|
Eager children wait their turn to have a chance to dunk City Council member John Fox at the annual KidzFest event in Old Town Winchester. Photo credit: Friends of Old Town |
Winchester Economic Development Newsletter
The City of Winchester, Economic Development Authority, focuses on attracting, expanding, and retaining economic development activity to maximize our industrial and commercial land use. Our strategy includes preserving the city's social, environmental, architectural, and cultural fabric.
|
|
Union Jack Pub & Restaurant
Located at 101 N. Loudoun Street on Winchester’s Old Town Walking Mall, Union Jack Pub & Restaurant is a longtime downtown favorite known for its welcoming atmosphere, classic pub fare, and strong community ties. Owned by Jason Williams and Matthew Lunsford, the restaurant recently reopened following extensive renovations after an unexpected flood caused by a burst fire sprinkler.
With refreshed finishes, upgraded viewing areas, large-screen TVs, and surround sound, Union Jack continues to offer the pub experience guests know and love while providing an exciting destination for sporting events. This summer, fans can catch every World Cup match while enjoying what the team describes as the closest thing to an authentic pub atmosphere in downtown Winchester
| | Design presented for expanded pedestrian mall | A conceptual design of an expanded Loudoun Street Mall has been presented to City Council's Planning and Economic Development Committee. | Group formed to coordinate local nonprofit service | A new group has formed in Winchester to collaborate services, improve communications and provide a stronger, unified voice for local nonprofit agencies. | Craig Foster, marketing officer for Capon Valley Bank, recently graduated from the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber's Community Leadership Program. | Mover Dudes celebrating 20th anniversary with '20 for 20' initiative | In celebration of its 20th year of service, Mover Dudes of Winchester has launched a "20 for 20" campaign to raise $20,000 for The Laurel Center's new mission to help victims of human trafficking. | Valley Health named one of nation's top health systems | Winchester-based Valley Health has been named one of the Top 15 local and regional health systems in the nation for 2026. | Shenandoah University secures $100K grant for commercial kitchen | Shenandoah University has been awarded a $100,000 Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant to begin planning a commercial kitchen and culinary hub to support entrepreneurship and growth in the Northern Shenandoah Valley’s food and beverage industry, according to a media release from the university. | | 3rd Neighborhood Design District being considered | City Council is expected to decide later this month whether to implement Winchester's third Neighborhood Design District (NDD). |
Cadillac Café: A tiny place with a big personality
| At just 280 square feet, what the Cadillac Café lacks in size it makes up for in products and personality. | 4th Neighborhood Design District gets nod | The approval process for Winchester's fourth, and possibly final, Neighborhood Design District (NDD) is underway. | Tokyo-style ramen eatery to open downtown | If you want to create a buzz about your new business, take notes from the owners of Miso Tori Ramen Company, a Tokyo-style ramen restaurant that is slated to open soon at 21 E. Boscawen Street in downtown Winchester. | WMC's master development plan updated to include new facilities | Winchester Medical Center is seeking the city's approval of an update to its master development plan to account for new planned construction at its campus on Amherst Street. | Handley Class of 2026 earns record $8.8M in scholarships | John Handley High School's Class of 2026 received $8,771,321 in scholarship awards, the highest total in recorded school history, according to a Winchester Public Schools media release. | | For more articles like these, make sure to subscribe to The Winchester Star! | | GRANTS, LOANS & OTHER RESOURCES | | People Incorporated of Virginia provides business services in Winchester, including business loans, technical support, and marketing assistance? | Grants for small businesses, for-profit organizations, corporations and LLC, including government, state, local federal, and foundation grant funding. | The Virginia Economic Development Partnership have launched InternshipsVA, a program to help Virginia employers create high-quality, paid internship programs. | Certificates of Free Sale are sometimes requested by foreign purchasers to assure that products are freely available and sold in the United States. To learn more and request a Certificate of Free Sale, click the link below. | Click below for a list of 35+ small business grants for minority entrepreneurs. | | Finding funding can be a challenge for businesses of all sizes. Click below to find 100 + Grants, Loans, and Programs to Benefit Your Small Business. | The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) helps small businesses get funding by setting guidelines for loans and reducing lender risk. | Virginia employers may qualify fo monthly stipends of $500-$1,000 for up to six months through the Virginia Department of Social Services’ Full Employment Program (FEP) when hiring eligible participants. Contact fep@dss.virginia.gov for details. | Do you need funding to grow your small business? A 7(a) loan, SBA's primary business loan option, can help. | Click below for 125+ grants, loans, and scholarships for women | | Great grant opportunities for Women Business Owners including grants. The next grant deadline is June 30, 2026. | You could receive up to $4,000 for your small business through the NASE Growth Grants program. | The Merchant offers 4,000 square feet of co-working office and event space, featuring private offices with 24/7 access and flexible terms without long contracts or high overheads. | SCCF can assist entrepreneurs who are unable to attain capital through commercial lending. Small business microloans range from $1,000 to $50,000, for small businesses that do not qualify for commercial business loans. | The HerRise Micro-Grant provides funding to women of color who are creating a positive community impact. | | WEBINARS, CLASSES, EVENTS & MORE | | Virginia Micro-Intership Experience | The Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) is connecting college students and recent graduates with short-term, paid professional projects. There are currently 24+ summer projects available across various industries. For more information about V-TOP, please click the link below. | Virginia Works will offer a series of webinars that explore critical workforce development strategies, from building talent pipelines to retention solutions. | |
Upcoming VA Works Webinars:
| Driving Performance Improvement by Building a Safety-First Culture | Top of Virginia Regional Chamber, in partnership with GENEDGE, is hosting a manufacturing education event focused on strategies and best practices for creating a strong safety culture. The session is Wednesday, June 24, 2026 from 10:30 AM- 12:00 PM. Click the link below to register for this event. | |
The Virginia Small Business Development Center ((SBDC) offers a wide variety of webinars and in-person events. Below are just a few. Visit their website to discover all of their events and workshops here.
Upcoming SBDC Events & Webinars:
| Women Entrepreneurs Coffee Networking Event | |
The HIVE is hosting a Women Entrepreneurs Coffee Networking Event at HIVE — Hub for Innovators, Veterans and Entrepreneurs at Shenandoah University on Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 8:30AM - 10:00AM.
Enjoy coffee and meaningful conversation with women entrepreneurs, founders, and industry leaders to share ideas, resources, and inspiration.
| | First Citizens Bank is hosting a free Shred Day on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at its Winchester branch, located at 2147 Valley Avenue. Click the graphic for full details. | Webinar: Turning Insight into Action: Evaluations & Surveys to Improve Intern Effectiveness and Program Outcomes | Join VEDP on June 23 at 10:00 AM (ET) for an interactive training designed to help organizations strengthen internship experiences and outcomes. To register, click the link below. | |
The Winchester EDA, People Inc. of Virginia, & HIVE are hosting a Business Resource Fair on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 from 11:00 AM- 2:00 PM at the Hive.
This event will provide direct access to resource partners, business support organizations, funding information, networking opportunities, and expert guidance. Click the link below to register for this event.
| TRVC's Community Leadership Program Application Now Open | Applications are now open for the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber's 30th Anniversary Class of the Community Leadership Program (CLP)! The program provides insight into the challenges and opportunities facing our region while fostering leadership potential. The deadline to apply is July 10, 2026. Interested business owners may also be eligible for the Winchester EDA's Growing Business Development Program Waiver. To view program details, click here. | 5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration | Hood Love is hosting a FREE family friendly Juneteenth event on Friday, June 19, 2026 from 3:00-9:00pm on the Old Town Walking Mall. | | Friends of Old Town Honored with Virginia Main Street Awards | Click the link below to read about this special recognition. |
FoOT in the news: FoOT recognized by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and Virginia Main Street Program for the revitalization of Taylor Pavilion | |
Upcoming Downtown Events:
| | Pictured from left to right, top to bottom: Members of the EDA Board, City Council and City of Winchester staff celebrate the Kurtz Building Plaque Dedication; EDA Economic Analyst, Sam Iden, gives a presentation about the building's history. | | Kurtz Building Historic Plaque Dedication | | |
The Kurtz Building Historic Plaque Dedication was recently held in recognition of National Historic Preservation Month, celebrating one of Winchester’s most iconic historic landmarks. Built in 1836, the building remains an important part of Old Town’s history and character.
The event featured a presentation by EDA Economic Analyst Sam Iden, highlighting the building’s placement on the City’s Historic Building Registry and its addition to Friends of Old Town’s “History of Us” initiative, a mayoral proclamation from Mayor Les Veach, and a guided tour of the building.
Click the link below to view our Facebook page and the Mayor's Proclamation.
| Enterprise Zone Boundary Amendment Information | Click the graphic for more details on this EZ Boundary Amendment. Click here to view information sheet in español. To learn more, contact the Winchester EDA using the link below. | EDA on the Radio: Economic Analyst Sam Iden discusses the Enterprise Zone and other incentive opportunities with The River 95.3 | | Winchester EDA Economic Analyst, Sam Iden has a laugh after being dunked at the KidzFest celebration in Old Town Winchester. Check out more photos from KidzFest using the link below. Photo Credit: Friends of Old Town | | City Council considering creation of Tourism Zone in Winchester | | City Council approves ZeroPak financial incentive and holds the first reading EDA Tourism zone proposal | | If you're a local business and would like to invite members of the EDA for a tour/visit, please let us know! Send us an email at: Econ.Dev@winchesterva.gov. | | |
Economic Development Authority Meetings
-
June 16, 2026 Agenda
- The next EDA Board Meeting will occur on July 21, 2026
| | | | |
