“Out of frustration and necessity, I decided I should start my own market,” Axtolis said. “One of my main motivations was to come up with a venue that's curated, that really gives businesses an opportunity to actually be profitable.”
The entrepreneur points to current farmers market issues like low foot traffic, too many vendors including direct competitors at the same event, and the burden of promotion falling on small businesses.
His solution? Fewer, hand-selected vendors and managing the market buzz himself.
In just a few weeks, he conceptualized and launched the Prickly Pear Marketplace, a new event set to debut on May 2. Hosted at Vertuccio Farms in Mesa, the marketplace will run every Friday evening in May from 5 to 9 p.m. Axtolis is optimistic the market may continue through the summer, pending vendor commitments, and is confident regardless that it will pick back up in September.
Vertuccio Farms is an ideal location, Axtolis said, given its reputation for family-friendly year-round events and high visibility. It is located right off Power and Warner Roads, with easy freeway access.
Taking place at dinner time, Prickly Pear Marketplace will host between four and six food trucks each Friday, with options such as Cuban sandwiches, barbecue, pizza, tamales, Hawaiian fusion and grilled cheese. For dessert, visitors will find churros with ice cream, mini pancakes, caramel apples and cotton candy.
Market attendees will be able to explore vendors selling wellness products, unique jewelry, pet treats, books, candles, soaps and more. In the fall, Axtolis hopes to bring in produce, meat and fish.
“We really want to look at the local favorites, but we also want to have a bunch of new faces that maybe people don’t typically see," he said. "We want to focus on quality over quantity. We want vendors that are established, legit businesses that offer stellar products, have really personable staff (and) people that love what they do."
Setting up the marketplace on Friday nights also allows vendors with existing weekend commitments to get in another day of business.
“I'm one of those vendors where you give me an opportunity, I'm going to make the most of it. So there's definitely vendors out there that are looking for those opportunities. They're hungry for it,” Axtolis said. “There's not a lot of options on Fridays. There's not a lot of options in the East Valley in general. I was trying to see what we can do that could provide something for the patrons and the community.”
Axtolis knows that “a market is only as good as its vendors,” and says he's putting a lot of thought into selecting who will be present each Friday night. The weekly lineup will be posted to the Prickly Pear Marketplace's Instagram page.
“I'm looking at this as making a nice menu, (and) something that enhances the great location that we're at," Axtolis said. "I can provide something to the community, give some really good opportunities where vendors could put some roots down and help expand their business.”
Prickly Pear Marketplace
Friday evenings, 5 to 9 p.m., starting May 2.4011 S. Power Road, Mesa
