A little-known pop-up retail store in downtown Hartford’s Cast Iron Building is looking to expand as it works to help young entrepreneurs build their brands.
The “Think Pop-Up” store at 241 Asylum St. allows retail and food and beverage startups to sell their wares and interact with customers on short-term leases and on a part-time basis.
The store, which quietly launched in November, is run by ThinkSynergy, a hybrid coworking/co-living community also located in the Cast Iron Building.
So far tenants include an incoming West Hartford coffee shop/craft brewery and a jeweler, among others.
ThinkSynergy head Keith Warner on Thursday said the five-year-old coworking space has been running the 1,400-square-foot pop-up store in an effort to offer startups an affordable leasing option to test their products and market value.
“The goal is to give startups a better understanding of their market,” he said. “This is a collaborative store where every entrepreneur can work with consumers and get an understanding of what they do and don’t like.”
Four tenants are currently occupying the space at various times four days a week, but Warner is in the process of ramping up the number of tenants that are occupying the store. He is currently recruiting other companies to the space, including food and beverage establishments.
“This is still relatively new,” said Warner, noting that outdoor signage will soon be added to the Asylum Street storefront. “You will see a major increase in new tenants.”
Meet the startup tenants
Think Pop-Up is currently home to a variety of retailers, including WeHa Roasting Co., KARO Swimwear, GJGJ Jewelry and RBH Outdoor Apparel.
WeHa Brewing & Roasting Co. owner Cody McCormack last week began selling coffee beans, branded coffee mugs and other apparel out of his West Hartford home. But McCormack, a Berlin native who plans to lease a 5,000-square-foot brick-and-mortar space in West Hartford’s New Park Avenue neighborhood by year-end, sought a temporary location to continue growing his business.
“This is a way to get feedback from consumers and tailor our roasts to customer preferences and get our name out there,” said the 28-year-old McCormack, who is selling coffee beans and apparel on Asylum Street from Thursday to Saturday.
McCormack, who is still working as a CPA by day in downtown Hartford, is also developing a craft brewery component to his business with a partner who is handling brewing operations.
Upon completion, WeHa Roasting Co. will operate as a cafe by morning, and taproom by night.
McCormack said his business will aim to capture a coffee shop vibe while also introducing people to craft beer and other hard cider beverages.
About ThinkSynergy
ThinkSynergy is one of several coworking-spaces in Hartford.
Founded in 2015, the 5,000-square-foot coworking space on two floors is modeled after New York City coworking-space innovator WeWork.
ThinkSynergy also operates as an accelerator providing support to companies with financial consulting, bookkeeping, and supply chain management services, among others.
On top of the shared workspaces in the Hartford building, Warner also carved out six, two-bedroom apartments — sized 1,200 to 1,600 square feet — from the building’s former office spaces, so tenants can live and work in the building. Six units are currently occupied, and Warner is planning to add two more.
The building is owned by Cast Iron Assoc LLC, land records show.
