Annual Cincinnati Unchained shopping brings new customers to small businesses

BELLEVUE, Ky. - Several dozen small shop and business owners across the Tri-State are hoping to count a little extra money in their registers thanks to the annual Cincinnati Unchained shopping event.

Small business owners in Bellevue, Covington and Newport, and north through Over-the-Rhine, Oakley and Montgomery joined together Saturday to promote special one-day offers to get more shoppers out of national retail chain stores and into their shops.

The Unchained Saturday shopping day comes a week before a national small business event called Small Business Saturday that will be held nationwide on Nov. 24.

Saturday's event made for a busy day at the Avenue Brew Coffeehouse in Bellevue. It had a steady stream of thirsty customers looking for coffee and hungry patrons looking for a breakfast or lunch deal.

"It's hard to make ends meet and people are just so used to going to the mall and shopping all the big chain stores," Avenue Brew co-owner Christine Marie Brondhaver said. "They don't realize that us mom and pops do the same thing the big chains do but at a more personal level."

Brondhaver has participated in the Cincinnati Unchained shopping event the last few years. She's noticed the event helps increase her business by introducing it to a broader group of people.

"It educates," Brondhaver said. "I think the biggest thing is the education. The education that Unchained gives to those who aren't educated about small business. I will do anything. I will do anything to help with the community."

Erin and Ford Knowlton are about to become new Bellevue homeowners. They're happy they discovered Cincinnati Unchained as well as the growing Bellevue business district.

"Instead of driving 30 minutes to some place, we can spend time developing relationships with those people who own the stores," Ford Knowlton said. "We'll be getting things that are more unique and from small businesses. It's great."

Across Fairfield Avenue, the home décor store Home Style had displays set up to lure in potential customers. Store owner Russ Shirley had two room displays on the sidewalk in front of his store entrance on Saturday.

"A lot of people come down here specifically for that," Shirley said. "They want to help out the small businesses and that's a great support for us."

For a full list of stores that participated in this years event, go to the Cincinnati Unchained has a website.