Sondra Hernandez Staff writer August 5, 2024

What started as a small pop-up in downtown Conroe for the 2023 holiday season has become a retail space with nearly 70 small-business vendors and a coffee service. 

Conroe Collective in the State Hotel building is under new ownership and has rebranded as The Collective in Downtown Conroe. 

Here’s what to know about the spot and its refresh:

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How it started 

Conroe business owner Farralyn Withrow launched the Holiday Pop Up Shop at 213 North Thompson in November 2023. 

At the start of the new year the space in the old State Hotel building transitioned to Conroe Collective featuring 20-plus small-business vendors from across Montgomery County. 

The former hotel building is owned by Rodney Pool who also owns The Corner Pub in downtown Conroe. The two-story, 37-room State Hotel at the northwest corner of Thompson and Metcalf streets, was constructed in 1932. It operated as a hotel through the 1980s. 

In the 2000s, the property was bought by Pool. Now there is retail space on the bottom floor and apartments on the top floors. 

Justine Frost was one of the retailers with a booth in Conroe Collective.

She started with Mimi’s Mums, her business for homecoming mums and high-school spirit items. She had most recently lived in Florida but when Hurricane Ian hit Florida in 2022 her family came to the Montgomery area where her sister lives. 

In addition to her booth, she began to spruce up the booths around her too. In the spring, she took on full ownership and the collective space for small-business vendors has grown to 68 spots. 

‘Something for everybody’

“There really is something for everybody here,” she said. “We have so many products I am so proud of.” The different rooms of the former hotel feature different themes. 

The space has vintage furniture, colorful Mexican pottery with one-of-a-kind colors, a men’s room with vintage tools, hats, boots, artwork and woodworking, a pantry of local food items, a children’s room with clothing, toys and accessories, bath items, a lady’s boutique room, vintage koozies and a spirit room for local sports teams including Astros gear and university and high-school gear. 

“When people are spending time in here (the game-day room) they’re spending time in here and digging and touching and feeling,” she said. “You can hear them digging through things and to me that’s the best compliment.” 

Frost said nearly all the sellers are from Montgomery County. 

Withrow, owner of the vintage Western wear boutique Small Town Famous, also has a booth in the store. 

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Coffee addition 

Urban Grinds Coffee Company which launched earlier in the year is the coffee vendor for the shop. The coffee stand inside The Collective in Downtown Conroe has a variety of espresso drinks, London Fog, matcha and chai teas and specialty drinks like Brown Sugar Lovers, The Tiger, Rosemary Honey and Butterfly Lemonade. They have six homemade syrups as well. 

Bakery items are coming soon. 

Transition and hours 

The space is currently transitioning from summer themes to fall themes. The Conroe High section of spirit items will expand in the lobby as a part of the fall transition. 

It’s open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

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