In the last year, many businesses in Stuart have opened, or changed hands, and have really thrived.

Stuart Chamber member Nate Westre says that the amount of businesses that are open and serving the public is higher now, than it has been for a while. He mentions a few of the businesses that have helped breathe life into the downtown area.

“So Stuart really has seen some fantastic growth. There’s a lot of excitement downtown. We’ve got some new retail shops, a home goods store. Reagan Doely and Doe-A-Deer has kind of become a cornerstone of a lot of this activity. Katie’s, you know, Stuart Flowers & Gifts brings a lot of people to town. They’re doing a great job. The Cup on 2nd, the coffee shop, The Scoop, you know, the ice cream and pizza place. A lot of these new businesses are really flourishing and bringing a lot of traffic to Stuart and then helping to showcase some of the other businesses that we have in town that maybe don’t get the publicity or the walk-in traffic that you might see for a retail shop.”

Westre tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the vibrance from the new shops in the downtown area have really helped out the town, especially when it comes to holding new events, and making traditional celebrations more exciting.