soHza sister Boutique’s new storefront extends a business built around fair-trade goods and women’s producer groups. The boutique, founded by three sisters in 2013, has opened at 105 W. Elder Street in Cincinnati’s Market District, adding a second brick-and-mortar location and its first within Findlay Market’s Over-the-Rhine footprint.
The business had been part of the Findlay Outdoor Market for more than a decade before moving into the new space, according to an official Findlay Market listing. The boutique marked the opening Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks from boutique and market representatives, live music and brunch, as reported by WKRC. A public grand-opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with tarot readings, Reiki sessions, live music, hourly raffles and a free dragonfly tote bag for the first 50 purchases of the day, according to a Findlay Market event listing.
Co-owner Debbie Lupariello said the additional location would let the boutique deepen its community roots and continue its work supporting women in Cincinnati and around the world, according to WKRC.
A Fair-Trade Business Rooted at the Market
The shop sells fair-trade jewelry, clothing, handbags and accessories made by women’s groups around the world, WKRC reports. It says it has partnered with 22 fair-trade co-ops in more than 11 countries and donates to a local nonprofit for women, according to its About Us page. The business also focuses on supporting local nonprofits serving women and children.
The new storefront gives the business more room to display merchandise and share the stories of its creators, according to WKRC. soHza sister Boutique also lists a location at 124 W. Pike St. in Covington, Kentucky, on its company website.
Part Of A Broader Market Pipeline
The move from vendor stall to standalone shop echoes a pattern at Findlay Market, where other concepts that used the Findlay Launch accelerator have graduated into permanent storefronts, including Cuban restaurant Chacabanas and Jamaican concept Jay's Nyam & Jam, both of which tested their offerings inside the market before expanding, according to earlier Hoodline coverage. Findlay Market itself is described as Ohio's oldest continuously operated public market and one of Cincinnati's most cherished institutions, located in Over-the-Rhine, according to the Project for Public Spaces.
Another Findlay Launch graduate
The Empanada’s Box offers another example beyond Chacabanas and Jay’s Nyam & Jam: Spectrum News 1 reported that the Findlay Launch participant opened its first independent brick-and-mortar location in Covington in June 2022. That report documents the program connection and the move into a permanent location, but does not specify which particular forms of support the program provided.
For now, the focus is on Saturday's celebration, where shoppers can browse the expanded storefront, enter hourly raffles and pick up a free tote with early purchases. The addition gives soHza sister Boutique a permanent foothold just steps from the market stalls where it built its following over the past decade.
