UD grad opens boutique downtown Dayton
By: Mary Kate Dorr – Asst. A&E Editor
The future is a scary place for a mind to wander, especially for college students. “Where will I live?” “What career will I pursue?” “How do I do this whole ‘real world’ thing?” These questions plague the minds of students venturing from the comfort of campus to a place in the grand world of adulthood.
University of Dayton graduate Briana Snyder discovered her future career right next door to her alma mater, in downtown Dayton. Snyder is the owner and founder of Confetti Boutique, a party supplies and stationary boutique located at 42 W. Fifth St.
Snyder, a Dayton native, has always had a love for party supplies, but there was never anywhere local for her to buy any.
“After a few years of saying it over and over, I finally decided to do something about it,” Snyder said. Thus, Confetti Boutique was born.
Snyder was able to launch her boutique through the help of Activated Space’s Pop-Up Project. According to the Dayton Daily News, this program pairs business owners and entrepreneurs with downtown property owners to expand their businesses.
“I was just trying to see what would happen,” Snyder said. “It’s honestly all just been a whirlwind.” Confetti Boutique opened in May.
The boutique was able to hit the ground running thanks to the benefits of the Pop-Up Shop program.
Snyder took advantage of this assistance, as well as initially using her own personal funds to get the business running. Snyder said she is lucky and has not had to take out a loan yet for Confetti. Her initial plan was to grow the business slowly, and as it has been working in her favor, Snyder hopes to continue to expand at the same slow pace.
At UD, Snyder majored in international studies, with minors in French and political science. However, following her gut has given her the opportunity to bring to the city of Dayton the greeting cards and party supplies that Snyder noticed it was lacking.
“You won’t find anything here that you would find at Hallmark,” Snyder said. “Confetti Boutique has hilarious cards and paper products that you can’t just get anywhere. It definitely has a younger vibe.”
In addition to stationary and party supplies, Confetti Boutique also offers home decorations, art prints, totes, accessories and iPhone cases. All of these goods are available online and can be ordered for pickup within a half hour.
Despite being open only a few months, business has been good for the Confetti Boutique.
“Business improves every week,” Snyder said. With the help of social media, especially Facebook, word of the boutique in the Dayton area is spreading fast and helping business expand more rapidly.
Although she is hoping to continue building her business slowly, Snyder still holds big plans for the future of her boutique. She said she hopes to expand in the future, both in terms of space and services. Snyder’s goal is to offer classes and workshops in the future, as well as eventually moving to a bigger space.
For more information visit confettidayton.com or stop in to Confetti Boutique, located at 42 W. Fifth St. downtown.