Most of the tenants are women. Many are married and their husbands work regular jobs to support their families until their businesses catch on. Farah, whose father was a merchant in Somalia, said her store hasn't yet made a profit. If it's successful, said Ali, who works as an employment counselor at the Brian Coyle Community Center, his wife will expand and move the business to St. Paul's East Side, where an East African community is growing. Some of his customers come from as far as Willmar, Minn., he said.
Word goes out.
You don't need advertisement. In many ways, the bazaar resembles an old-fashioned Main Street in miniature, with clothing stores interspersed with a fruit and vegetable stall, a faxing and copying service, a tiny convenience store with new furniture stacked next to boxes of diapers and Tide detergent, a tailor's shop, a video store and a hair salon. But the bazaar also shows a keen understanding of the needs of its tenants and customers. Around the corner sits a coffee shop where men gather to relax and talk. Above the conversational murmur, an indoor fountain gurgles and white doves in wire cages ruffle their wings.