BUTTE, Mont. — When 5518 Designs opened up their little shop in Uptown Butte 10 years ago, things were looking pretty sparse here. But in that time, they’ve seen Uptown change for the better.
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“I’ll never forget the first day I walked into this store, and there wasn’t anything in it yet, and I kind of walked in, and I said, ‘Oh my God, what did we do?’” said 5518 Design owner Jon Wick.
What he and his wife, Cassie, did was run a successful gift and apparel shop for a decade. Before opening the business on Main Street, Wick was selling his graphic-designed apparel at Butte’s Farmer’s Market when he decided to go bigger.
“We took a look around town and saw empty storefronts, and we’re like, you know, maybe we’re the ones that can fill up one of these storefronts,” Wick said.
In that time, they’ve seen other small businesses start in Uptown.
“There’s real momentum happening right now, and I can feel it as a business owner. There’s more people on the street, there’s more stores opening,” Wick said.
Economic leaders are hosting a Small Business Saturday event Nov. 28 to encourage people to shop local.
“And see all the storefronts that are being put into use, and all the businesses that are welcoming customers in and thriving,” Headwater RC&D member Emily Schulte said.
Wick hopes his store will inspire others to start a business in Butte.
“My advice to somebody would be like, do it, try it, like reach for those dreams, and Butte’s the place to be dreaming. We’ve done it throughout history, and here we still are,” Wick said.
The shop will hold an anniversary party Nov. 7.
