WASHINGTON — The vendor plaza at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro stop made its debut Wednesday afternoon with nearly one dozen local businesses setting up shop in slices of an old Metro car that are serving as vendor kiosks.
The vendors will set up shop every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. from May 17 to June 30.
Among local retailers who will share the vendor plaza are Bell Flowers, Galley Foods, Borekg Turkish Bakery, Grandma Vera’s Bakery, Great Harvest Bread, Ibhana Creations, Juice Fresh, Radost by Martina Sestakova, and The Red Bandana Bakery.
Fivesquares Development LLC — which eventually plans a mixed-use, transit-friendly development for the open space adjacent to the Metro stop called Strathmore Square — is managing the pop-up vendor program in a partnership with Metro and Strathmore Hall.
Fivesquares commissioned reclaimed steel sculptor Robert Mojo of Rusted Rebels LLC to carve the decommissioned, 80,000-pound Metro car into individual kiosks.
“Metro is pleased to have Fivesquares Development as our joint development partner for Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station and to support this innovative project to give one of our retired 4000-series railcars a new life as a retail space,” said Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld.
The plaza will also host afternoon performances featuring high school bands and artists-in-residence from Strathmore.
The pop-up vendor plaza is part of a pilot project for Metro to see if food stalls and other vendors make sense for Metro stops.
