For the last few years, several developers and business owners have attempted to pull the trigger on a grocery/retail store amidst the steady revitalization of downtown Hattiesburg.
Turns out that idea will come to fruition thanks to Rebekah Castilaw, who is set to bring the upcoming Sincerely Grocery to the former Prospect on Main building at 524 Main Street. Although no exact opening date has been set in stone, the store is expected to open some time this fall at the location, which is currently being renovated.
“It has been a long time coming,” said Castilaw, who serves as CEO and president of the project. “I used to work downtown for a few years, and I was always so frustrated because currently I live in west (Hattiesburg).
“It was hard for me to justify driving home every day to do lunch, and then it was difficult because I love the restaurants downtown, but I could not eat there every single day. So I wished that there was some ‘in between,’ and at some point I thought that if no one else is going to do it, then why won’t I do it?”
Sincerely Grocery will feature a large range of items, from the ordinary to specialty gifts.
“I try not to put it in a large box, so that everyone has an opportunity to shop there,” Castilaw said. “I’m very big on (the idea) that everyone deserves access to food, and we are a food desert (in downtown Hattiesburg).
“So having that there and making sure the price points are reasonable for the products (is important). We are going to be working with Coca-Cola, so we’ll have the regular stuff that you see (at other groceries), but we also want to lean in to some of the specialty stuff.”
That includes items like local honey and seasonal produce, along with basic items such as eggs, milk and bread.
“I think my inventory is going to be pretty well rounded; there will be essential home goods like toiletries and dish detergents and things like that,” Castilaw said. “And then we’ll have gifts – we’re going to lean into that heavy … and you can get things for Father’s Day coming up, and things like that.”
The building will offer approximately 2,000 square feet of shoppable space upon opening. Castilaw said she came upon the location after attending a recent meeting of the Downtown Hattiesburg Association, where Andrea Saffle – the executive director of that organization – discussed possible locations for such a business.
“I was looking for a leasable spot, and there wasn’t anything I could find,” Castilaw said. “It just so happened that (property owner) David Shemper was there that day, and he said ‘actually, I’m renovating this building on Main Street if you want to come look at it.’
“So that was almost two years ago, and we’ve been working on this quite a while. David has been an incredible person to work with. But otherwise, I knew I wanted to be on Main Street, or Front Street, or Pine Street – in that area, because that is the most traffic and they’re opening (several other things) there.”
Castilaw said so far, she has received a good bit of positive feedback on the upcoming grocery location.
“I have not heard anything to the contrary,” she said. “I know for me, as someone who doesn’t live down there but works down there, it’s hard to find something walkable like that.
“(For example), if you need Tylenol and don’t have access to it, you have to get in the car and drive, which isn’t a huge deal, but you don’t want to have to take your time and gas to do it. So that’s a big deal to people just working down there, and the people living down there have just been so gracious about it.”
