Community Highlights: Meet Koral Casillas & Michela Ricci

Today we’d like to introduce you to Koral Casillas & Michela Ricci.

Hi Koral & Michela, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Michela and I met nearly ten years ago working at a coffee shop in town. No surprise that our work relationship turned into a friendship and we’ve supported each other in our separate ventures over the years, like Michela’s first business The Early Bird PHX.

I, Koral, spent my time working in corporate leadership and retail management and while enjoying my career I always yearned for a business of my own. As the world began to shift in the summer of 2020, we found ourselves together, dreaming about the business we wished existed.

We met every Monday at The Shop Beer Co. and started to build upon our concept. We ultimately decided we should turn our love language into a retail store – craft beer, natural wine, local bread, artisan cheeses and meats, decadent olive oils, fresh flowers, fun gifts, cheeky greeting cards, smoke wear, candles, and incense. Sounds awesome, we know!

We needed a cool name for our cool shop, and after some sleepless nights, Monsoon Market fell from the sky. Monsoons are mysterious and colorful. They bring life and excitement to the desert. Monsoons are undeniably cool, and as two valley girls, the name stuck.

The two of us hustled our way through summer and began making moves on signing our lease and moving into our space on 7th ST & Osborn (next door to Wang’s Vintage). We spent a few months rehabbing the space and thrifting everything we might need — from fridges and fixtures to funky furniture and displays.

Committed to being more sustainable and budget-conscious, we wanted to find as much as we could second-hand. We spent months searching the valley for the best deals and we were able to furnish our shop and bring our vision for the space to life.

While we were making moves on the physical space, we were also scouring the internet and traveling to find must-have products for the market. It’s a tough job but someone’s got to sample the goods! We began to build relationships with independent brands and their creators so that we could not only sell their products but also tell their stories.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Opening a brick-and-mortar business as two independent, self-funded, women was not easy. We learned a lot about the hurdles of permitting, zoning, licensing and the costs associated.

We’re grateful to have each other in this venture, and our friends and family we could call on to get through the obstacles of opening a small business.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Monsoon Market?
Monsoon Market is not your average corner store.

We’ve curated our shop to bring a unique offering of goods to central Phoenix. When you shop at Monsoon you’re supporting primarily women-owned, independent businesses. We specialize in natural wine with an extremely curated selection of what’s tasty and chuggable.

We’re known for our cute aesthetic and instagrammable space but beyond that, we’re a place for discovery and connection. It’s just as much about the vibes as it is the products. We host multiple events a month to highlight other creatives such as DJs, artists, food vendors, and makers.

Community is more than a buzzword to us and we’re going to let Monsoon Market speak for itself.

What does success mean to you?
We set out to open one of the coolest shops in central Phoenix, and we did it. We’re stoked to share it with others and receive the support that we have.

Looking back at everything we set out to do with Monsoon Market and having accomplished so much in such a short amount of time feels wildly successful. Since opening our doors we’ve been surrounded by kind, creative, genuine, all-around awesome people.

Our customers are SO cool! Bonus, we’re celebrating every moment with snacks and natural wine! We’re introducing something new and Phoenix is stoked about Monsoon Market.

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@monsoonmrkt.com
• Website: monsoonmrkt.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monsoonmrkt/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/monsoon-market-phoenix

Image Credits
Nisa Lucas @evoluphx, Kyle Niemier @kyleniemier kyleniemier.com, and Brooklyn Huberty @brookklynphoto brookklyn.com