\u201c[My wife\u2019s mother] sent me a text message on Jan. 24 and said to look at this story about half of empty downtown Pittsburgh storefronts to be filled<\/a> ahead of NFL draft,\u201d Treichler said. \u201cIt was in the\u00a0Butler Eagle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI read [the] article, and then I went immediately to [The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership] website just to be like, \u2018OK, let\u2019s see,\u2019\u201d Treichler said. \u201cLocation is the most important thing\u2026 I think we\u2019re going to crush it [here in Pittsburgh].\u201d<\/p>\n Three days after reading the article, Treichler heard back from the Downtown Partnership, hopped on a Zoom call, and planned their five-hour drive from Jim Thorpe to tour a few potential second retail locations. His wife\u2019s family is from McKees Rocks, and he had been to the Steel City a few times before this trip \u2014 but was not aware the NFL Draft was going to take place in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n \u201cMy intention is to find long term property, like places to sink my teeth into, and just spread the silliness.\u201d<\/p>\n Treichler has been looking into opening a second location since last December. The Silly Goose \u201chatched\u201d on Sept. 29, 2024 \u2014 National Goose Day; a pure coincidence, he said. The store\u2019s social media presence has grown to nearly 60,000 across TikTok and Instagram, showcasing the store\u2019s shop full of silly, quirky gifts, located in the heart of Jim Thorpe.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know at the time that [the store] would be as successful as it would, and I didn\u2019t really have a polished idea in my head. I just knew I feel like if I poured my soul into something, I could make it great,\u201d Treichler said. \u00a0<\/p>\n It takes about five employees to operate the Jim Thorpe location, and Treichler is preparing to recruit locals for positions and local artists for the brand\u2019s original merchandise. He plans to expand Jim Thorpe area artists\u2019 footprint in Pittsburgh too.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a warehouse of stock; we just need to get it [to Pittsburgh],\u201d Treichler said. \u201cI will wait for the right opportunity to come along\u2026 The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership gave that opportunity where it would not be high risk to come in and give it a shot. But my intention is to find long term property, like places to sink my teeth into, and just spread the silliness.\u201d<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n \u200dOne way the partnership is also working to keep businesses downtown after the draft is through a\u00a0rent abatement program<\/a>, offering rent subsidies for the first year of the lease. In 2025, eight new businesses opened through the program, contributing to 19 new street-level retail openings. The rent abatement program offers half of the monthly rent, up to $2,000.<\/p>\n Treichler said he is open to a pop-up location and to participate in a rent abatement program, but that depends on securing a lease with property owners. If that happens, he plans to open the store by mid-March.<\/p>\n Some of the empty storefronts in the Golden Triangle require construction before they are retail ready. For those spaces, the partnership plans to install window displays featuring locally made art, Irvin said. \u00a0<\/p>\n Irvin said the Partnership hopes to fill 20 to 30 retail storefronts in time for the draft, scheduled for April 23-25. It is expected to generate $120 million to $213 million in economic impact, based on\u00a0prior draft numbers<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n The main stage will be located outside of Acrisure Stadium on the North Shore. Renderings of the planned stage were released\u00a0earlier this month<\/a>. Other events will be spread throughout the North Shore and at Point State Park. \u00a0<\/p>\n Newly inaugurated Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O\u2019Connor told the city to \u201credd up\u201d for the draft\u00a0last month<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDowntown storefront activation is a priority, both as we prepare to welcome visitors for the NFL Draft and as part of the mayor\u2019s broader vision for a thriving, active downtown. We\u2019re working with partners to reduce friction for small businesses, support existing Downtown businesses, and help new concepts open and grow over the long term,\u201d Office of Economic Development directors Mary McKinney Flaherty and Steve Wray said in a prepared statement. \u00a0<\/p>\n They said they are prioritizing a \u201cvibrant central business district with more active storefronts, More foot traffic, and the kind of day-to-day energy that benefits workers, residents, and visitors alike.\u201d<\/p>\n VisitPittsburgh<\/a>, the tourism agency leading draft preparation, estimates 500,000 to 700,000 visitors will attend draft-related events over the three-day period.<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n \u200dErin Yudt is a reporter with the Pittsburgh Media Partnership Newsroom, part of the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University. She most recently was a multimedia content producer and digital reporter at WKBN in Youngstown and is a graduate of Point Park University. Reach her at\u00a0erin.yudt@pointpark.edu<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The PMP Newsroom is a regional news service that focuses on government and enterprise reporting in southwestern Pennsylvania. Find out more information on foundation and corporate funders\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Nate-and-Sara-in-PGH.jpeg\")
The Silly Goose Unapologetic Gifts & Novelties owner Nate Treichler with his wife Sara during a business trip to Pittsburgh in early February 2026. Nate is looking to expand his Jim Thorpe-based business with the help of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership\u2019s pop-up and rent abatement programs. Photo courtesy of Nate Treichler.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Close-up-of-new-candle-shop.jpg\")
Outside the former Peter Lawrence Women\u2019s Apparel store on Wood Street in Downtown Pittsburgh in early February 2026. The store is set to become a second physical location of PGH Candle, a homemade candle business based on the North Side. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is working to fill spaces like these ahead of the NFL Draft in April. Photo by Erin Yudt<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/silly-gose.jpg\")
An art display outside a former retail store at the corner of Smithfield Street and Forbes Avenue. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is working to create more displays in other empty spaces throughout the Golden Triangle ahead of the NFL Draft in April. Photo by Erin Yudt.<\/p>\n