The Towns of Purcellville and Round Hill have evolved over the years and continue to grow together forming one big community. New small businesses have been welcomed into the towns recently. Flower, antique, and gift shops are the latest thriving on 21st Street and 5 East Loudoun Street.
Elsass is an antique shop that officially opened in July of 2023. Shoppers are welcomed to stop in on Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Elsass is located in downtown Round Hill at 5 East Loudoun Street and is an antique and furniture shop all in one. Pamela Graff, who owns the local store, is a solo business owner with French heritage through her family and husband. Graff uses this connection to sell things that most people do not see in these small towns. Her unique antiques come directly from France. Graff shared, ¨I shop from a very untapped part of France, where my husband and family are from. I wanted to create this store and to build a community. If someone walks into the store, I don’t want them to feel intimidated by the price tag or to not feel welcomed. I want them to feel comfortable buying anything.¨
She also sells candles, house plants and art, giving all customers a wide variety of options. Being a solo small business owner can be overwhelming at times, so Graff is grateful that her family also works at the shop and provides some extra support. Graff voiced, ¨I take everything as it comes, and having my family working there, I love that they work in my shop. My dad is 87 and works in my store every day. I want him to do this as long as he can because my customers love seeing him, and it gives him a purpose, so part of this is for my dad.¨
The newest addition to Purcellville is City Girl Floral, which officially opened on June 12, 2024. City Girl Floral is a one-stop flower and gift shop for everything from custom flowers arrangements and bouquets to jewelry, small gifts, candles and clothing. City Girl Floral business owner, Elizabeth Chand, shared how she found inspiration for starting her very own business. She said, ¨At first I was doing everything at my house before officially opening in Purcellville. I have always been artistic, and over time I kind of turned that artistic ability into making flower arrangements. Friends would ask me to do their baby showers and birthday parties, which eventually grew into weddings and then moving to Purcellville, where I opened City Girl Floral.¨ City Girl Floral is located at 130 N 21st Street, next to Bia Kitchen, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Despite the challenges of owning a small business, the rewards of owning one business can be immense. It provides the opportunity to create something unique, build a loyal customer base, and contribute to your local community. It is essential to acknowledge and address the difficulties they face on a daily basis, providing support and resources to help small businesses thrive in an increasingly competitive community. Chand voices, ¨Some takeaways I have from this is to just be you and also know that there is no perfect with owning a business, and sometimes I just have to go with the flow of things and give it my best everyday, even when things get hard.¨
Graff concluded, ¨My goal is to always be in Round Hill. I want [my shop] to be kind and accessible to everyone. I want everyone that walks in the door to know they are welcome here. I am not going to judge you and compare you to someone else. Everyone’s the same and I want Round Hill to stay that way.¨
Make sure you come visit these new businesses in our community. You never know how much your support can make an impact.