“I just wanted to be a place that Springfield people can come and get a gift for somebody,” she said. “I like to see people come in. I handpicked everything that’s in the store, and (people) really appreciate that. They like everything that I picked, and I feel fulfilled in that sense.”
The store offers the viral fruit shaped ice cream, snacks, a pearled candle bar, capybaras, crocheted emotional support animals, jewelry and accessories, home items such as cups and local artist items. She will soon add a small Kay Beauty makeup section.
Talking about the local artist section, Justice said she thinks “it’s really important for the kids or artists to get their stuff out.”
“I wanted to offer a tiny space that they can display their items so people can come and support a local artist,” she said.
One day someone posted about the viral ice cream at Momo Mart and people started coming in just to get that, Justice said.
“I didn’t know the viral ice cream was just taking off...I had a vendor and she said (I) should get some of (it) so I got a tiny little (freezer). If I had known, I would’ve got a bigger freezer,” she said. “This is what got the store kind of known ... But people come in to browse and get other stuff than the ice cream now.”
Justice is also part owner of OH! Boba, which has locations in Springfield’s Myers Market and Troy, with two other partners. She comes to COhatch “all the time” to restock and check the store, when she saw the space was empty where her Momo Mart store is now located.
“I just reached out to COhatch and asked them because I always wanted to have something my own, that is completely my own. I think a little retail shop here would do pretty good because it’s all food, and we have the traffic coming in and out,” she said.
Justice explained she originally had a couple different ideas for her business, such as a slime bar for kids, but the space felt a little too small for that. She decided to do a retail store because she wanted to do something that’s unique with gifts that people don’t see in big chain or name stores.
After opening the store before Christmas last year, Justice is still testing the waters with her items to see what sells well and will have a rotating inventory.
“I wanted to provide a place that people can come in and get something to give as a gift,” she said. “When people come in every month, I want them to see there’s something new here...It will keep changing, it will keep evolving.”
Originally from China, Justice has been in the states since she was 16 years old in Missouri, where she met her husband in high school and went to college. Her husband joined the military and they’ve moved all over the place, including Japan, England, Colorado and Nebraska. Justice said he was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is his last station after 20 years.
“We decided to settle down because of the (two) kids. We wanted them to go into high school with a group of friends because we didn’t want to move and they go to high school and they don’t know anybody,” she said.
Store hours are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. For more information, visit Momo Mart on Facebook.
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