Rochelle small business retail incubator “The Spark Shop” officially reopened Oct. 18, 2025, in the city’s historic filling station at 500 Lincoln Ave., Rochelle Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tricia Herrera said.

The Spark Shop opened in 2021 for businesses that are home-based but are looking to someday have their own brick and mortar location. Vendors fill the space for intervals selling merchandise. The idea was put together by the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, Rochelle Retail Advisory Board and the City of Rochelle.

Herrera said The Spark Shop was closed intermittently due to a shortage of vendors and volunteers to staff it. It has now returned after bringing in vendors from a wider area and finding a volunteer, Sarah Smith, to coordinate it.

“Just like any other project, it takes a lot of time, energy and commitment,” Herrera said. “All of those things kind of went up and down. We’ve had some great six-month stretches and some bad six-month stretches. It took finding a volunteer to take the lead on it. The project doesn’t have a huge budget. We’re very appreciative that the city lets us use the building for The Spark Shop. We’re ready to relaunch it this fall as we go into the holidays. It’s a perfect time. We’re excited.”

The Spark Shop currently has seven vendors, all selling different types of products, ranging from crafts to sweet treats to bread. Spark Shop vendors keep 100% of their proceeds, pay a vendor fee each quarter and are required to staff the shop 8-10 hours a month.

Spark Shop hours are Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Vendors include ShyNox Decor & More, Legacy Farms and Creations by Kate, CreaTiffity Sewing, Holy Grain, Watgen Warrior Family Farm, Cards by Kim and Jaime, and baked goods by Wendy Martinson.

“We’re really excited to relaunch this project,” Herrera said. “I’ve tried in many ways to get it relaunched and I think we finally have the combination that works. We’ve learned a lot from The Spark Shop, good and bad. The good is the vendors that are committed and want to see a business grow. We meet with them all and ask what their goal is. They all say they want a brick and mortar business. After a few months, I think they decide whether or not they really want that. That’s a win to know either way.”

Herrera said The Spark Shop’s mission is to mentor small business owners on having a storefront on a small scale. One of the retail incubator’s greatest successes so far was one past business owner that saw sales increase 700% while in The Spark Shop before moving into a mobile boutique.

“Right now, we just want to mentor these businesses and lift them up and teach them how this all works,” Herrera said. “And it benefits the community and gives us more retail. People always ask for more retail. Hearing that a business’s sales went up 700% in The Spark Shop is a good day. That’s when all of the downtimes become worth it. It works when you trust the process.”

Herrera said other communities surrounding Rochelle have tried to implement small business retail incubators like The Spark Shop and have seen the same issues such as staffing and filling them with vendors. Others have not seen the successes Rochelle’s has, she said.

The Spark Shop emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when there was more community-wide emphasis on supporting small businesses.

“That’s what keeps us going, we’re helping to grow, expand and add businesses to the community,” Herrera said. “That’s always our goal at the chamber. Small business is near and dear to our hearts. We had a lot of ‘shop local’ sentiment after the pandemic to support small business. We want to see that continue and get people in those doors.”