Downtown Woodruff enjoying business boom

Main Street Woodruff is experiencing business growth it hasn’t seen since the textile mills were open.

In less than a year, three new businesses have opened on Main Street, and several existing ones have relocated there from other parts of the city.

The resurgence has led to increased interest from developers, said Alyson Leslie, community and economic director for the city of Woodruff. Since the start of 2017, developers have purchased several empty storefronts with the hope of bringing in new businesses, she said.

“A couple of the buildings downtown have been purchased just in the past few weeks,” Leslie said. “Even the ones that don’t have a business in them right now were recently purchased by someone who is buying up downtown. He’s putting work into each of the buildings and he owns a business himself, so he’s trying to recruit businesses to those buildings.”

That businessman, M.J. Farrah, has purchased five properties in Woodruff so far. Farrah said he originally was looking at property in Simpsonville, but was drawn to Woodruff's hometown feel.

Farrah owns a couple buildings on Main Street, including one with a barber shop and a beauty shop, and a gas station downtown that is being renovated for an ice cream shop. All of the businesses are run by local owners, which is important to Farrah. He wants downtown Woodruff to continue to have a "homey" feel to it.

"There is no big business here, and that's what I like about it," Farrah said. "Coming downtown is how you become more than a number. You actually get to know and see the owner."

Farrah chose Woodruff because it was on the outskirts of larger towns and because he could buy more property at a reasonable price. Farrah said he moved to South Carolina 11 years ago because the cost to buy and develop property in Detroit, where he's from, was so much higher.

Since he's been in the Upstate, Farrah said he's encountered more people who have left larger cities and are investing in property in smaller towns. He said as urban areas continue to get more congested, smaller places such as Woodruff are more appealing locations for development.

"The city is supporting this growth," Farrah said. "They have the economic development office, and Alyson (Leslie) is the secret weapon for that little town. She's always talking to people and networking with people. All five buildings I bought are because of her."

Amy Robbins and her husband, Greg, opened Gaither Ray’s on Main after taking part in the festival. Robbins said she fell in love with downtown Woodruff and decided to open her family’s business there.

As more businesses have opened nearby, Robbins said foot traffic at the restaurant has increased. The business owners work together, Robbins said, to drive traffic to each other’s establishments. Robbins said owners often recommend each other's businesses to customers.

“We’re always sending people down to the coffee house (Humble Grounds) or the winery (The Wine Gallery) and everybody tries to help,” Robbins said. “We all try to help each other out.”

Before Peachy and Posh moved to 121 S. Main Street, owner Tracy Sanders had a location outside the downtown area. Relocating to Main Street has increased her traffic, she said.

“As a business owner, it’s been very exciting to watch it happen and how quickly it’s been happening has been amazing, too,” Sanders said.

This story was originally published March 7, 2017 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Downtown Woodruff enjoying business boom."