New Wasilla indoor market offers a warm safe haven for shoppers and vendors alike

WASILLA — There’s a new kind of shopping experience for local shoppers, The Warehouse, an indoor food truck and vendor market in downtown Wasilla.

Tiffany Morrison and her husband Ron Tracy own and operate RTT Logistics. They established The Warehouse to utilize their onsite storage space to facilitate an indoor marketplace for local small businesses owners who can warmly and safely sell their wares during the winter months.

“We just made it a thing every Wednesday,” Morrison said.

The Warehouse features an average of 18 to 20 vendors each week, according to Morrison. She said they work with numerous reoccurring vendors and even some nonprofits from across the Valley and they’ve had a lot of positive feedback.

“Most of our vendors stay, “Morrison said. “There’s so many talented people in the Valley. Everyone has their own skill sets and they bring them all here each week. Everyone’s amazing.”

Morrison said they feature a wide variety of local goods and services ranging from farm-fresh jams and jellies to clothing and catering companies. She said this new indoor market is the first of its kind in the Valley.

“There’s isn’t anything specifically like this in the wintertime,” Morrison said.

Morrison said that it’s important to have outlets like these for local vendors, especially those that are up and coming and trying to get their name out there.

Not everyone can just get a brick and motor store,”

Looking forward, Morrison aims to maintain and expand The Warehouse, possibly extending it to a year-round market.

“It’s gaining traffic but it’s not nearly as much as I’d like to see,”

Morrison and Tracy also started a food truck, Duke’s Sweets and Treats in July of 2021. She said they sell dessert for the whole family and they’re the only food truck in Alaska that sells liquor-infused ice cream.

“It’s been fun,” Morrison said.

Many food trucks rely on events or a stable place to keep their momentum going. Local Mamas co-owner, Darryl Schurman said The Warehouse’s indoor market is particularly helpful for food trucks since many shut down during the winter or have limited operations.

“With food trucks, it’s hit or miss,” Darryl said.

Schurman said The Warehouse has a positive atmosphere with vendors supporting one another on a regular basis.

“We’re all like a family,” Darryl said.

Brenda Schurman said that she’s enjoyed running a homegrown tamale and catering company with her husband over the last 12 years. She said that having an indoor market and a place for storage is providing a much-needed service to their company and numerous others.

“There’s always been a missing piece of the puzzle. It’s the missing piece for us. It’s what we’ve been needing,” Brenda said. “I think it’s a really great opportunity for vendors. it’s filled a really nice niche for the community.”

The Warehouse is located at 771 Wasair Drive in Wasilla.

For more information about, call 907-357-9200 or visit facebook.com/TheWarehouseVendorMarket.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com