TRYON – Empty storefronts in downtown Tryon have some residents concerned, while others say businesses are arriving and extended store hours are planned.

The Tryon Tourism Development Authority (TTDA) met Monday, Sept. 12 and discussed a recent Facebook thread that included both negative and positive comments about Tryon. There have been 75 people so far who have commented on the thread, some with numerous replies. 

The thread began on the public site “Columbus, NC; Landrum, SC; Tryon, NC; Asheville, NC, Western NC” on Facebook on Aug. 22 with a post from Linda Stenzel. 

Stenzel said she was recently upset driving through Tryon at the amount of businesses that have left the town.

“Tryon Thoughts: As I drove through Tryon today on my way to IGA, I was quite upset with the amount of businesses that have left the town, yet again,” said Stenzel in her post. “I moved to the area about 7 years ago, and have seen so many small wonderful businesses come and go. I know why some have gone, regarding the management and their staff and the lack of professionalism and consistency, but for the most part, there have been some great people running wonderful businesses.”

Stenzel asked for people’s experiences on the thread, asking for people to not be specifically named. She said she saw at least 10 storefronts empty in Tryon, calling it unacceptable.

“…and if people are to invest in our community, I think they need to know the do’s and don’ts for our area so that they make their business…BETTER. Thoughts?” Stenzel asked the online community.

Others quicky chimed in with comments including that rents may be too high.

Becky Merrill-Collins said it seems like nothing is open after 6 p.m. or on Mondays.

“If someone is from out of town and took a long weekend they don’t leave till Monday or even Tuesday morning,” Merrill-Collins said.

Claire Batson Walker said nothing seems to be open on Sunday either.

While Margaret Boehning said she thinks it’s kind of charming that some stores are closed on Sunday.

During last week’s tourism meeting, board chair Michaila Cowles said all the town can ask is for businesses to be open and for the town to encourage people to be open.

Cowles said the last three Sundays the coffee house, Huckleberry’s and Vines have been open.

“We are promoting all these people to come to Tryon, but once they do we need places for them to stay, places for them to eat,” said Cowles.

Tryon Town Manager Zach Ollis mentioned the Facebook post that talks about the empty businesses downtown. He said three of them, speaking of the Missildine’s renovation, are currently empty.

“They are looking at staying open past 7 (p.m.),” Ollis said. “That’s obviously going to expand foot traffic. That will gradually move outward.”

Ollis also said with some buildings, it’s not the fault of the tourism board, or the town, or the Tryon Downtown Development Association (TDDA) that a building is in a certain situation. 

Tourism board member Doug Arbogast said downtown is the fullest it’s been in the last 10 years. He said the same complaints have been going on for the last decade. Arbogast said until somebody wants to buy a building, there’s nothing that can be done about it.

Tourism board member Dan Ferebee said it seems like everything’s happening in Landrum and Saluda.

“They’ve got it right,” said Ferebee. “So why do they have it right? They have proper shops to shop in that people want to go there.”

Ferebee said the town needs to figure out what needs to go in all the vacant properties. He suggested having a professional come in to analyze what business would be best to go where.

Arbogast answered that the town already had a study on that. He mentioned having a hardware store in Tryon would have to be a nonprofit because they can’t compete with big box stores.

Tracey Daniels, with the Coffee House Co-op, said the coffee shop has been open seven days a week for 17 years.

TDDA Director Jamie Carpenter said there is an effort now to get businesses to stay open later.

“Several of the vacant storefronts will welcome new businesses this fall,” Carpenter said later last week. “In partnership with the Town of Tryon, TDDA has been using all resources available to seek grant funding for building improvements and to provide incentives to open a new business. We’re not only encouraging retail storefronts, but entrepreneurs who could use the upper level space for offices.

“Additionally, downtown retailers have agreed to stay open late on Fridays through December, and are encouraged to offer Sunday hours as well. This is a small step, but with the support of our local residents during the extended hours, it will really help in their ability to thrive and continue to extend evening and weekend hours.”

A man in the audience at the tourism meeting said the conversation at the meeting is awesome. He said he thought the overall impression was enthusiastic, adding that people will patronize downtown.

Christine Cowles said there were 89 total threads on Facebook with most people in their 30s and 40s. She said a lot of them work, so Sundays and evenings is when they want to come to town.

New businesses are scheduled to begin occupying the three buildings that have been vacant since Tryon Federal relocated in 2006 at the corner of Oak and N. Trade St. beginning on Oct. 1 when major renovations are complete.