As the 10th fastest-growing municipality in North Carolina, Wake Forest is not only steeped in history and Southern charm, but equally rich in innovation and forward-thinking. Evidenced by the continually growing commercial and residential base across the town, new businesses and people are drawn to this community daily. Today, Wake Forest enjoys all the benefits of metropolitan living, yet has carefully maintained its small town charm and an unmistakable identity.
But how is Wake Forest so successful in balancing the development of a big city energy with the charm of a small town? As simple and intangible as it sounds, it, quite simply, is community. Although Wake Forest has grown 253% in population since 2000, this town stays tightly-knit. Small businesses thrive by working, supporting, and collaborating with one another. Citizens contribute their talent, time, and resources to help their neighbors in need and support causes that make a lasting difference. Businesses intertwine themselves with the success of others. An infrastructure of innovation provides resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses to succeed by creating spaces and resources for growth, access, and more. In sum, this community as a whole cares about its people and their success.
In 2020, the Town of Wake Forest graduated from an annual Christmas parade to a multifaceted initiative that brings the community together in even more meaningful ways. Wake Forest Cares provides programs and events designed to help make a significant difference in the lives of local neighbors as well as the greater community.
This year, the Wake Forest Cares Holiday Donation Drive begins with the Holiday Kickoff on Saturday, November 13. The community can support one or more of the following initiatives:
These worthwhile causes each work to address specific needs in the community – whether it be hunger, home lighting and heating, tutoring, mentoring, safe spaces, and/or providing joy and hope during the holiday season and beyond.
Ranked in the top 5 most livable communities in North Carolina, Wake Forest offers multiple community events annually, providing a variety of outdoor markets, a vibrant historic district comprising a thriving downtown and walkable residential scene, and more.
Amidst the busyness of the annual kickoff to holiday shopping, Small Business Saturday celebrates local small businesses and helps the community thrive and stay vibrant. “Plaid Friday” is another way the Wake Forest community can support its local businesses. The name “Plaid Friday” celebrates the idea of “supporting local”. The plaid pattern represents weaving the individual threads of small businesses together to create a strong fabric that celebrates the diversity and creativity of independent businesses. A welcome alternative for many to “Black Friday”, Plaid Friday encourages people to do their holiday shopping with locally- and independently-owned businesses the day after Thanksgiving. Shopping small makes a big impact on the community.
One business thriving from the support of shopping small is White Street Boutique. Located downtown on – you guessed it, White Street! - the boutique houses a variety of local collections under one roof. A choice selection of vendors offer a unique collection of items, creating a diverse and distinctive shopping experience with often one-of-a-kind merchandise.
"The great thing about our boutique is our vendors are after the same goal. Our goal is to get customers to the door and give them a quality shopping experience,” said Marissa Shattuck, General Manager of White Street Boutique. “We have regular vendor meetings where we discuss ideas for the store and our vendors are always willing to help out to make the store successful. We even have a private Facebook group for them to collaborate at any time. Some of our vendors have been with us since the renovation process began, so they also feel a sense of ownership for White Street Boutique. They helped us from the ground up and each one of them not only wants their boutique to be successful but everyone else as well.”
Shattuck also added, “Wake Forest is about the people! The community and support that you feel from other business owners in town is something so unique. Everyone is rooting for one another. We are big on Community over Competition.” Shattuck, who chairs the Downtown Business Alliance, added “the core of what we discuss at those meetings are more ways to collaborate together and help bring people to all of our storefronts”.
When asked what will keep Wake Forest a small, charming town given all its growth, Shattuck said, “The support our community gives to small and locally owned businesses is what will help Wake Forest keep its ‘small-town’ charm. With increasing rental rates, your local businesses need all the support they can get to keep up. We are so lucky to have a diverse and unique downtown where you can shop, eat, drink, and play all within walking distance. You don't have to worry about Amazon losing your gift or holiday outfit in the mail. You can walk right in and support multiple small business owners under one roof.”
That charm is what provides Wake Forest with a special quality of life that has been all but lost in many other small southern towns. The quality of life offered to residents in Wake Forest is a driving force behind a pipeline of well-skilled workers and small business owners. No stranger to the charm in Wake Forest is Buck Buchanan, owner of Lumpy’s Ice Cream. Lumpy’s has been exchanging scoops for smiles since March 2012. In the nearly 10 years to follow, they have become the official ice cream of the Carolina RailHawks and can be found on freezer shelves across various Triangle and Triad area grocery stores and fresh food markets.
“The impact of our business and maintaining small-town charm - Lumpy’s, Shorty’s, B&W…we’re the epitome of small-town business,” said Buchanan. “Personal service and the slightly worn look of the buildings play a huge part in keeping our charm. Being able to respond and adjust to our customers’ wishes is something the chain stores cannot do.”
Buchanan spoke specifically on the collaborative efforts he has undertaken with nearly every downtown Wake Forest business throughout the years. “Recently, we worked with Norse Brewery and a bunch of other local businesses to help Tri-Area Food Pantry. Norse made a strawberry basil beer and Lumpy’s made a strawberry basil ice cream. [see 615 “Collabeeration”]. Both products were sold in our respective stores as well as other restaurants in town. A portion of each sale went to charity.” Buchanan often partners with Bodega Tapas, Wine and Rum. “Bodega’s owner, Serge, and I often collaborate to make different ice creams, including French Rum Raisin and Chanterelle Maker’s Mark.” Buck also mentions that Lumpy’s, Sweetie’s Sweet Shop, and a host of others help on a regular basis to not only raise money, but donate school supplies, Christmas stockings, and other necessities for Central Children’s Home of NC and the Masonic Home for Children, both orphanages in nearby Oxford, NC.
“The Downtown Business Alliance is a great platform for our local businesses to come together on a regular basis. On many occasions, one business will encounter a problem and the others will jump in to help,” said Buchanan. “For example, Main Street Grille’s freezer broke, they moved their inventory into Lumpy’s walk-in; or when Wake Forest Coffee Company loaned Lumpy’s a sanitizer fogger for Covid-19 disinfecting. Doc’s Garage & Wake Forest Autocare are always ready to help…small business owners in Wake Forest are awesome!”
How Wake Forest holds onto its small-town roots amidst all the growth truly is extraordinary. "The substantial amount of economic development Wake Forest has sustained over the last decade while still maintaining its small-town charm is a testament to the quality of life enjoyed, not only by our residents, but our businesses as well,” said Jason Cannon, President of Wake Forest Business and Industry Partnership. “What makes our community shine above the rest is the sheer amount of respect and support our businesses have for one another as well as the local following from loyal customers they enjoy. In a tight-knit community like ours, when one business succeeds, we all celebrate that success. The connections here between our businesses, particularly downtown, is unusual and remarkable.”
As the 2021 holiday season begins, please do your part to help “Wake Forest Cares” see success by giving to those causes the community is uplifting. For the gifts you need for those you love, shop small and support the local, independent retailers Downtown. There’s a high probability you will find something unique not available from a larger retailer, and when you invest in that local small business, take pride in knowing with confidence that your support is making a tangible difference in the lives of shop owners, their employees, and the Wake Forest community - one that truly cares.
