Some Milford businesses making moves this season

By Logan B. Anderson
Posted 12/17/21

MILFORD — Two Milford businesses recently announced some major moves this holiday season. A spirit company bought a bank and Dover pet parents will get to buy gifts for their fur babies.

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Some Milford businesses making moves this season

Posted

MILFORD — Two Milford businesses recently announced some major moves this holiday season. A spirit company bought a bank and Dover pet parents will get to buy gifts for their fur babies.

Marissa and Zack King, the owners of Milford’s easySpeak Spirits, announced Thursday via Facebook that they have purchased the historic First National Bank and Trust building at the corner of North Walnut and Northwest Front streets in downtown Milford.

The new owners of the former bank building that has been vacant for a number of years said on Facebook that their plans may take a few years, “so stay patient.”

“We have big plans for this building — which we are choosing to keep quiet until the details are worked out,” the couple said in their post.

The Kings also own the Penney Square building diagonally across from the bank building. The couple have made many improvements to the downtown building this year.

The easySpeak restaurant/distillery opened in 2017. The Kings said they don’t plan to move that business any time soon. The couple said they want to have that establishment remain indefinitely at its current location on Del. 14.

The Kings aren’t alone in making recent businesses moves. The Shupes also revealed a big expansion of their pet-focused business.

On Dec. 3, the Downtown Dover Partnership announced that it was accepting applications for a business to be able to operate at 136 W. Lookerman St. in Dover as part of its last-minute pop-up shop initiative.

The program received 15 applications and Fur Baby Boutique owner Sherry Shupe was selected as the winning merchant.

Fur Baby has been operating in Milford for 10 years, and more recently opened Fur Baby Pet Resort that provides full-service pet services, such as daycare, boarding and spa grooming, as well as a retail component with natural pet grocery and human gifts.

Ms. Shupe will bring the retail component to the pop-up shop in Dover, including natural handmade treats, natural American-made toys, chews and fun, unique human gifts, and apparel for pets and pet lovers, too.

“I am so excited to partner with the DDP and to be able to occupy this beautiful, historic building in downtown Dover. And we want to hear what kinds of pet products the local audience would like to see,” Ms. Shupe said. She added that many Dover customers who frequent the Milford location have asked her to consider opening in the Dover area, so she believes she’ll be seeing some familiar faces.

On Monday, Ms. Shupe signed a lease through Dec. 31, and was also required to submit a fee of $200, a refundable security deposit and liability insurance, and has committed to being open at least three days a week for the short-term retail opportunity on Loockerman Street.

While a successful pop-up experience will allow her to take advantage of shoppers buying in the brick-and-mortar shop, Ms. Shupe’s active, social media interaction will bolster a potential longterm business in Dover. This holiday opportunity will allow her to test the market and the Dover location.

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