International Village’s year of change: A ‘new energy’ on King Street East
When they decided to open a small business downtown Hamilton in late 2020, Gastro Market co-owner Justine Wilk said people thought they were a little crazy."
But for Wilk and her husband and business partner, Anthony Zolkiewicz, the raging pandemic was just as much a huge blessing" as it was a curse.
COVID-19 shutting down businesses and forcing employers to cut jobs - including Wilk's and Zolkiewicz's teaching jobs at a Mississauga culinary school - made finding their International Village location easier. And when their produce market/takeout counter opened in November 2020 - replacing sandwich shop 193 Bench Kitchen - there were still so many for-lease signs up," Wilk said.
Their high-quality, sustainable market at 193 King St. E. did well out of the gate, but Wilk admitted that awesome prepared meals" were not going to drag folks out of their homes during a stay-at-home order. In the spring and summer, she said business got a lot better.
Now there's a new energy" on the street, she says. People are taking more of a chance" opening businesses.
In some parts of the International Village, all the new businesses might make the area unrecognizable to those who don't regularly visit.
Here is a small sampling of changing storefronts on King Street East:
- Cat and Bell Co. is a marketplace and studio featuring animal prints, pottery, stuffed animals, jewelry and more, by various artists. The shop at 223 King St. E. celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 7. The Cat and Bell Co. location was formerly Gameopolis, a board game cafe that closed at the end of December 2020.
- The Nuts Factory opened in the past year at 195 King St. E. It sells coffee beans, spices and preserves ... but mostly nuts. That storefront was vacant for several years.
- The businesses at 215 and 217 King St. E. used to be Jabronies Bar and Grill and the Fizz sodas and sandwiches (before that, Tony's Corner). Both of those are gone.
- 215 King St. E. is now the North Fork Eatery and Bar, a pub boasting partnerships with local farmers, breweries and wineries that opened in February.
- Next door at 217 King St. E. is Shuyi Tealicious, a bubble tea chain from China with over 10,000 locations worldwide. Shuyi Tealicious opened last winter.
Jeremy Kemeny is a Hamilton-based web editor at The Spectator. Reach him via email: jkemeny@thespec.com