Brooklyn 12-Year-Old Opens Pop-Up Thrift Store In Manhattan

BROOKLYN, NY — A 12-year-old Brooklyn entrepreneur is taking his business to the level — the next borough, that is.

Obocho Peters, founder of "Obocho's Closet," is teaming up with an Upper West Side City Council candidate to open his second pop-up shop in Manhattan.

The new shop comes nearly two years after Peters, who is from Flatbush, opened his first brick-and-mortar store in Brooklyn.

Peters founded his thrift store business when he was just 9 years old with the goal of helping families, like his, who struggled to pay their bills. The thrift shop uses a portion of its profits to contribute to food pantries and run financial literacy workshops.

He said this week that the Upper West Side store opening is another step toward that mission.

"I'm excited about the event, meeting different people, checking out the area and making another BIG step toward my goal of helping families become Financially Free," Peters told Patch in an email Tuesday.

The Manhattan thrift shop will open at 249 West 60th Street as part of City Council candidate Zack Weiner's "Startup Retail Initiative," which aims to fill vacant storefronts with entrepreneurs looking for space. The pop-up shop will be open for three days from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday to Sunday.

Weiner, who is running to replace Council Member Helen Rosenthal's seat, describes his Start Up Retail Initiative as a "route for landlords to demonstrate good faith efforts to fill stores. Landlords will offer pop-up entrepreneurs/artists/nonprofits/and the like a revenue sharing and utility paid arrangement as opposed to rent."

Peters' Brooklyn store is still open as a pick-up and drop-off location due to a downsize during the coronavirus pandemic.

You can find out more about the Upper West Side pop-up store from the 12-year-old entrepreneur here.