Our story
About us
The story of Marketplace on Main — locally owned, operated, and designed to support makers and small businesses.
Locally owned, operated, and designed to support up-and-coming small-business entrepreneurs, budding artisans, and talented makers and craftsmen, Marketplace on Main is a small-business incubator of sorts.
Our vision is to be a blend of small businesses in one brick-and-mortar location, selling the goods we make, create, or source. Our mission is to support each other as we grow as small-business owners, while providing an affordable option for selling their wares.
We opened our doors in September of 2023 after years of dreaming up this concept.
This dream is the brainchild of creative thinker Anna Firestone, the owner and operator. Former educator and instructional coach, her brain rarely stops creating and coming up with new ideas. Anna, who also owns two of the small businesses inside MPoM (Designs by Beverly and From the Heart Art), comes from a family of artists, makers, and entrepreneurs. Her vision for this store is to encourage and support others as they grow their own dreams, while providing the local community a unique one-stop shop to support local and regional artisans.
Being able to open this store is an answered prayer for Anna after facing her own health battle and being called to leave education and travel a different path. As the Lord grows this store and its reach, each of the vendors experiences successes of their own, while visitors rave about the atmosphere of our unique little brick and mortar on Main Street in the adorable small town of Gardendale, AL.
We seek to become the first-choice stop for gifts for any occasion. We offer local paraben- and paraffin-free candles from Dolce Vita Candle Co., frameable art and notecards by From the Heart Art, children's clothing with classic and original artwork from Designs by Beverly, and local gameday, mascot gear, and jewelry from Handmade Alabama, B's Tees, and Cozy Mama. Three local woodworking favorites — Lost and Found, Inscribed Laser, and The Grey Shed — always have a great selection of door hangers, leaners, and custom gifting items.
One storefront
An incubator on Main Street.
The Marketplace on Main is an incubator for small businesses. We aim to help build and grow other small businesses while we all share a brick-and-mortar storefront. Our boutique feel with an integrated shopping experience has an upscale feel with all of our local, smaller-community charm.
No need to drive over the mountain anymore for gifts, handmade and refinished furniture, handcrafted wares, and so much more — we have it right here in our own beautiful city. This will not be shopping in another booth-filled store. It will be shopping in a classy shop that supports and promotes artisans, craftspeople, and small-business entrepreneurs right here on Main Street in the heart of the city.
The people
Our wonderful employees
Anna Firestone
Owner & operator
Anna is the owner, operator, and all-around creative force behind Marketplace on Main. She is a former middle- and high-school educator and, most recently, an instructional coach of seven years. After completing her Ed.S. in Instructional Leadership, she knew the Lord was leading her to change paths completely.
In 2022, Anna began making those major career adjustments when her health also began to drastically impact her daily life. After much testing and searching, she received a diagnosis of hypogammaglobulinemia and a chronic case of shingles still lingering into fall of 2024.
She started Marketplace on Main from the ground up with a vision in her head and hope in her heart — that even if she couldn't be her 100% killin'-it teacher self anymore, she could still use her skills, talents, half-speed energy, and love for people to make a difference in her community. The Lord made Marketplace on Main possible around the same time He brought Designs by Beverly and From the Heart Art into her life. Anna also owns those two small businesses inside the shop.
Evie Gray
Team member · Charles Leslie Co.
Evie started working at From the Heart Art in December 2021 when it was based in Opelika, AL with the original owner and artist. She learned as much as she could about every aspect of the business.
She got married in 2023 and took the summer off to move to Birmingham. Once she saw that From the Heart had been purchased by Anna and moved to Gardendale, she contacted Anna about working for her — and she has been at Marketplace since it opened in September 2023.
Kristie Cupps
Team member
After recently retiring from the dental field, Anna asked if Kristie would be interested in helping at Marketplace on Main — of course she said yes. She enjoys working with everyone here and seeing new inventory each week. We have some very talented people in our community.
Kristie has been married for 29 years to her high-school sweetheart, and they have three boys. When she's not working, she enjoys spending time at the lake, camping, and reading.
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