The grand opening of The Local Spot in Belmont has brought over 20 small businesses to one place, allowing customers to shop for all kinds of crafts and goods while supporting local works.
Created by Courtney Tomioka and Michele DeSmet, co-owners of the permanent bakery Made Out Of Dough, The Local Spot is a welcoming community hub where visitors can savor fresh pastries or discover something new from a different vendor each time they stop by.
“It’s all about getting everybody together in a small space and sharing a certain thing that you like to do. We’re all small business owners, we all get it. We also want to welcome the community in here,” Tomioka said.
To celebrate the grand opening of The Local Spot, Belmont Mayor Julia Mates joined Tomioka and DeSmet in cutting the ribbon, signifying its opening.
“We’ve been wanting something where people can walk to get a cup of coffee, get a sweet, check out other local vendors, so having it right here is wonderful,” Mates said.
On opening day, the store was open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For the first few hours, constant foot traffic flooded down the street with people waiting to try different foods and explore the numerous vendors.
For those who live in the neighborhood, The Local Spot’s location along Old County Road is very convenient.
“We as a family have been waiting for it for months, so we’re really excited because we live right on Old County, and we prefer to have something here where we don’t have to cross El Camino or go past Ralston necessarily,” said Marjorie Goodwin, a Belmont resident. “We’re really excited we have something like this within walking distance.”
According to Tomioka, both she and DeSmet thought about going the food truck route with Made Out Of Dough at first, but when the opportunity for a permanent space came up, they went for it. Seeing that there was so much space upon purchasing the permanent store, they decided to turn half of the building into a place to showcase their other vendor friends.
“We didn’t think that we needed that much room, and then we thought, ‘well, all of our vendor friends need a place,’” Tomioka said. “It’s so hard to have a storefront because we over hit so much money now, and we just gave them a place to showcase their stuff somewhere different.”
One of The Local Spot’s strengths is fostering a sense of community within the small business world.
According to Domino Corcega, owner of Dom’s Nom’s, which does both Filipino and Texas-style barbecue, The Local Spot provides a space for small businesses to thrive, as it is not as costly as owning an entire restaurant or store alone, which can be hard when starting out.
“You’re not just representing your own company, but also other vendors, and small businesses. I think that it’s our goal to have small businesses succeed,” Corcega said.
Hannah Schmidt is one of the co-owners of Kahana Collective, creating island-inspired jewelry with her sister and mother.
“We met Courtney and Michele three years ago at the San Carlos Farmers Market, and since then, they’ve just absolutely fostered a sense of community, and it’s so nice to have a storefront now with all of our maker friends in an area that has supported us so much,” Schmidt said.
Many of the small businesses have not had prior storefronts and often only operate by selling out of various farmers’ markets, craft fairs, and online platforms. Thus, having a permanent space for business owners to display and keep their items is especially beneficial.
“It’s nice to be able to just have a place for our things, where people can come shop and stop by, and if they want something, they can come look, or reach out to us further from there,” Schmidt said.
Beyond helping other vendors, The Local Spot is a way to bring new life into the neighborhood.
“It’s going to hopefully bring other businesses here too, which is always what we wanted, to revitalize this area in terms of commercial retail,” Mates said. “The fact that there are so many people here today, enjoying it, makes me hope that this is what’s going to be for the future.”
For many customers, this new addition to the neighborhood is something they look forward to supporting.
“I wouldn’t mind making it a tradition once a month to come here with my family just to explore, see the neighborhood running, run into our neighbors, and have the opportunity to just enjoy being where we live without having to drive or take transportation somewhere,” Goodwin said.
