Kim Redeker opened The Sweet Granada chocolate shop in Emporia, Kan., in 2004, in a storefront that had been vacant for years. By early 2020, the vacancy rate on Emporia’s Main Street corridor had dropped below 10%, compared with about 40% in 1991. As of today, a couple of Emporia’s businesses are shutting their doors for good. One Emporia official estimates that 20% of its Main Street businesses are at risk. Many small-town downtowns experienced something of a revival in recent years, thanks to businesses like Sweet Granada.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 04, 2020 17:48 UTC