Jen Gurecki who ran the women-owned Coalition Snow Far Out outpost at the Reno Public Market as well as a Zawadisha space for handcrafted African goods, was there from the beginning at the new Plumb Lane venture since late 2022, before even the grand opening.
Gurecki has now decided it’s time to leave, after writing about her concerns to the owners of the venture, including the El Dorado Hills-based Foothill Partners.
She had to break a lease which she says was done on amicable terms. “We worked with ownership very amicably to depart the space,” she told Our Town Reno during a phone interview Monday. “So we get to leave and they get to have a space moving to their next iteration of what the public market will be. So it actually benefits everyone to let us go because we know it's not a good fit.”
Gurecki explained the lease agreements for the retail side were different than for vendors, and that she initially believed the project would bring more foot traffic to sustain her own sales.
Fuego Street Tacos told Our Town Reno they were leaving on the food side and relocating soon, explaining that the high costs of operating there, and being told to keep increasing their own prices made the situation untenable. The owner Sarah Reynosa says for her with rent there about 20% of a tenant’s gross sales, in addition to credit card transactions, utilities and cleaning costs, it was just too much.
Photo provided by Gurecki of Far Out which she says was not marketed enough by the Reno Public Market Instagram.
Gurecki will pursue her own multi faceted enterprises which include online sales and adventure group travel, as well as a Riverside Farmers Market presence, just not at the Reno Public Market anymore.
“We’re all staying in business and so closing our shops allows us to remain in business rather than waiting it out to see if it will get better,” she said of the departure from the Plumb Lane location.
Gurecki pointed to a lack of marketing for the stores and different values, including too much waste in the food court, as several reasons.
“In terms of values, I would look at the single use plastic and the waste that is produced there that doesn't sit well with us,” she said. “I’m not going to point a finger at the food vendors and say that this is their fault. But this is one place in which Reno Public Market could have taken a leadership role and ensured that the space was more ecologically friendly versus the incredible amount of waste that is created there.”
We contacted the Reno Public Market lead developer Doug Wiele, who initially told us he was going to the dentist. He then wrote back that he was reversing course and that a RPM statement was being prepared for media instead of granting us an interview.
It read in part: “While a tenant choosing to leave is never our desired outcome, we understand that not every business is going to be a fit and we respect their decisions as business owners.
"What our customers, locals and visitors, want from a dining, shopping and entertainment experience continues to evolve and we are regularly evaluating what new experiences and offerings we can bring into RPM to meet those needs. We conduct robust and ongoing marketing efforts to support our merchants and drive traffic to the property.”
Gurecki says she realized she could control the areas she operated at the Reno Public Market, but as a leaseholder could not control the entire project.
“While, yes, there are financial concerns about the viability of our stores remaining open, there's also so many other things going on in that space that led us to come to the very painful decision that it wasn't the right fit for us,” she said.
As Gurecki, the Wyld Market Collective, Wedges & Wide Legs Boutique, and several other food vendors recently decided to call it quits, including A La Parilla and Brazilian Gourmet, she says she expects to see significant changes, which she believes will benefit everyone in the long run.
A new retail anchor is Junkee which had a statement on Instagram earlier this week indicating:
“I have been bombarded by the media requesting my experience of having my business at Reno Public Market.
I, Jessica Schneider, owner of Junkee Clothing Exchange, am here to set the record straight on my experience with my business being at Reno Public Market. Since our move to the market, Junkee has been doing better than ever. We have been busier than we ever have been, and we have countless new customers. Reno Public Market brings in all walks of life with various bands, charity events, and family events almost daily.
Since the move, being inside Reno Public Market has brought us more parking, a strong sense of community, and a safe place for my staff and customers.”
More spaces are now available after the departure of tenants there since the start of the Reno Public Market in late 2022.
Gurecki has noticed angry comments on our recent posts concerning vendor exodus, including complaints about high costs and lack of comfort, and says she would “hope that the ownership is listening to the community and is going to make changes that make it a place that is more appealing to more of the community.”
Concerning social media comments she read this week, Gurecki also wanted to make clear that “everyone who's in there is a locally owned small business. And what you're seeing at Reno Public Market with people leaving is indicative also of this, a larger issue in our community. And this isn't a time to point fingers or to shame small businesses for supposedly not knowing what they're doing. This is a time to really rally behind all of the small businesses in this community because us leaving should be sounding the alarm to people of what is happening. Not only at a local level, but nationally and globally. And the only way that we're going to be able to resolve any of those issues is to come together on that.”
“We're just open to different opportunities and possibilities,” Gurecki said of her own entrepreneurial future. “Coming to the decision to close the shop has been very difficult, very painful, and we don't feel like we need to be rushing into anything else… Right now our main focus is to smoothly transition out of that space, catch our breath, and then take that time to envision what the future could be for us.”
She concluded by urging the community “to be empathetic and supportive and be supportive. I don't mean come in the Reno Public Market and spend money. If you don't want to spend money there, don't. But … I will actively stand up for my business and my brand and will not tolerate anybody just, you know, tolerate some of the ridiculous comments that I'm seeing. So ideally, we can encourage people to respond and engage with thoughtfulness and kindness.”