Couple moves full steam ahead with new Milton businesses

Amy Conroy's nautical connections started when she was a little girl.

The Milton native grew up less than two miles from Milton's town center, raised by her mother and fisherman father.

Conroy and her husband of 10 years, Patrick, recently decided to open a business paying tribute to Amy's nautical roots: WineKnot Shop at 113 Union St., Suite F.

“I wanted to take a stab and try something we like,” Amy said. “Everything fell into place at the right time.”

The store is one of Delaware Economic Development Office's Project Pop-Up locations, which provides the entrepreneurs with three months of free rent and coaching classes for opening a new business. Project Pop-Up is in its third year of operation, with additional sites in Middletown, Milford and Wilmington.

Milton jumped on board with Project Pop-Up with two locations in 2013. Last year, the program supported 302 Fitness and Milton Wellness Center, which still operate in downtown Milton.

“There's no other place to start it than Milton because of Amy's roots here, and we never would have done it without Project Pop-Up,” Patrick said. “The DEDO program has been wonderful to us.”

In addition to opening WineKnot Shop, the couple is taking advantage of another available space next door for Patrick's previously home-based business, P.C. Rods. They'll be knocking down a wall to combine two stores in one, selling a variety of nautical and wine-inspired gifts at WineKnot Shop and offering fishing rod repairs and custom rod builds through P.C. Rods.

WineKnot Shop and P.C. Rods are joining Hillary Reid's Nest Spa & Boutique as Milton's qualifying Project Pop-Up businesses slated to open in October. One additional storefront still is available at 107 Federal St.

“I'm really excited for Milton,” said Ken Anderson, director of entrepreneurial and small business support for DEDO. “I've seen an interest for populating business in the downtown of Milton in the last 2.5 to 3 years that I haven't seen before. I think Milton's really making a move to transition their downtown.”

Amy and Patrick said the outpouring of support from the local community and neighboring business owners has been overwhelming, as well.

“I've never felt so welcome,” Amy said. “It's very refreshing to have so much support.”

WineKnot Shop will include wine-inspired art, beer and bourbon decanters, antiques, collectibles, locally made arts and crafts, and repurposed pieces, like mosaic flower pots and books turned into clocks, one of Amy's favorite craft projects. The store also will fill special orders for items like painted wine glasses, ornaments and beer bottle cap tabletops.

“I see something, and I want to make it something else if there's no use for it,” she said.

WineKnot Shop also will have a presence down the street, with second-floor space at Mercantile, and the Conroys hope to expand to another location in Lewes.

Milton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Sumstine said WineKnot Shop will fill a gap in retail establishments for the town.

“One thing we've really been lacking in our town is retail,” Sumstine said. “The WineKnot people are a little artsy, with some original art, but they have more than that. I am starting to see an emerging artist community in our town, and we're excited that WineKnot could be part of the foundation of that. It's something with character, and we certainly do have character in Milton.”

Amy and Patrick said the store isn't just about making money, though.

“We want to give back to this town because this town has been great to us,” Patrick said.

In addition to providing a downtown retail option for local shoppers, the Conroys are doing their best to shop local. They avoid charging consignment fees for local artists, and are planning to offer children's art classes and provide some fun, free perks to passersby, like sidewalk chalk for children and free hot chocolate during the cold winter months.

“There's also a big feeling of joining together, because normally in a business situation, it's all competition and it's all cutthroat, but everybody around here wants each other to succeed so badly,” Patrick said. “As much as the landlord wants space filled, he wants us to succeed. It was a no-brainer that this is what we're doing.”

For more information about WineKnot Shop or P.C. Rods, call 302-664-1817 or 302-228-2050, email wineknot21@yahoo.com, visit wineknotshop.com, which is still under construction, or visit the stores at 113 Union St., Suite F and Suite D, in Milton.