By Shelley Ridenour East Valley Tribune
If enthusiasm and optimism were guarantees for success, downtown Mesa would be a rockin’ place 24 hours a day.
But, it takes more than enthusiasm to ensure that businesses will prosper and people will want to hang out and spend money in a particular neighborhood.
A new group of business owners has found downtown Mesa and joined with longtime downtown staples in efforts to rebuild the downtown corridor.
Many of the new Main Street business owners are young and have opened shops that some people wouldn’t consider typical for a historic downtown. That list includes a brewery, a vaping lounge and e-juice manufacturer, a vegan restaurant, a toy bodega, a creative, cooperative shared maker space, a record store and a comic book store.
