Bridge City Mercantile opened late last summer at 4759 NE Fremont Street under the care of owner Rachel Robichaud. Rachel is a native Northeast Portlander and spent much of her youth in and around Beaumont Village; she also worked at Amalfi’s throughout high school and college. Although Rachel’s background is in social work, she has long dreamed of opening a gift store where she could sell her own jewelry along with a variety of items, both local and imported. She started an online jewelry company called Plume about six years ago and through that venture gained valuable experience and support. When her youngest child started kindergarten, the time seemed right to make her store a reality.
A location on Fremont was a natural choice for Rachel and was made easier by her sister, Nichole, who owns Shop Adorn, a clothing and accessory boutique just up the street. Nichole’s shop has been very successful and she knew that Beaumont Village would be a good fit for Rachel’s gift shop as well. Rachel’s goal for her store is to have “a little something for everyone.” She chose the word Mercantile because she wanted to create a place where you can buy a shower gift, a birthday present and an anniversary gift all in one stop. There are items for men and women, as well as children. She tries to incorporate as much local merchandise as possible and has found many amazing local artists while selling her wares in other stores.
Since opening her shop, Rachel has joined the Beaumont Business Association and is working with a marketing team to advertise and get ready for some of the upcoming Beaumont events. She looks forward to being involved in the community and understands the importance of supporting fellow business owners on Fremont. So far, the response from customers has been reassuring for Rachel; they are friendly, welcoming and seem excited about her shop.
Bridge City Mercantile is open Monday through Saturday 10:00am - 6:00pm and Sunday from 11:00am - 5:00pm. Rachel is often there behind the counter to welcome you, so be sure to stop by next time you’re looking for a gift or just feel like shopping.