Last August, Casey Smith opened Gifted as a coastal-inspired gift shop in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Located right along Tarpon Springs’ Sponge Docks that is full of Greek heritage, Smith says she made sure the new store featured plenty of Mediterranean-inspired gifts to represent the community well.
Smith notes that she opened Gifted as a sister shop to One Amazing Find, a home decor and gift shop she also owns in downtown Tarpon Springs.
“One Amazing Find is my flagship store — it’s nearly 4,000 square feet — while Gifted is smaller at 800 square feet,” says Smith. “Both stores share a similar feel and flow, but Gifted has a more coastal-inspired, Mediterranean theme. Our customers there are primarily tourists, while One Amazing Find is focused on our locals.”
But just three weeks after opening Gifted, Hurricane Helene pushed a 9-foot surge of water through Tarpon Springs. About one foot of water covered Gifted, and Smith says she had to close down for cleanup and repairs.
“All the work we had done to open our new store was swept away, and we were closed for seven weeks,” she says.
Having a hurricane strike so soon after opening was a blow for Gifted, and Smith says she had to look for ways to offset the cost. A sales rep suggested she apply for a disaster relief grant from Heart on Main Street, so she applied but kept moving forward with repairs at Gifted in hopes of reopening for the Christmas holiday season.
Smith recalls that many retailers and local businesses in Tarpon Springs were busy rebuilding last October in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“The community is very resilient,” she notes. “Restaurants, stores along the Sponge Docks had lights on around the clock, and everyone was working. Tourism is the livelihood for many in Tarpon Springs. We saw the business community strengthen itself to get everyone open again.”
While One Amazing Find suffered damage from the heavy wind and rain, the shop was able to reopen much quicker and with less damage. Smith says she wanted the place to serve as something of a haven for community members. Shortly after Hurricane Milton hit, Smith says she posted to One Amazing Find’s Facebook page, encouraging anyone to simply come in the shop if they needed a peaceful space “to browse, take a moment for yourself or find a thoughtful gift.”
She shares, “So many folks who came in, folks who lost everything, came in and told stories. One customer came in during that time to buy a candle. She made a comment that she didn’t know what she needed, but that candle gave her a little bit of comfort. So as a shop, we really looked to connect with customers and find out what their needs were."
By early November, Smith says she had finished cleaning and repairing Gifted and was able to open that store just ahead of the Christmas holidays.
Smith notes that she got a nice post-Christmas surprise when Heart on Main Street reached out to her in early February to let her know that she would be receiving a $10,000 disaster relief grant for Gifted, funding in part by nora fleming. Although Gifted was back up and running when she received the grant, Smith notes that the grant was a huge help in getting caught up after the tough start for the store last fall.
“We had lost a good amount of inventory at the store, so the grant is helping us get caught up,” she shares. “It was exactly what our small business needed to push forward.”
Patrick Keiser, executive director of Heart on Main Street, says Gifted in Tarpon Springs exemplifies the resilience, passion and dedication that define independent retailers.
“When reviewing applications for the nora fleming grant, their story truly stood out,” he says. “After overcoming the challenges of Hurricane Helene, they not only rebuilt but expanded, opening a second store to continue serving their community. Their commitment to fostering a unique and welcoming shopping experience, along with their drive to grow despite adversity, made them an ideal recipient for this grant.”
The organization presented the $10,000 nora fleming grant to Gifted March 10, recognizing the positive impact they have had on their local community. Keiser says, “Supporting small businesses like Gifted is at the heart of what we do at Heart on Main Street.”
Smith adds that she’s always been so grateful for her team of about seven employees at both One Amazing Find and Gifted who pitched in to get Gifted up and running again.
“Small businesses are usually owned by family, but you have to remember the team around that family is what also supports the small business,” she says. “I’m blessed with staff members who have been with me all these years. When you create a good environment, good people come to it, and I think I’ve created that environment. I have a very strong team that carried us all the way through this. One of the many reasons I love being a small business owner is the incredible people I get to spend my days with and the opportunity to continuously learn, grow and build something.
She continues, “Folks would come into the store not to shop but just to check in. And every conversation was: How did you fare with the storm? So many of our customers had their homes flooded with Helene. There was so much perspective learned through that time. While some stories were harder than others, none took away from the experiences. Each story was important.”
