The success of Itty Bitty Acres Country Decor & Gifts in Converse didn’t quite sink in for owner Tisha Prickett until she held an open house last year where so many people visited her business that she couldn’t find a single open parking spot near her.
Prickett, a Wabash County resident, founded Itty Bitty Acres in 2012 after developing an interest in fairy gardens.
In addition to selling fairy garden supplies, she now sells country house decorations and other gifts. Her business is also one of 10 places in the state offering the Lancer Homespun furniture line.
Her business is a testament, she said, that anyone can start a business, regardless of experience.
“Even when you come from nothing, with hard work, honesty and respect for your customers, you can build a business and a little legacy,” Prickett said.
Prickett is not the only business person to have found success in Converse, a town made up only 1,265 residents.
The small, rural town is packed with privately owned businesses old and new, such as Big Dipper ice cream, Marty’s Pub, Jefferson Street BBQ and more, which attract much attention from outside of the community.
“If you look across Indiana, there are a lot of towns that have taken in a hit in the last (few) decades,” said Steve Reiff, president of the Converse Economic Development Corp. “Part of Converse’s story is we’re hub of four counties and a lot of people pass through Converse. It’s surprising what location does for towns.”
Some of the town’s restaurants, like Marty’s Pub and Pizza King, have been in the community for more than 50 years. Others, like Jefferson Street BBQ, 101 N. Jefferson St., came in recent years and have already made an impact.
“We notice a lot of people coming to Converse just for (the food),” Reiff said. “I think that attests to the hard work of the owners and the employees and being able to serve good food.”
The restaurants, in particular Jefferson Street BBQ, have contributed to the success of non-restaurants too, local business owners said.
Ken and Debbie Ledbetter, for example, opened Ledbetter’s Grand Fudge Shop in 2015, believing they could sustain a fudge business based on the people visiting Converse restaurants and waiting 45 minutes in line at Jefferson Street BBQ.
Ken Ledbetter told the Chronicle-Tribune last week that maybe 90 percent of his business came from people out of town.
“People come to the town to eat,” he said. “We’re kind of a little destination town.”
Prickett said her clients come from a variety of places too.
“You don’t pull customers from just one town or community or county,” she said. “I have people who drive here regularly from Noblesville. I have a lot of costumers from over around Upland and Montpelier.”
Prickett said none of the downtown success would be possible without Reiff’s economic redevelopment efforts.
In December, four blocks on Jefferson Street, containing many historic houses and buildings, were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Reiff said the town partnered with Indiana Landmarks to research the downtown buildings and apply for the designation.
He said he hopes this National Register designation will open doors for more grants and economic redevelopment in the area.
Converse will continue to see new businesses open in 2017.
Julia Rogers plans to open The Red Rooster at 114 N. Jefferson St. on Friday. The business offers vintage antiques and other rustic items.
After working outside of Converse for a year, she said she was ready to come back.
“I love being in a small town, and I just want to be back where everyone knows who you are,” Rogers said. “It’s just a happenin’ little place.”