Neighborhood Essential Parker Street Market Closes Its Doors in West Village

Time to pour one out for a short-lived but vital shop in West Village. After two years supplying fresh fruits and veggies, booze, Drought juice, and other comestibles to West Village, Parker Street Market is closing its doors. Owner David Kirby confirmed the shutter in an email today. Eater tipsters had alerted us earlier this week to closures during odd hours at the store as well as a big sale on products last week.

The shop had undergone an expansion within the last year and had also launched a beer and wine delivery service this spring. Part of one of the more walkable and growing communities of residents on Detroit’s East side, it was set to be joined by several new business.

In his statement, Kirby writes that he had hoped to hand off the small shop to an investor but the deal fell through. Now he says the storefront is available for a new business:

Dear Neighbors and PSM Customers,

Thank you for your patronage -- this space is now available for an enthusiastic new tenant, so please pass it on if you know anyone with an existing or new small business looking for retail space!

I have been fortunate from my very first day in business to be supported by and engaged with the West Village and Indian Village communities. Opening this business was a huge risk — I had no money, no job and no practical business experience. Before long, the market drew crowds of people from across the city and suburbs to visitors from across the pond. The real crux of my business's success came from the local small businesses who filled the market with their hand made goods. I am proud to say I became friends with every small business owner, sales rep, delivery driver, contractor, maintenance worker, and even the health department officials! I wouldn't have made it a day without them. Furthermore, my three amazing employees — Peter, Erin and Ashley — really kept it all together this past year as I became a new dad and juggled it all.

A few months ago, I began to be approached by a handful of larger businesses interested in acquiring the market. The prospects were very attractive, and, as any small business owners out there know, those transitional periods of growth require some confident and big decisions to be made. I decided to go all in and move forward with an acquisition opportunity. I was confident it would work out, took all of the steps to sell the business, stuck with my timeline and ultimately the deal fell through.

While I'm certain the sudden closing of the market is disappointing to some, I am choosing to reflect on this as yet another big risk that will take me and my family in an exciting new direction. The market has served as an excellent platform for many other small businesses to springboard off of and start their own shops, and now 1814 Parker Street is ready for its new tenant!

Thanks for your support — my life would be dull had I not taken a chance on this and I'm looking forward to life after PSM!

Those interested in renting the former Parker Street Market space can email Kirby at david@parkerstreetmarket.com.

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• All The Shutter Coverage [ED]

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