Craft Store Uses Kickstarter to Find Home in DC’s Shepherd Park
By Keith Loria October 30, 2023 4:16 pm
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Three friends with a dream of opening a craft shop will bring Merry Pin, a brick-and-mortar store with a cafe and community space, to Washington, D.C.’s Shepherd Park neighborhood, after raising money for the shop through a Kickstarter campaign.
Owned by Megan Flynn, Madeleine Odendahl and Michele Molotsky, Merry Pin inked a 3,302-square-foot lease at 7350 Georgia Avenue NW. The trio crowdfunded the funds for the store online, allowing them to lease the space and secure the loan needed to get the business off the ground.
The lease is for 63 months, and the business will open in early 2024.
“None of this would have been possible without the support of our 355 amazing Kickstarter backers,” Flynn told Commercial Observer. “We knew that there was a need for a space like Merry Pin in D.C., but even still we were taken aback by the outpouring of support and feel immensely grateful to everyone who backed us.”
Once the funds were in place, the owners looked for an ideal spot in D.C., with a focus on Ward 4 due to its lack of craft places.
“We toured several other spaces, but this one just felt right,” Flynn said. “There were a number of factors that attracted us to this space, but the top ones were: it’s a corner spot, there’s room for a sidewalk patio, the large basement provides ample room for inventory, and the space was recently fully renovated so it’s in great shape. It just also felt like it had a lot of charm, and we love the neighborhood.”
The Georgia Avenue shop will offer products for hobby crafters, with a mix of high-end, affordable and upcycled products. Merry Pin also will offer crafting workshops and experiences, plus snacks and beverages.
In 2018, the two-story retail property was acquired by a private company, which remains the landlord today. Joe Farina and Robert Gray of Divaris represented the landlord in the lease, while Abby Davids Rocha of Pedal Retail Advisors represented the tenants.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
