Doki Doki
Stories of Downtown
Doki Doki. Owners, Lindsay Dransfield and Jessie Wionzek
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 be all before noon! We wanted to give those business owners an opportunity to slow down for a moment and share their stories. 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 2022, Jessie and Lindsay have been running Doki Doki on 214 Front Street, a thriving space for all fans of anime/japanese related snacks, drinks, figurines, culture and more! The best friend duo met in 2021 through playing Dungeons and Dragons in a group at Scalliwags Toys and ever since the pair have been inseparable. After both moving to Belleville from out of town, they have now finally settled and found their craft. Jessie and their highly successful Etsy business is what kick started their passion for entrepreneurship and Lindsay had many years of experience in operating businesses from previous job opportunities. After Jessie had visited Japan for the first time in 2019, they realised that there would be a great business venture of importing goods from Japan as there was no store like it in our general area. Initially starting to promote and sell on Facebook/at small conventions in the area, the business has since grown into Doki Doki and is bigger than they ever imagined.
Lindsay and Jessie are passionate about Downtown and are determined to make their shop a place for all. “Some days are tough but the good outweigh the bad, for sure; It feels great to provide a fun and safe space for people from all walks of life so they simply enjoy the shop and feel happy/good” Lindsay states. Jessie then added “Our favourite part of owning a business downtown is the feeling of community, everyone puts kindness into the community when it is needed and that is what brings everyone together”. The pair also loves the beautiful bare brick throughout the building because it adds authenticity and character to the store for people to enjoy while having an in-store shopping experience.
It was wonderful getting the chance to speak to Jessie and Lindsay and learn more about one of the beautiful shops in Downtown Belleville. Before we left we had to ask one last tough question, what is their favourite cafe/restaurant downtown? “Our favourite pairing is a Breakfast Burrito with an Irish Sunriser from Quinte Corner!” said passionately by Jessie and Lindsay. Keep following along for our next Stories of Downtown.
Click here to visit Doki Doki’s Facebook
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
