Retail establishments continue to emerge along the once-industrial west side of Washington Avenue, with Breezy’s – a combination of marketplace, deli, and smoothie shop – set to open this winter.

This venture represents an evolved version of an original plan by the business owner, Durkin. Initially, he had envisioned expanding the commissary and establishing a packaging and shipping center for his existing establishments, Porco’s Porchetteria & Small Oven Pastry Shop. These currently share a kitchen and pickup window at the corner of 22nd and Washington.

However, after plans to occupy the second floor of the building fell through and local brokers OCF proposed a ground-floor spot in their new development across the street, Durkin reconsidered his approach. He aimed to create a new concept that wouldn’t directly compete with his existing businesses.

As a result, nearly half of the 1,880-square-foot space of Breezy’s will be dedicated to customer-facing areas, divided among the market, deli, and smoothie shop sections.

Despite being a small, independent business, Breezy’s is targeting pricing slightly lower than the larger Sprouts chain, located nine blocks east at Broad and Washington. The product range will vary, featuring high-end items like artisanal potato chips alongside more common brands like Herr’s.

The inclusion of a smoothie shop serves a dual purpose. Not only does it offer a unique aspect to the business, but it also utilizes surplus produce from the market.

Durkin, who has considerable experience in opening restaurants, notes that Breezy’s is his first project where he has overseen every detail, from floor design to financing. He admits that securing funding remains the most challenging part of the process, a hurdle he is still working to overcome.