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    Pam’s Market Popcorn Unhappy with New North Market Hours

    While the public response about the North Market expanding operating hours has been generally positive on social media today, one Market vendor has taken to Facebook to express her displeasure with the news. A photo posted this afternoon on the Pam’s Market Popcorn page spelled out the letters “FOR SALE”, while a message dated February 15th went into more detail:

    “After 9 plus years of having Monday’s off we have less than 60 days left before they are Mandatory. I have requested to speak to the executive board who agreed to see 3 merchants. I failed to properly submit and outline and will next month. Everybody needs one day off it’s even written in the bible, instead of Sunday its Monday for me and my family. I love Columbus, I am where I want to be in The Market. To be continued.”

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    “Do I want to leave? No. Do I want stay? Yes,” business owner Pam Tylka clarified on the phone this afternoon. “I’m a very small business — it’s just me and my children. I’m a single mom with four children, and I can’t add more employees.”

    Tylka said that the recent decision to extend hours was made by the North Market Development Authority without specific input from her business. She said that she was asked to submit an agenda to speak to the Executive Committee, but failed to turn in the paperwork by the deadline.

    “We’re willing to listen to individual stories, but Pam did not produce an agenda or bullet point for the Executive Committee to review, so the opportunity was there,” said North Market Executive Director Rick Harrison Wolfe. “The expansion of Market hours has been in discussion for the past twelve years. Every piece of data we’ve collected has been heavily in favor — not unanimous — but in favor of extended hours.”

    Wolfe said that all merchants were surveyed recently about the expansion of Market hours, and roughly two-thirds of the respondents indicated that they were in favor of the change. He said that the North Market Development Authority’s vote mirrored the results of the survey.

    “Mondays were a sticking point for a few people,” said Wolfe. “Some said that this would be great for the whole market, but not great for them as individuals. But there’s not a single vendor here who doesn’t have at least one employee.”

    Tylka indicated that for some merchants, Mondays will not be profitable days of operation for their types of businesses. North Market staff has announced plans to help with marketing efforts to help draw shoppers earlier in the week, including an hour of free parking on Mondays in April when the change first takes effect.

    “There’s never been free parking here, so that alone is huge for people who don’t think they should have to pay to shop,” said Wolfe. “We’re doing promotions on social media, some Monday specials, and internal communications at Nationwide and AEP. If Nationwide alone knows that we’re open on Mondays, we’ll be fine. We’ve trained people not to come here on Monday, and now we have to retrain them.” 

    Tylka said that she has a lease at the North Market through September, and is not sure at this point if she will sell the business, close the business, or renew her lease in the fall.

    “I’m just going to roll with it and see what happens,” she said. “It’s going to be what it’s going to be. For now, I’m here through September.”

    For more information, visit www.northmarket.com and www.pamspopcorn.com.

    Note: Walker Evans served on the North Market Development Authority from Dec 2007 to Dec 2013.

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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