AKRON, Ohio — Northside Marketplace in Akron is closing July 31, leaving 140 vendors — including small business owners and artisans — scrambling after leaders announced the decision on social media, citing financial realities that can no longer support the space.
Carolyn Clay, owner of Planners Place, a soul food restaurant inside the marketplace, said the news came without warning.
"We were hit kind of out of nowhere," Clay said.
Clay said vendors are still looking for answers following the announcement.
"We need more information," Clay said.
The closure comes months after some vendors pulled their products from the marketplace, who said it’s because they are not being paid for their sales. Brent Wesley, owner of Akron Honey, said he moved out of his store two months ago after repeated attempts to get paid and reach marketplace leadership went unanswered.
"We weren't getting paid, and we weren't being responded to, so we had been gone," Wesley said.
Wesley said the abrupt decision hit hardest for vendors who depend on the marketplace to make a living.
"They depend on that place to be open to feed their family,” Wesley said.
The loss has also been felt by customers who rely on the marketplace to support local businesses.
"I try to only support small businesses, and for a hub in Akron to shut down, it's like, what are we doing here? Come on, Akron, get out here, we need to support these people and uplifting our small businesses," shopper Jessica Stillwagon said.
For vendors, Northside Marketplace was more than a place to sell goods — it was a space to test concepts and build connections within the Akron community. Wesley said what made the marketplace special will not be easy to recreate.
"It takes years to build that up again in that type of environment. It's a unique blend of characteristics that the marketplace had. That will just be gone," Wesley said.
Marketplace leaders are asking the community to support vendors and give them a proper send-off before the doors close. Some customers, however, are holding out hope.
"I think that maybe it's an opportunity for us to come together and maybe try to salvage this hub and maybe invest more into it," shopper Christy Sotres said.
On social media, Northside Marketplace said it is "encouraged that many of our makers and artisans may have the opportunity to continue their journeys at the Mercantile, a new locally focused marketplace opening this September at Cascade Plaza in downtown Akron."
Wesley said the announcement points to a path forward for displaced vendors.
"I see that there's a funnel of all of us going there. So, I guess when it comes to is that it? The spirit hasn't died," Wesley said.
I reached out to Northside Marketplace for an interview and have not yet heard back.
Read the full letter sent to vendors below:
"Dear Northside Marketplace Vendors,
It is with incredibly heavy hearts that we share some difficult news.
After much thought, countless conversations, and exhausting every option we could see, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close Northside Marketplace. The final day of operations will be Thursday, July 31, 2026.
The Marketplace has always been much more than a business venture to us—it has been a passion project. From the very beginning, our vision was to create a place where local entrepreneurs could test ideas, build businesses, and become part of something bigger. We have always believed our community needs spaces that cultivate small retailers and help local businesses grow.
Since its inception, however, the Marketplace has required substantial financial support from us in the form of direct monetary contributions and lost rental revenue to keep it operating. We willingly made those investments because we believed in the mission and in each of you.
When one of our vendors assumed operation of the Marketplace, we were incredibly optimistic. There was meaningful early success, and we truly believed we had found a sustainable path forward. Unfortunately, that momentum could not continue, and the Marketplace ultimately found itself in a worse financial position that affected everyone involved.
We remained committed to finding another solution. Our hope was that bringing the Marketplace back under our management and transitioning it into a vendor-led nonprofit organization would provide the long-term stability it deserved. Unfortunately, after carefully evaluating the current financial condition—including the existing debt and liabilities—we simply cannot identify a responsible path to a sustainable future. We are sorry we have not been able to communicate the progress with you better or sooner, but every day brought a new challenge we were working hard to overcome, and we truly never had an answer that we felt we could count on coming to fruition.
This decision has been heartbreaking for our family and our team. We truly wanted to save the Marketplace, but we have reached the point where continuing operations is just not possible.
You are welcome and encouraged to remain open through July 31. Over the next two weeks, we will be asking the community to come out and support each of you one final time. Our hope is that together we can give every vendor a strong finish and help you sell as much inventory as possible before closing.
Although Northside Marketplace is coming to an end, we also wanted to make you aware of another opportunity for many of you to continue growing your businesses.
We have been in contact with Shane Wynn, co-founder of The Mercantile, a new locally focused marketplace opening this September at Cascade Plaza in downtown Akron. Their concept includes dedicated space for local makers, artists, and artisans, and we are hopeful that many of you will find a new home there to continue the incredible work you have started here.
Their current timeline is expected to allow vendors to move into their spaces during August, in preparation for a September soft opening, creating a smooth transition for those interested."
