Runway Bridal
Stories of Downtown
Runway Bridal. Owner, Brooke Miller
When visiting the businesses of Downtown Belleville you get to take in the beautiful facade of the store front, discover unique local and international products and dine on delicious food. You may catch a glimpse of the owner as they wize by, the life of a small business owner is hectic- they want to engage with the customer though they also must be the boss, the marketing expert, the cleaner, the server, the accountant and that could all be before noon! We wanted to give those business owners an opportunity to slow down for a moment and share their story. Because behind each storefront are people who had a dream and put in a whole lot of work to make it come to life. These are some of the stories of Downtown Belleville.
Since 2010, Brooke Miller has been the proud owner and fierce redhead of Runway Bridal at 282 Front Street. After graduating twice, once in Business and the other Marketing, Brooke mentions she really didn’t have a specific plan for going forward. “I was working in Real Estate at the time in the downtown area and saw the listing for the already established business Runway Bridal, in the old Bohemian Penguin building. I’m not exactly sure why, but I knew I was meant to purchase the company. At only 24, it really felt like a no-lose situation.” After many years in the business Brooke discovered her grandfather also had a similarly inspiring dream for becoming an entrepreneur as he opened his own mens wear shop and insurance brokerage. Brooke expresseed how she feels in some way her business pays homage to her late grandfather. Since purchasing the business Runway Bridal has thrived. It caters to people in Belleville as well as the Bay of Quinte Region and beyond. Brides and their parties come to Runway Bridal and “experience small town character with high class options.” Runway Bridal has been supplying elegant apparel for 14 years to brides, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, suit rentals, prom dresses and accessories.
Brooke expressed how she has moved her business twice and always managed to stay in Downtown Belleville “Working in the Downtown District is all I know.” tells Brooke, she elaborates about the sense of community there is in the Downtown District. “I love the charm of the Downtown, it has such a good vibe with rustic stone features but also modern updates that make you proud to be a part of its history.” Many people are a little surprised when coming in that Runway Bridal offers a high end name brand selection “We have a wide variety of designers with lots of varying price points for many demographics, which is necessary when serving customers from all over the area.”
It was wonderful getting a chance to speak with Brooke and learn more about one of the beautiful shops of Downtown Belleville. Before we left we had to ask our favourite last tough question, what is her favourite cafe/ restaurant downtown! “Can I say them all? I love Gourmet Diem, the Lark and Capers but most definitely the croissant at L’auberge!” replied Brooke. Keep following along for our next Stories of Downtown!
Click here to visit Runway Bridal’s website!
For behind the scenes fun head to the Downtown Belleville Instagram and Facebook!
Stay tuned for more Stories of Downtown coming your way in 2024
Funded by Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board
