The Roundabout Mercantile is a treasure hunt of a store, filled with an eclectic mix of all things vintage, unique and handcrafted. The 9,000-square-foot antique mall off O’Neal Lane is the antithesis of big-box chain stores found in town.
As 225 reports in this month’s issue, vendors occupy distinct spaces inside the building. Each space has its own “booth” to sell items. And every room of the building offers something different—furniture, jewelry, dishes, knick-knacks, books, records, vintage wedding dresses and even jeweled bridal crowns. It’s like shopping multiple estate sales under one roof, which should be reason enough to go check it out.
But the best part about the Roundabout has nothing to do with what’s being sold and everything to do with who is selling it.
The Roundabout was created specifically to employ disabled adults, many of whom are on the autism spectrum. It’s the brainchild of Jo Monroe, who employs the adults, whom she calls her “clients,” and empowers them to succeed.
“I have an autistic daughter. Those are the people who are harder to get jobs for,” Monroe says of her 20-year-old daughter, Ally Herndon. “This model is a common-sense model. We teach them why working is important. Money is meaningless to our clients. We have to show them that they are working for something, and we focus on self-efficacy.”
225 has the full story.
