By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer,
Report for America Corps Member,
msayles@afro.com
Dana Green is no stranger to entrepreneurship, but when she opened Restocked in Leesburg, Virginia last summer, it was her first time heading a retail business.
Raised in Clinton, Maryland, Green knew she wanted to become a business owner at a young age. Her grandfather was an entrepreneur, and she wanted to follow in his footsteps, but she was uncertain about what kind of business she wanted to start.
Following her graduation from Delaware State University, Green postponed her aspirations and began working for the United States Secret Service as a federal police officer during former President Bill Clinton’s administration.
There, she coincidentally befriended her future husband and business partner.
Green went on to independently launch her first business in 2006, A Little Gym franchise in Bowie, Maryland. She decided to open the children’s gym after her daughter was diagnosed with a developmental delay, but it closed after just two years when the 2008 recession hit.
After Green’s Little Gym shut down, she and her new husband ventured into commercial concrete. The couple had heard that the government was pushing for more minority participation in the development of Washington D.C.’s infrastructure, and they wanted to partake in the effort.
Thus, Concrete Mixers Inc. was born. The company grew from having five beater trucks to owning a 40-truck fleet and launching a hauling division to transport its own concrete ingredients.
But, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Green was the first person to be taken off payroll, so she began brainstorming for a business that could occupy a vacant commercial space that her and husband possessed.
Green had always been a sneakerhead, so it was no surprise that her children shared her love of stylish footwear. She knew most of her fellow Leesburg residents were forced to travel to Tysons Corner to shop for shoes, so in 2021, she decided to open her own shoe store, Restocked.
The goal was to open with 100 pairs of sneakers, and Green ended up opening with 300.
“I think what sets us apart from other retail stores is that my husband and I are in here [and] we’re working. It’s just the two of us. We don’t have any employees,” said Green. “It’s a family business. You come in here, you can buy a pair of sneakers, and you become family.”
Green described the business as a family affair. Her, her husband and their seven children join forces to snap up sneakers, like Yeezys, Jordans and Dunks, and Green makes a point to price them affordably.
She hopes that one day each family member can have their own Restocked location, but for now, the next goal is to continue expanding the store’s social media presence and to open a second location in Houston, Texas, where Green’s husband is from.
Since opening Restocked, Green has experienced a stream of support from her community.
Children and teens from the local skate park often frequent the store to browse the sneakers and talk to Green. Many of them have even told Green that they would like to work at Restocked for their first job, and Green intends to make it happen.
“I want it to be a place where kids can come in and work, and they can learn about business because retail was new to me. I had never done anything in retail ever,” said Green. “Not just for them being sneaker lovers but to learn how to operate a business, I think would be amazing for [youth] to get that information because my husband and I had to learn by trial and error.”
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