With all of the folk art, food and other attractions found in the 400 booths that line North Fourth Avenue during the annual Spring Street Fair, it is easy to miss the changes that have taken place in the brick-and-mortar shops on either side of the festivities.
Many of the businesses found on Fourth between East University Boulevard and East Ninth Street have grown and evolved in ways that might not be readily apparent without taking a closer look.
Locales such as Plush and the Food Conspiracy Co-op have undergone extensive renovations in recent years.
Another popular spot, Café Passé at 415 N. Fourth Ave., increased dramatically in size when owner Sabine Blaese took over the shop next door in 2010 and turned a large chunk of it into a beer garden and lounge.
Blaese expanded further by building a full bar in the patio area's former storage shed last summer.
If all goes according to plan, she hopes to open a second coffee station by year's end in an effort to ease waits during high traffic times.
"Sometimes we have a good sized line out the door," Blaese said. "A second station will help with that. It's a work in progress."
John Sedwick, the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association's executive director, said that despite the streetcar construction, which shut down segments of North Fourth for months at a time, the avenue has had minimal vacancies.
Several of the businesses along the strip, 85 of which belong to the association, used the downtime to invest in their own infrastructure.
"I think our merchants are coming back," Sedwick said. "They were pretty down for a while, but we are now up and growing."
Pop-Cycle Expands
The owners of Pop-Cycle, the upcycled art shop at 422 N. Fourth Ave., took advantage of the modern streetcar construction closures by growing in size.
DeeDee Koenen, Jennifer Radler and Shannon Riggs nearly doubled their retail space last September by moving the studios where they create their unique works from the back of the building into the store's garage.
That provided more room for sellable inventory, things like mirrors, boots, signs made from license plates and quirky wooden art pieces with colorful imagery inspired by Mexico and Tucson.
"It was something we always knew we wanted to do," Riggs said. "It just required moving things around like a game of Tetris."
In keeping with the theme of their shop, they used recycled materials such as leftover paint from the HabiStore, and reclaimed wood for the build-out.
"People seem to like it," Riggs said. "We were so tightly packed before. We still have a lot of product, but it is more open. People spend more time here. It doesn't seem so cramped."
Riggs said the next step for Pop Cycle will be new signs.
They also are working on a stronger online presence, but after such a huge expansion, "we are probably good for a while," she added.
New Market influenced by New England charm
If you find yourself at the south end of North Fourth, pop into The Hopyard, one of the newest additions to the neighborhood.
The market and deli, at 210 N. Fourth Ave., next to The Shanty, opened Friday in the old home of the Preen clothing store.
It offers a range of meats, fresh vegetables, cereals, toiletries and other traditional market fare.
Owner Allison Crist, a Tucson resident since 1995, wanted a space that would serve the growing community.
"We have all the student housing moving in and the streetcar will stop right out front," she said. "We thought this place might add a nice family feel to the area."
The storefront is brimming with Connecticut charm, the state where Crist grew up.
It serves New England-style grinder sandwiches, not subs or hoagies.
Tables are set up for people to dine in, which is a common thing for markets back East, Crist said.
Even the name, The Hopyard, refers to The Devil's Hopyard State Park in East Haddam, Conn.
Crist, whose background is in counseling and catering, said they are still tinkering with the shop's offerings and look.
"I love people and socializing," Crist said. "Everything is so vibrant and busy down here."
Readable Roses
A.J. Hughes is giving street fair visitors the opportunity to stop and read the roses.
In January, Hughes opened the store Messages Remembered at 531 N. Fourth Ave.
The shop, a licensee of the company Speaking Roses, specializes in printing images and words on organic items, such as flowers, vegetables and fruits.
Hughes started the business in her Oro Valley home more than a year ago, but developed such a devoted clientele through word-of-mouth referrals and social-media promotion that she felt a storefront might be in order.
Moving to Fourth Avenue was a no-brainer for her.
"This is the city center," Hughes said. "This is where everything happens in Tucson. There is such an eclectic mix of people coming through day and night."
Hughes has more than 100 phrases customers can choose from for their roses. One rose takes about 15 minutes to create and costs about $5.25. A dozen is $63.
Custom images and messages are more, depending on what's requested.
Hughes said a business like this was right up her alley.
"I have always enjoyed making cards, even as a kid," she said. "This kind of takes things one step further."
Hughes said she has created flowers for just about every occasion, including birthdays, graduations and anniversaries.
"I like hearing the personal stories involved with the business," she said.
Delectables Draws eclectic crowds with renovations
After having one of the slowest summers in recent memory, due primarily to the streetcar construction, Delectables management decided to change things up last fall.
It sold some of the antique furniture that sat on display in the lobby and doubled the size of the kitchen, adding equipment like a second stove and grill.
It also tripled the size of the bar in an effort to attract a younger clientele.
The expanded kitchen allowed Delectables to open for breakfast seven days a week.
"With all of our lunch prep, we weren't able to do that before," said general manager Christopher Baldwin.
The bar provided a way to tap into Fourth Avenue's active nightlife market.
The restaurant expanded its alcohol selections to include beers on tap, and a larger variety of flavored vodkas and liqueurs.
From there, Delectables After Dark events on Friday and Saturday nights were born.
Fridays are reserved for a rotating collective of electronic DJs.
Saturdays are open-mic hip-hop nights.
Baldwin said the changes have done wonders and brought different crowds to the restaurant.
"There is not much electronic music or hip-hop on Fourth Avenue," Baldwin said. "This gives us a bit of a unique flavor."
If you go
• What: The Fourth Avenue Spring Street Fair.
• When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday.
• Where: North Fourth Avenue business district.
• Admission: Free.
More to explore
• Magpies Gourmet Pizza, 605 N. Fourth Ave., installed a bocce ball court and bar in its front patio area last fall as part of a rebranding effort launched by local restaurateur Jason Anderson.
• The Surly Wench Pub, 424 N. Fourth Ave., rolled out new hours in January. The bar opens at 11 a.m. daily for lunch service.
• The performance plaza at 316 N. Fourth Ave., south of Rustic Candle, was dedicated to longtime Fourth Avenue business owner Michael Haggerty Sunday. Haggerty and his wife, Mimi, owned the Piney Hollow bead and jewelry shop for 36 years. Haggerty died in March of last year at age 81.
• The Food Conspiracy Co-op, 412 N. Fourth Ave, built a new kitchen in 2012 and is putting it to good use, cranking out organic muffins and bagels daily, in addition to offering hot food and salad-bar cuisine.
Pop Cycle hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. More info: 622-3297 or popcycleshop.com The Hopyard hours: For now, the market is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays and 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays to accommodate the bar crowds. More info: 300-6256. Orders for personalized flowers can be made at the store, at messagesremembered.com online or by calling 622-7673. Delectables hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays. More info: Visit delectables.com for more information. Contact reporter Gerald M. Gay at ggay@azstarnet.com or 807-8430
