Linda Falkenstein
Market CEO Keisha Harrison stands in front of some construction buildout inside the Madison Public Market.
Harrison at a merchant space beginning to take shape.
Madison Public Market CEO Keisha Harrison describes herself as “more about doing than talking” in a May 2 email to Isthmus offering to set up an interview. After a spring in which our requests for an interview were deferred or unanswered and a market opening date in March came and went, Harrison acknowledged in the email that a new approach was needed.
With a new grand opening date freshly announced — July 23 — we met at the market, 202 N. First St., in late May, to look at progress being made on build-out of merchant stalls and to discuss Harrison’s approach to market curation.
The stalls for the 15 announced merchants are beginning to take shape. They are different sizes and configurations and meant to be flexible, to change as merchants move in and out in the future. Harrison points to the largest space, just under 2,000 square feet, that occupies the corner near the intersection of Johnson and First streets. It’s earmarked for a restaurant/cafe, as it can be closed off from the rest of the market (and could have different operating hours) and includes its own patio. Harrison says there are businesses interested in that space now. The largest merchant space, originally planned at almost 2,500 square feet, has been absorbed into the event space, says Harrison.
Another space is earmarked for a bar that will be run by the Madison Public Market Foundation through a spinoff corporation. That approach makes sense, Harrison says, as a way for the foundation to make money to subsidize the operating budget and work in tandem with catering operations for the market’s event space — it’s a “revenue stream that benefits everyone,” says Harrison. Revenue from event space rental is also key to the market’s budget.
The city of Madison owns the building and leases it to the foundation. Harrison confirms that the city will contribute no funds to the market’s operating budget, and as a 501(c)(3), the foundation will continue fundraising to support its merchants and vendors, often fledgling entrepreneurs who may experience barriers to owning a business.
Harrison says she most enjoys “working with those merchants and helping them become more creative themselves to build their own businesses.”
In deciding which merchants land permanent spaces, Harrison wants to avoid duplicating offerings. Because of that, “we did not bring in a lot of people for the application process,” she says. “We want to be very intentional. We want to make sure that we have a representation of businesses” that will attract the public and some that reflect “new ideas.” Some older and more established businesses, such as Chocolate Shoppe, provide stability and a model for young businesses.
The audition process takes time, says Harrison. She and some board members and a few community members interview candidates who have filled out a merchant interest form “so that we can understand what their vision is for their business”; this often includes a food or retail sample. Next, if the panel is in agreement, the would-be merchant tours the available spaces. Finally, the market invites the candidate to formally apply and submit a business plan and other information for evaluation.
The grand opening next month is “a work in progress,” but Harrison says the market will begin a series of weekly Wednesday pop-up markets in the event space on June 10. ”We have put out the application to, number one, our [accepted] merchants, because some of them do have products they can bring over if they choose to participate, and then to our merchant interest list.”
Placemaking is central to Harrison’s vision, from the Madison- and Wisconsin-centric public art on display to the various spots within the market where the community can gather.
Harrison, who came on board in July 2024 after a stint as director of the Indianapolis City Market, says she sees a lot of possibility. “There aren’t that many opportunities for a new public market to be started in a location. And Madison just seemed right for it.”
