The light. The windows. The soaring ceilings. When Michael and Susan Ferrari first walked into the former Bickel’s Snack Foods plant in Manheim, they found a land of enchantment.
“It felt like a fairy tale,” says Susan. “It felt like it had a very specific story it wanted to tell and that we wanted to tell, and we’ve just gone along with the ride.”
The Prussian Street Arcade opened its doors on November 1, 2019, presenting more than 120 vendors of artisan wares, vintage clothing and decor, and artwork, all in an energized boutique atmosphere.
The story begins with another couple, Barney and Susan Reiley, who invested their love of Manheim into redevelopment of the former Bickel’s plant to create the mixed-use REO Manheim Marketplace. Michael and Susan live up the street, and one day, he stopped to chat with someone at the project site.
Michael is owner of Yolk Ideas, a creative consultancy helping small and medium-sized businesses hone their brands. Susan operates Art of Motherhood, an online clothing boutique inspired by the community of mother/makers she discovered while pregnant with her fourth child (and first girl).
The two had always dreamed of a joint venture. When the Reileys shared their vision of specialty retail, the pieces fell into place.
That was mid-2018. By June 2019, the permits had arrived. Then came the mad dash to the holidays, as the Ferraris recruited high-quality vendors, interfaced with the public, and found the right people to fill gaps in their knowledge.
Renovations by the Reileys included tearing out drop ceilings that hid clerestory windows. The space’s bright airiness, white walls, and curated vendor spaces elevate it above old-fashioned co-ops. String lights dance overhead. Booths offer the comforting and the unexpected, from leather goods and drinking pretzels to midcentury modern décor and scented candles inspired by beloved books.
Each vendor has a story to tell. They include a potter who impresses pieces with her mother’s crocheted lace and an autistic student who donated proceeds from her hand-drawn Christmas cards to the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.
There’s a humility in opening a business, Michael says. Susan compares it to a daily “Field of Dreams.” The doors open, “and we’re like, ‘They came again! They’re here!’ It hasn’t stopped being old. I don’t know if it ever will.”
The Ferraris and their four children, ages 5 through 13, enjoy hiking, exploring vintage markets, and “just being together as a family,” says Susan. In the business partnership of Susan and Michael, each offers unique skills.
The Ferraris poured their efforts into attracting and supporting vendors committed to excellence. “The space and how it feels to customers relies so much on vendors and how they curate their shops,” Michael says. “We realized that our job is to care for them and create a stable of vendors that really care about their work and make high-quality products. Our vendors are top-notch.”
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That first holiday shopping season was insane, in a good way, says Michael. Multiple customers shared the joy of rediscovering gift shopping in Manheim, a tradition that vanished years ago. Now, the Ferraris occupy the center of a revival of Manheim retail and restaurants including Mill 72, the family-owned bake shop and café in the REO Manheim Marketplace.
“Susan brings a sense of heart and humanity and care and insight that I feel would really be missing otherwise,” Michael says. “I see those strengths in her when she relates to customers and vendors. She has an instinct for the way this business should run that is second nature to her.” Susan calls Michael “a visionary with a fun streak.”
“Where I can get more comfortable, he’s already thinking about where we can take it in the future,” she says. “He also brings security, and he brings the fun.”
She laughs and adds, “He’s dancing right now. Most importantly, Michael sees my safe place. This is something I don’t know I could have done without him. This is amazing because we get to do it together.”
Prussian Street Arcade
40 N. Main Street, Manheim, PA 17545
