Historic Downtown Ringgold held ribbon cuttings for two businesses opening last weekend: Above the Ridge and Uniktings!. Family, friends, and supporters of downtown came to welcome the two new retail stores to the historic Nashville St. shopping area. The two ribbon cuttings were held in conjunction with each other on Saturday to celebrate the grand opening of "Above the Ridge" and the opening of Uniktings! brand new location.
Above The Ridge owners, Brandon and Nina Shirey, welcomed new visitors into their store for the afternoon as curious shoppers browsed the wide selection of outdoor sporting goods. "We're an outdoor specialty shop...
we sell hard goods for outdoor recreation such as hiking, camping, rock climbing, biking, back-packing, running and a couple other brands that aren't necessarily related to outdoor recreation but are in that industry," explained Mr. Shirey "we've seen so many people in Ringgold out jogging or running with their dogs that we included a lot of pet friendly equipment as well." This is the Shirey's first brick-and-mortar store and their inspiration comes from their own family experiences in the great outdoors. "You can't go to a big retailer and get the same kind of advice or suggestions on what works and what doesn't out on the trail or on the water, because [large retailers] can't give you the same attention that we do in our store," explained Mr. Shirey.
Uniktings! a familiar retailer in downtown Ringgold, also had a grand re-opening at a new location just two doors down from "Above the Ridge" on Nashville St. Owner and operator Cindie Robinson opened her former location in May of 2007 and after expanding the variety of retail offerings, she has now expanded into a newly renovated space. "We've redone our floors and lighting and the entire way the merchandise is displayed and it really looks great," explained Ms. Robinson. Uniktings! offers various customizable print, embroidery and other accessories to create personalized gifts and apparel. Ms. Robinson has also been an active member of the Ringgold Downtown Partners, Ringgold's merchant association.
"Having a great, diverse mix of retail shops in downtown is vital to having a healthy local economy in Ringgold," explained Joseph Brellenthin, director of Downtown Development. "We have a lot of great projects going on and it's really a lot of activity for a small town, but these are the kinds of investments that can make a town a real destination for families to visit," explained Mr. Brellenthin. The City of Ringgold has recently undertaken projects to improve pedestrian access and walkability along the historic Nashville St. shopping areas and is working to renovate and redesign large portions of the recreation areas off Emberson Dr. Renovated facilities, new fields, playgrounds, and a canoe launch are planned to increase the time and activity around downtown for residents and visitors. "We have representatives from our major boards and the council down here to show people that the City is taking a very active role in promoting and sustaining a great quality of life in downtown Ringgold.
Above the Ridge is located at 7767 Nashville St. in Ringgold, and they are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information you can reach them at abovetheridge.com or by calling 706-935-2458.
Uniktings! is located at 7749 Nashville St. in Ringgold, and they are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information you can reach them atwww.uniktings.com or call 706-937-5252.