A shared passion for vintage treasures brought four women together to create the beloved Vintage Roost in the heart of Ybor City.
Founders Rosalinde Norman Elliott, Colleen Maxwell, Aimee Spry and Vicki Stark curate distinctive antique items at the three-day vintage market hosted twice a month on the second and fourth weekend of the month. Locals and visitors alike can explore Vintage Roost’s 16 vendors and 5,000 square feet of vintage finds where eclectic pieces are continuously restocked.
Journey of meeting each other
The journey of how the Vintage Roost founders met each other is truly serendipitous. Spry, a former MRI tech from Minnesota, moved to Florida with dreams of creating a vintage booth in a new city. Little did she know that Tampa native Maxwell had also just moved back to the area to explore becoming a vintage vendor. The stars aligned and brought the four women together over their shared love for all things vintage.
“Through different paths, we all discovered a love for anything vintage, which led us to meet each other as vendors at the same place eventually,” says Norman Elliott. “During our time together there, we often discussed how we would run this type of business from a woman’s perspective.”
“We became fast friends and opened our business shortly after,” Spry says. “We just felt we had a new take on the vintage business and felt we had a chemistry together that would make something special.”
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Vintage Roosts attracts tourists and locals with its vast array of nostalgic treasures. The market is "about recreating a happy warm feeling from your past,” co-founder Aimee Spry says.“We shared our vision of what we thought our perfect vintage market should be,” adds Maxwell. “That's how Vintage Roost began.”
Rooted in Ybor City
The founders were drawn to set Vintage Roost’s roots in Ybor City for its rich cultural history and tight-knit community.
“From the moment we decided to create Vintage Roost, I don’t think we ever gave any real consideration to any other location, but Ybor City,” said Norman Elliott. “It has such a vibrant history, like so many of the pieces we curate. It just seemed to be the perfect fit to be located right in the heart of Ybor on 7th Avenue.”
Located on the 2300 block of Seventh Avenue in Ybor, Vintage Roost is surrounded by award-winning restaurants, local breweries and eclectic shops. Each of the founders has a profound love for Ybor and is proud to have their business located in the historic district.
“Ybor is a location that offers a whole day experience exploring restaurants, museums, local breweries, and the best cup of Cuban coffee,” Maxwell says. “It also has the feeling of a neighborhood and we enjoy Vintage Roost being a part of that.”
“The history of Ybor is one of a kind as it has become the melting pot of the Tampa area with so much history,” Stark adds. “We feel very fortunate to be part of the growth that Ybor has to offer.”
Ybor City’s evolution over the years
Originally renowned for being a cigar manufacturing hub in the late 1800s, Ybor has evolved into a diverse historic district with a flourishing creative arts and local business scene.
“Ybor has changed and grown quite a bit in the five years we have been there,” Norman Elliott says. “Initially, it felt like we were a little bit more on the outskirts but with each year, we see more growth coming east towards us. Homes have been built. There are more people and businesses around. Ybor is expanding past us to the east with iconic street lighting, parking, and development.”
Its preserved buildings and landmarks make Ybor a lively city that residents and visitors flock to throughout the year. The Vintage Roost founders have witnessed and been a key part of Ybor’s substantial growth as a local women-owned business.
“Ybor continues to grow at a pretty fast clip,” Spry says. “We love it when we meet people who have never been to Ybor and are experiencing it for the first time. For those people, we really like to recommend great restaurants to go to after visiting our shop, as well as recommending other shops for them to make a day of it.”
Explore vintage treasures at Vintage Roost
Vintage Roosts attracts tourists and locals with its vast array of nostalgic treasures.
“Vintage Roost is about recreating a happy warm feeling from your past,” Spry says. “It may be your grandmother's stool or your mom's vanity set to any number of things. It’s that nostalgia that shapes who we are as people. To bring a small amount of that to life to make people remember and smile – that is its own reward and why we love what we do.”
The intricate beauty of the vintage pieces infused
throughout the market bridges the past and the present to spark sentimental joy. From vintage green glassware to handmade quilts, take a piece of history home with you as you wander through the market’s hundreds of antiques brimming with charm.
“Vintage Roost is a family experience,” Maxwell says. “There’s something for everyone at our market and in Ybor.”
For more information, go to Vintage Roost.
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