The anticipated name of the new student-run store replacing Boulevard Records was unveiled Wednesday — Where The Well Things Are, a wellness store for the body, mind and soul.
Though the store’s grand opening is planned for August, Wednesday’s name reveal was accompanied by a limited sale offering products the shop will stock, including essential oils, hand sanitizer, water bottles, vitamin honey, tote bags and of course: free stickers.
“All of our products that we offer are specifically to support the three areas of wellness, which is body, mind, and soul,” said marketing manager Erin Eversole. “We’ll have products to support physical activity like yoga mats and yoga blocks, mental activity like books and journals, and spiritual activity like devotionals and other things like that.”
The sneak peek into the store’s inventory is just a taste of what’s to come, said Eversole.
Belmont’s Where The Well Things Are team unveiled the storefront’s new logo
Elizabeth Gortmaker, director of the Cone Center for Entrepreneurship, aided in their venture through Belmont’s on-campus student-run business program. This program allows young entrepreneurs to develop a business concept, build out the business plan, launch and run the venture while they’re college students.
“My role is to help them make their ideas come to life … But the students really are making this happen. It’s their ideas, I’m just there to help them as someone with experience,” said Gortmaker.
“They’re so energetic, and they’ve built such great friendships with each other. I love how much fun they’re having with the process of putting into practice things they learned in the classroom.”
Eversole, a junior marketing and entrepreneurship major, showed an interest in the business and came together with several other students to bring it to fruition.
After asking for Belmont student feedback on what the new student-run business should be, these entrepreneurs noticed the common theme throughout was a desire for a place to heal.
“We decided to create one all-encompassing business to really support students in this time of need and after the pandemic,” said Eversole.
Where The Well Things Are will have its grand opening in August before the beginning of the fall semester, but they are expecting to do a soft opening over the summer to make sure things are running smoothly by the time Belmont students return.
The store is located at 2006 Belmont Blvd. and replaces Boulevard Records, which opened August 2016 and closed February 2021.
Wednesday’s limited sale offered several products, including the store’s branded tote bags
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This article was written by Margot Pierson. Photos by Margot Pierson.