Scottsville may be off the beaten path for most, but local entrepreneurs are finding it to be the perfect place to start and grow a business. Tucked in the heart of SOKY, the sweetest, small-town square has become a “honey hole” for thriving business amidst a global pandemic.
To visitors, a stroll around the Scottsville square may look like a lot of empty storefronts; but take a walk with a homegrown local and you’ll gain a very different perspective. They’ll be ecstatic to point out that a lot of once-vacant storefronts are now revived with fresh, new merchant activity the town hasn’t seen in years. The City of Scottsville is embracing that.
We can’t help but notice, the girls are taking over.
Hayes Bakes is one of those new merchants, a local bakery offering over-the-top cheesecake slices, cookies, cake pops and (our personal favorite) cheesecake shooters. When you pass their open doors, the sweet smell of sugar invites you in! A peek into the cases reveals the most beautiful, creative cheesecakes you’ve ever seen, alongside your all-time favorites.
Jordan Hayes is the reigning queen of cheesecake and a Scottsville native. She was earning a living at J.M. Smucker Company while baking out of her home after hours when she decided to leave her full-time job and start a new venture right in the middle of town. For many years she dreamed of having her own bakery, and during one of the toughest years small business has seen, she made it happen.
Jordan opened her doors in summer of 2020. At a time when not many things were deemed essential, Hayes Bakes consistently saw lines of patrons wrapped around the building, waiting to buy a slice. Jordan’s creativity inspires and excites patrons as they explore unique flavor combinations each week.
Just a short trip down the sidewalk you’ll find Oliver Creative, a boutique branding design agency by day and creative workshop host by night.
Ada Oliver, also a Scottsville native, left the corporate design world after more than a decade and founded Oliver Creative in September 2019. The dream was to create a branding agency founded on positive client experiences married with truly effective design. Her experience as art director, designer, photographer and traveler provided the perfect foundation on which to build the new creative enterprise.
Meanwhile, Hannah Brooks was meandering her way back home to Scottsville after 16 years in Charleston, South Carolina. While away, Hannah collected experience as designer, project manager, event planner and general chaos coordinator. She was surprised to find herself excited to return to Kentucky, energized by the change in pace and atmosphere.
After so many daydreams of working together over the years, the two cousins discovered an altogether new shared passion. A shared passion for applying all they learned while they were away in service to the local businesses and makers of their hometown.
They signed the lease on their first brick and mortar space, affectionately referred to as “The Studio,” in March 2020. Within days, the entire country was racked by the pandemic and the majority of business came to a screeching halt. Optimistically, the team kept moving forward.
Many nights you’ll find the duo at the studio teaching creative workshops, or simply sharing a pizza while working on a design project. Since opening, the studio has hosted over 20 workshops ranging from hand-lettering and painting to collaborations with local makers. The girls say the workshops are a way to remind people of the importance of creative expression and relaxation in everyday life! It’s their way of supporting community members that may not need their business services.
Among other female-owned businesses on the Scottsville square, Ivory Mill Hair Salon & Co., Beautiful You Cafe, McKinney Law, PLLC, Southern Kentucky Aesthetics, Be You Boudoir, and Honey Child Boutique opened and thrived during the pandemic.
This group of women is pioneering small-town revitalization during uncertain times, and they invite you to experience for yourself all that Scottsville has to offer!
On Saturday, May 15th, from 9am-1pm, join the Sweet Summer Block Party. Grab food from the cafe or a selection of local SOKY food trucks, and a slice of cheesecake from Hayes Bakes. Take a stroll down the sidewalk to meet local vendors offering their handmade goods for sale. Stop by The Studio to stretch your creativity with a mini creative workshop.
Scottsville is harnessing a contagious entrepreneurial spirit that you won’t want to miss!
-submitted by Sweet Summer Block Party
