Paris On Ponce is a large store with room after room of art, antiques, and clothing. The neverending warehouse is like no other store in Atlanta.

The building which houses Paris On Ponce has one hundred years of history. 

“The building itself was built in 1919. It was the original Colgate Mattress Factory. We’re right on the Beltline because that was the rail line,” said Nicolette Valdespino, owner of Paris on Ponce. “Then it became an ammunition factory in World War 2,  then it became a saddle making factory and then it was sold to Sears, as the Sears Mattress Factory. It was abandoned in 1985 and then we took over in 1995.”

Although Paris On Ponce is located right along the Beltline, Valdespino believes it is not impacting the store’s growth.

“I think the beltline is a fantastic project, but what we get from it is a lot of walkthrough traffic,” Valdespino said. “You don’t necessarily go for a walk thinking you are going to go shopping. So, I do think its good exposure but I think that people walking on the beltline aren’t necessarily buying things from us.”

Customer, Susannah Kidwell, also believes the store’s location does not impact her decision to visit. 

“The location on the Beltline does not make me any more likely to shop at the store,” Kidwell said.

Paris On Ponce works hard to appeal to customers of all ages. 

“We do our best to widen our demographics,” Valdespino said. “We have 46,000 square feet of retail and event space. You will see as you are walking through that some things are really going to appeal to you and some things are totally not you.”

 Paris On Ponce goes about widening their demographic through events, which inform people about the store who otherwise would never have known about it. 

“We actively promote and widen that demographic, part of the way we do that is through special events,” Valdespino said. “We do primarily weddings and corporate events we do about 180 events a year. The people coming in here, going to an event, may never have come in here before.”

Paris On Ponce also makes sure what they are selling is going to catch the eye of customers of all ages.

“We try to have things that are going to appeal to your grandmother, to your aunt, to your little sister,” Valdespino said. “So that when you come through not only can you make this a walking destination for you, but everyone can find something.”

Paris On Ponce sells a variety of products from a variety of places.

“We have 83 separate vendors, so they gather or make all their own stuff,” Valdespino said. “Some of them import things, some of them are new, some of them are replications, it comes from literally everywhere.”

Paris On Ponce has vendors who get their products from all over the world.

“We have a dealer in here that is importing everything from Belgium, we have a dealer that brings in everything from India and then we have plenty of dealers who just buy American,” Valdespino said.

Paris On Ponce is providing a place where dealers can come to sell their items. The space is theirs to set up and display their products. 

“The whole idea with this is that it is a training ground for young entrepreneurs,” Valdespino said.

Paris On Ponce is unlike any other store in Atlanta. 

“The thing that makes Paris On Ponce unique and precious to the city is the fact that we’re all friends and we love one another,” Valdespino said. “It’s not just a business, it’s not a mall, it’s genuinely a collection of best friends that are just trying to do new and special things in the city.”