The Shoppes of Little Falls, located in the heart of downtown at 102 First Street Southeast, has been a staple of the Little Falls community for the past eight years. What began as a summer craft fair concept spearheaded by the local philanthropic couple Susy and Phil Prosapio and a few other local entrepreneurs has grown into a one-of-a-kind retail destination housing over 80 artisans, boutiques and small businesses under one roof.
On Monday, July 1, the Shoppes of Little Falls will have new ownership as married couple Shannon and Brett Clark officially take over the reins. Shannon Clark, a Little Falls native, first discovered the Shoppes of Little Falls in a chance encounter two years ago that would set her journey to ownership in motion.
“I had a boutique right across the street from the Shoppes,” Clark said. “I came in one day just to come shopping. I heard Susy in the back room, and she must have been having a meeting with people … Everybody was laughing. And I’m like, ‘Aw, I want to be part of that, too.’”
Clark approached Susy Prosapio about the possibility of becoming a vendor at the Shoppes of Little Falls. With renovations underway to expand the space, Prosapio was able to find room for Clark’s boutique. From there, Clark’s role gradually increased as she proved a natural fit for management.
“I worked two days a week,” Clark said. “Not very long after that, maybe like five months after that, I started working more and more hours, and then they needed a manager. So then I’m like, ‘Well, I’ll apply for the manager and see how that goes.’ So then I got that. And then it just kept spiraling.”
A lifelong Little Falls resident, Brett Clark works full-time at the Camp Ripley Fire Department and volunteers with the Little Falls Fire Department. With his mechanical skills and experience in public service, he was a natural support for Shannon Clark in her Shoppes of Little Falls endeavors.
The opportunity for ownership was first floated casually by Susy Prosapio last year. The Clarks jumped at the chance.
“She jokingly was like, ‘Oh, maybe you guys can purchase one day.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, that would be awesome.’” Shannon Clark said. “And then in March, she contacted us while they were on vacation. She’s like, ‘Do you want to have a serious conversation about you guys buying?’ … And we’re like, ‘Yeah, that’d be awesome.’ So then we had the conversation and then started working out all the details.”
“So this is like our kid now,” Clark said. “Our big baby.”
As the new owners, Shannon Clark will continue her managerial duties with both her and Brett Clark taking on additional responsibilities like building maintenance, payroll and finances. Brett Clark plans to help out where he can between his firefighting career, with tasks like bookkeeping, organization and filling in when needed.
“We’ll still have 80 vendors, boutiques and artisans inside the Shoppes, so it’s kind of like you have 80 small businesses under one building, which is a cool concept and I believe great for the community,” Brett Clark said.
Giving local artisans and entrepreneurs an affordable retail outlet is a big part of the Shoppes of Little Falls’ appeal for the Clarks. They want to foster that sense of community the business is known for.
“Because a lot of these small businesses, they maybe have started out with their own store, and they realize quickly how expensive it is to run a store,” Shannon Clark said. “So then we’re like, ‘Come on in.’ We’re a really good parent store to all these little businesses.”
The Clarks are eager to officially kick off their ownership with a celebration event on Saturday, July 13. In addition to a ribbon cutting, they will hold a live grill giveaway that day sponsored by Blackstone Grills.
Other future plans include hosting classes at the Shoppes and continuing involvement with the Chamber of Commerce.
For the Clarks, taking ownership of the Shoppes of Little Falls is a full circle moment as longtime Little Falls residents. They aim to carry on the Shoppes of Little Falls’ tradition as both a gathering place and economic driver in the heart of downtown. Under their stewardship, this popular community landmark looks poised for many more years of success.
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