New antique and boutique mall prepares for March open

By: Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- A new business aiming to bring the St. Joseph community together is set to open in just a few short months.

Polished Porch Antique & Boutique Mall, owned by Ashton Burton and her cousin Erika Frieden, is slated to open in early March.

Located at 3601 Frederick Ave., the small business will provide a new shopping space for local entrepreneurs and vendors looking to sell their antique and boutique products.

"It's basically a bunch of small businesses under one roof. So some people make handmade crafts, and some people have antiques. Some people have, like boutique items, they do, and basically, if they don’t have a storefront or they're just wanting to get it started. They rent space here, so they will have a bunch of booths in that's their business under one roof," said Burton.

The announcement of the duo's new business has gained a lot of traction. Since they posted looking for vendors about a month ago, interest has flooded in.

"Yes, daily, hourly. We were getting messages, I bet we have sent over probably 100 applications to people that have been interested," said Frieden.

Tara McPherson is one of those vendors who runs her small business, 'Sassin Sue's Fashion and Nena's Thrifty Finds' with her mother.

"My mother and I opened our shop a couple years ago, and it just a lot of overhead to run a shop on your own. and we just thought this was a perfect opportunity to get a booth somewhere and grow with the community," said McPherson.

Vendor space in the shop is going fast, but Burton and Freeden said if local vendors are interested, they can contact the business's Facebook or call the phone numbers listed on their ad: 816-294-3794 and 816-262-1043.