caked click here.
For information about the Village Gate you can connect here.
