By Monty Siekerman
What began as a friendship between coworkers in the office at Temple Christian School in Lima, has turned into a new retail business in the heart of downtown Ada.

Mindy Altstaetter and Jodi Callahan will open The Mercantile on Main on Thursday offering refurbished furniture, jewelry, children’s clothing, wood and metal art, food items, lighting, gifts, and more. Those wishing to sell on consignment may stop by or call.

The ladies, who both had been selling similar items online, began chatting about their common interests and about how each wanted to open a retail outlet. So, now they have...in Ada at 117 S. Main across from Liberty National Bank.

The store will open this Thursday. A ribbon cutting ceremony by the Ada Chamber of Commerce will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2, the day their grand opening begins.

The normal store will be from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturdays.  The shop’s phone number is 419-236-3499. The women agreed that they want their customers to feel welcome and have a good shopping experience.

New merchants on Main: Mindy Altstaetter (left) and Jodi Callahan.