By Bill Parry
The Queens Economic Development Corp. is looking for a few good vendors. The agency will be opening a boutique pop-up shop and tourism center in Long Island City in June dubbed “MiQ” as an abbreviation for “MadeinQueens.”
The new 900-square-foot retail store, located at 27-24 Queens Plaza South, will offer handmade crafts, housewares, small batch artisan products and packaged food items while providing information on tourism, entertainment and restaurant options in the borough. Long Island City resident Michael Darouiche, a native of Lebanon who makes customized, handmade jewelry through his company De Dandy, has agreed to participate.
Other vendors will include an artisan leather crafter, a T-shirt designer, and various food and beverage makers from the Entrepreneur Space, the commercial kitchen that QEDC operates in Long Island City.
“In our constant efforts to generate economic development, we have noticed that many entrepreneurs simply need a place to sell their products,” QEDC Executive Director Seth Bornstein said. “MiQ solves this problem, and since it’s located in a booming neighborhood, we hope to get a steady stream of foot traffic.”
Vendors would pay $600 rent for two weeks or $1,000 for four weeks. For now, only New York state-based companies can participate and Queens manufacturers get priority consideration.
LiQ will rotate vendors monthly through spring 2017. For more information contact QEDC Director of Business Services Sante Antonelli at (718) 263-0546.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
