A Hispanic market and a Mexican restaurant are the latest businesses slated to open downtown locations as part of Columbus' Ground Floor Growth program.
The initiative helps small businesses set up on the ground floor of buildings in the downtown area. The city provides money for the businesses to move into a space and then subsidizes rents for three years.
Columbus City Councilman Nick Bankston said the idea is to add amenities that make downtown a better place to live.
"When you choose a place to live, you're looking for that vibrancy. You're looking (for) that place where I can grab a bite to eat, where I could pick up groceries. And that's really what this is about," Bankston said.
Toro Meat Market will open at 150 Gay Street. The supermarket will be tucked in the back corner of the skyscraper.
Toro Meat Market CEO Fernando Alcauter said he wasn't sure about moving downtown at first because many businesses have left. He said Columbus City Council's commitment and research city officials provided about shopping habits changed his mind.
Alcauter said he understands the area needs a grocery store to make it more livable.
"If you're looking to move into downtown Columbus, now's your chance. You're gonna have all the needs you need, all the amenities," Alcauter said. "Actually, one funny thing, we're talking with the team...we gotta bring pet food into our locations, but we're ready for that."
Gay Street will be Toro Meat Market's fifth location. Alcauter said it started as a butcher shop, but expanded to a full supermarket due to demand. He expects shopping habits to be different at the downtown spot than at his other stores.
"We understand that our customers in other locations, they're more family (oriented) so they have the parents and the children, and they buy for the week or three days. Now we're looking at typical customers that'll come and buy day-to-day," Alcauter said.
Alcauter doesn't have a firm opening date, but he's hoping to get set up in about 90 days.
Dos Hermanos will also open downtown at 16 North High Street. The Mexican eatery has several permanent locations, including in the North Market on Spruce Street, as well as a handful of food trucks.
"We try and get down here with our food trucks as much as possible, but now we're gonna be right in the heart of downtown where it's growing and it's vibrant and there's festivals," owner Lisa Gutierrez said. "It allows us again to have the community inside and be able to share a meal with us."
Gutierrez said the new location will serve alcohol, which is different from its other restaurants and trucks.
Bankston compared downtown Columbus to the city's beating heart that feeds the arterial neighborhoods. He said downtown needs to stay strong, and that means adapting.
"We can't rely on downtown simply being a place that people go to work. It has to be a neighborhood of choice," Bankston said.
Toro Meat Market and Dos Hermanos are part of phase two of the Ground Floor Growth program. The city helped four other businesses open their doors during phase one: Black Kahawa Coffee and Little Cat Boba on East Broad Street, and Evolverie Clothing and Quality Wellness Performance and Coaching on North High Street.
Bankston said one other business from phase one will be announced soon.
