Dr. Portia Fulford believes in supporting local businesses. A business owner herself of the organic and locally grown restaurant, Organpi Farms, she understands first-hand what it is like to operate and own a successful business in Selma. Fulford said she wants to give other local business owners an opportunity to thrive in the city as well, so she came up with the idea to have a weekly pop-up shop.

“The idea came about to help improve tourism,” Fulford said. “We decided since we have so much space in front of the restaurant, directly in the line of tourists, that we would do the pop shops.”

  Fulford said not only are the pop-up shops good for tourism in the city, but they are also a good way to keep revenue in the city by patronizing local small business owners.

“The pop-up shops are a great way to introduce locally made items into the city. Local entrepreneurs can come and set up their table, and ‘pop up’ their business,” Fulford said. “They’ll have their cards, merchandise and they will really interact with the flow of tourism and the people that are coming inside of Organpi Farms.”

Fulford said she is looking for local businesses that are unique and authentic in style. Local farmers are also welcome to come and sell their produce. She hopes to start with about 10-12 vendors every Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. There is no cost for vendors to register their business for the pop-up shops.

“We have a very Alabama grown, eclectic local vibe for the tourists to shop with, so as those buses come into the city they will experience different kinds of businesses that may not be on Water Avenue,” Fulford said. “It’s designed to give tourists a taste of what Selma produces.”

Fulford said in order to execute the pop-up shop idea, she is obtaining a permit to utilize one lane of Water Avenue in front of the restaurant.

“Only one lane of Water Avenue, on our side, will be open,” she said. “So the businesses will actually be extending out into the street parking lot of Organpi Farms. The goal is to eventually have it all the way down the street.”

Even with the pop-up shop occupying one lane on Water Avenue, Fulford said traffic will not be an issue.

“It’s won’t affect traffic at all,” Fulford said. “There will be two lanes coming from the bridge and one lane going towards the bridge.”

The shops will be shut down for the winter months and opened for summer, fall and spring with the weather permitting.

For more information on the pop-up shops or to register a business for the opportunity, call Organpi Farmhouse at (334) 526- 4560.