Entrepreneurs and artists will be able to sell their wares in the Island's newest cafe lounge, come August.

Gallery 135 Coffee Lounge and Market is set to open towards the end of summer and owner Keerome Maybury said it offers people the most innovative solution to launching and growing a small business on the Island. It will be located at 135 Front Street, near RenaissanceRe and the soon-to-be built Seon Place.

"People who are entrepreneurial but don't want to deal with the risks associated with starting up a business rent in Hamilton, electricity, payroll tax they can display their goods at our location. We will be offering people weekly, monthly or quarterly leases, so there will always be something new in the Gallery. We will also have training for our staff so they know all about your product and can help sell it."

Mr. Maybury, who was previously an catastrophe risk analyst at Ace Ltd. before he chose to become an entrepreneur, said he believed it was a service the Island needed.

"The costs at the moment are six to seven figures, so only people who can afford to gamble with that money get involved in starting new companies," he said. "I don't think it should be that way. We have a lot of smart individuals on the Island who see a gap in the market and can identify goods that are needed, but they just don't have the capital.

"This way they can try it out, bring in small orders of inventory to begin with and see if consumers like it. We've had a lot of interest already just from viral marketing. One young fellow wants to sell designer shades in the Gallery, a few young ladies have already reserved spots to sell their custom-made jewellery and another woman plans to use the spot to showcase and sell her gourmet pastry."

And Mr. Maybury said he believed the place would be bustling due to its location near to large businesses. The Gallery will open at seven in the morning and sell gourmet coffees and breakfast foods and remain open for lunch as well. Later in the day it will transform into a wine bar and sell fine wines and imported beers not now available on the Island. Mr. Maybury said the site will also have free wireless internet connection, which he hoped would attract people.

"What we want is a diversity of goods so that people who come in for the coffee will be able to pick up items they can't get elsewhere on the Island," he said. "The store will be open for a minimum of 12 hours a day, six days a week so there will be a lot of exposure. We're also hoping to have special events such as jazz on a weekend night."

Anyone interested in purchasing a place to display their goods at Gallery 135 can e-mail orders@tcbltd.com or go to www.g-135.com.