[ShareTompkins] Bloom is a great new business

Fri Nov 30 04:12:43 UTC 2012

Hi everyone,

I'm pleased to announce that a new business I co-own is open. Please read
our press release and consider joining us for a ribbon cutting on
Wednesday, December 5 at 11:30!

Thanks,
McKenzie

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: McKenzie Jones-Rounds

Tel: 607-272-2012

Cell: 717-903-4871

Email: mckenzie at bloominithaca.com

BLOOM NOW OPEN ON ITHACA COMMONS

Family Focused Store Offers Ethical Clothing And Toys For Children and
Women, Plans Underway To Expand Artful Play Place By New Year

The Ithaca community welcomes Bloom in Ithaca, LLC, a new family centered
business to the Commons. Located at 134 East State Street, Bloom employs a
unique business model by combining a retail store with a play area for
children. All of the clothing and toys found in Bloom, which are targeted
toward 2-8 year old boys and girls, are either made in America, fair trade,
organic, recycled, or handmade. Responsible sourcing of merchandise is a
priority for business owners Draya Koschmann and McKenzie Jones-Rounds,
both mothers to young children. The store also offers a selection of
women’s clothing that is ethically produced and appropriate for before,
during, and after pregnancy.

Bloom was created in early 2012 as a response to the Downtown Ithaca
Alliance’s Race for the Space competition. Koschmann and Jones-Rounds, with
the help of friends, family, and professionals, developed the idea and an
accompanying business plan after years of wishing that Ithaca could host an
indoor playground that is walkable for downtown residents, aesthetically
and developmentally pleasing to caregivers, and fun for children. Bloom was
chosen as a finalist in the Race for the Space and received invaluable
support from the Downtown Ithaca Alliance during the set-up of the new
business. Mary Kane, the property owner, and Gary Ferguson, the executive
director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, have agreed to a matching rent
subsidy for several months. Koschmann and Jones-Rounds are very grateful
for the support that they have received from local professionals and the
community at large.

Black Friday was the first day that Bloom opened its doors to the public
and shoppers were pleased with the new store. The play place, which
incorporates an indoor playground made by a small company in Maine, is set
to be open near the beginning of 2013. While January is often a slow time
for retail, Bloom owners expect that the play place will generate a lot of
excitement when it is complete after the holidays. Koschmann and
Jones-Rounds anticipate that the two components of the store will
complement each other well. Similar to other stay-and-play models seen
around the country, caregivers will be able to pay a small fee for their
children to enter the play area. Adults are welcome to shop while children
play or instead relax in the play place and enjoy wifi and coffee or tea.
Healthy, prepackaged snacks will be available for purchase. Bloom is
intended to be a comprehensive family gathering space that is comfortable
and enjoyable for children and adults alike. Art lessons, music classes,
birthday parties, and homeschool gatherings are just some of the events
that Koschmann and Jones-Rounds anticipate Bloom hosting. The ultimate goal
of the play place is to create a gathering space for families with young
children who are interested in an artful and comprehensive play experience.
The play place at Bloom will be the only one of its kind in downtown
Ithaca.

The new business has already garnered public enthusiasm and support and
will become a destination for downtown families and visitors. Fans of Bloom
on Facebook express that the store looks “awesome” and “amazing.” Some
customers have already expressed interest in cyber shopping with Bloom.
While the owners are currently focusing on the physical presence of the
business, they do anticipate becoming an online marketplace for beautiful,
responsible, high quality play clothes and things in the future.

Koschmann and Jones-Rounds are excited for this new venture and hope to
provide the Ithaca area with valuable products and services. They are
honored to be in the company of such well respected children’s stores as
Mama Goose, Alphabet Soup, Cat’s Pajamas, and Jillian’s Drawers. Bloom
intends to offer a business environment that fills a void not otherwise
being met in Ithaca with  new clothes and toys for older children that are
sustainably and ethically produced. Bloom will maintain holiday hours
through December. Please visit www.bloominithaca.com for details.

###

If you would like more information about Bloom, or to schedule an interview
with McKenzie Jones-Rounds, please call McKenzie at 717-903-4871 or email
mckenzie at bloominithaca.com.

-- 
McKenzie Jones-Rounds, MS

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative, Inc. <http://ithacabiodiesel.org> President
Aurora Pocket Neighborhood,
Inc.<http://newearthliving.net/what-we-do/aurora-dwelling-circle/>
 President
Bloom in Ithaca, LLC <http://bloominithaca.com> Co-owner
City of Ithaca Planning and Development
Board<http://www.ci.ithaca.ny.us/boardscommittees/pdb/index.cfm>
 Member

713 N Cayuga St
Ithaca, NY 14850
717-903-4871
grasswriter at gmail.com
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