“When my husband and I moved to Dayton, there were a lot of things we missed from Boston, including our neighborhood hat shop,” O’Dowd said. “There really wasn’t anything comparable in the region and I thought Dayton could use something similar, which is how the idea for Brim started.”
During the Great Recession, she bought a building that had sat vacant for two years and leveraged everything she and her husband had financially to get a loan.
“Many of my friends have confessed that (they) thought I was crazy and would lose my shirt, but here we are 10 years later,” O’Dowd said.
Brim has blossomed into a regional destination with customers traveling from Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Kentucky.
“Lots of my customers want me to open a regional chain so they can have a Brim in their community, but I like that people from surrounding cities make the drive and get to see all of the wonderful things our neighborhood and Dayton have to offer,” O’Dowd said. “We’re very proud of Dayton’s history and our customers here.”
Throughout the last 10 years, Brim has had a lot of success, but they have been through a few challenging times including the Oregon District mass shooting and the coronavirus pandemic.
O’Dowd said the shooting not only took lives but shook the community. She explained many people were exposed to significant trauma and are still struggling.
“So many customers and neighbors came to comfort and support us and we’re so incredibly grateful,” O’Dowd said. “The way Dayton came together is one of the many reasons why we are glad to be here in Dayton.”
The community came together once again when the coronavirus pandemic created never-before-seen difficulties for local businesses, she said.
“During the shutdown, I decided to keep everyone working and use the time to invest in expanding our online business, which not only helped us to survive the pandemic but has allowed us to grow our business,” O’Dowd said.
To celebrate with the community, Brim will release a new exclusive line of hats in addition to having special anniversary posters, tote bags, and T-shirts available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The shop will also host Big-B BBQ from noon to 5 p.m. with live music from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. They will also have a collaboration beer with Toxic Brewery called “Brim’s Picnic Pilsner” during the celebration.
For more information about Brim, located at 464 E. Fifth Street, visit www.brimonfifth.com.
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