Today we’d like to introduce you to Care Verikas.
Hi Care, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey started back in 2017 when my husband and I met and started our side hustle wood shop, Dusty Dude Woodworks. We worked our full time jobs for years while we slowly built a business selling cutting boards, cornhole sets, coasters, charcuterie boards, custom signs, built ins & more! As time went on, our side hustle grew to be a full time business and we progressed through different size shops as our customer demand grew. As 2020 hit, my husband was able to leave his full time job and be a full time small business owner. He spent his days building and I spent my mornings and evenings after my day job marketing and helping as much as I could. We eventually landed a huge contract that changed our lives completely. It was a job that was large enough where it would require and allow me to leave my full time job to become a bigger part of Dusty Dude Woodworks. After that, everything changed. We knew after running the numbers that we could make it work while we had that contract but we also knew that it would be a constant grind and hustle. Our lives literally depended on making this business work. It HAD to work. I networked as much as I could while also helping in the shop, answering client emails and marketing the business. We are so grateful for that path as that is was lead us to where we are now.
We had taken a few days off and flew out west to visit a good friend. While we were there, we walked into a shop that blew our minds. The business was made up of multiple small businesses under one roof and one central register where customers could check out. There was nothing like that back home in CT, so we took a few years to really think about how we wanted our version of this concept to look. We knew that customers were leaning into experiences, so we wanted to be sure to make our shop a true experience. As we noodled on this concept for quite some time, I had quarterly breakfast meetings with our local chamber to understand ways I could be more involved and be a better chamber member. During the last breakfast, I was asked about an email that had been sent out for Grant Funding from the City of Bristol. I immediately called my husband and we spent the remainder of that day completing the application.
After round and round of conversations, we had been approved to receive $230K in grant funding and we couldn’t believe that our dream, The Bristol Bazaar, was going to become a reality. For the next year, we truly hustled. While running our wood shop, we also managed the complete buildout of The Bristol Bazaar. That also included managing 230K in federal grant funding which was something we had never done before. We knew that we needed to market and fill the shop but we were such a new concept and that made it challenging. Explaining to someone that we are a gift shop that has Vegas vibes with a coffee/cocktail lounge and an event space was harder than it sounded – but we did it! With beautiful renderings and lots of support and trust, we did it!
Here we are 3 years later. On July 1, 2026 we celebrated 3 years being open at our Bristol shop and simultaneously celebrated the opening of our 2nd location in Milford, CT. We truly love what we do and cannot wait to see what the next three years bring.
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?
There are always challenges and obstacles as a small business owner. It just depends on the day and week to be honest. Some days you are looking at better ways to market – how do we continue to stand out in the marketplace and others it is trying to understand how the economy will or will not impact our business. Being a small business owner has days full of celebrations, some frustrating days and some stressful days but I wouldn’t change it for anything. And the fact that I get to live this amazing small business life with my husband is truly the best.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Bristol Bazaar, The Bristol Bazaar Milford & Dusty Dude Woodworks?
The Bristol Bazaar & The Bristol Bazaar Milford
With locations in both Bristol & Milford Connecticut, The Bristol Bazaar is a curated, boutique-style destination where shopping and community come together. In Bristol, we have our town-square-inspired interior creates an inviting, immersive setting for a rotating mix of local makers and independent producers offering small-batch, locally made goods. Customers can participate in workshops/events, and with new makers joining on the first of every month, there’s always something fresh to discover — and a reason to come back often. Our Milford shop is located within the largest mall in CT – The CT Post Mall. With a campground theme, our customers are able to shop just like at our Bristol store. The Milford shop is fully retail where our Bristol shop also has a Coffee Cocktail Lounge and Event Space.
Dusty Dude Woodworks:
We specialize in custom woodworking. Projects like: built ins, mantels, barn doors, tables & more. We are also now in partnership with J Brand & Co who adds full home remodeling services to our DDW umbrella.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We are always open to collaborations. Whether that be on social media, hosting events, donations, etc. We are always looking for new ways to either spread the word about what we do or to help the small businesses who choose to work with us, grow.
When it comes to support, any word of mouth recommendation from a customer or a vendor is always hugely appreciated. We encourage anyone to come by and experience our shops, have fun and shop small.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebristolbazaar.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebristolbazaarct/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBristolBazaarCT/
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/thebristolbazaarmilford/
