9th Avenue Reimagined: How Women Entrepreneurs Are Rewriting Downtown Myrtle Beach

From left to right: Lisa Lee, Jenny Halstead, Liliana Vasquez, Fabiana Oliveira, Kinsey Muller, Jess Sagun

There’s a subtle revolution happening on 9th Avenue North — not loud, not flashy, but deliberate and exquisite. Where once storefronts stood quiet after the sun set, a new kind of downtown is forming: locally led, community-rooted, and helmed in many of its most visible roles by women. These women aren’t simply opening businesses; they’re shaping the neighborhood personality: culinary creativity, dessert craft, hospitality innovation, nonprofit-driven tech support, and late-night Latin flavor. The result is a downtown that feels curated, tactile, and unmistakably desirable — the kind of place you want to tell your friends about and come back to again and again.

Below are the women and businesses you’ll want to know — and why their presence matters well beyond a single address on a street map.

The faces on 9th (and what they bring)

Lisa Lee — The Tasting Room on 9th Lisa Lee turned a love of hospitality and wine into a downtown destination. As proprietor and creative lead of The Tasting Room on 9th, she’s built an intimate, elevated wine and dining experience that reads like a thoughtfully edited boutique: seasonal menus, sommelier-led tasting events, and a refined, social atmosphere that feels rare for the Grand Strand. Lisa’s work is a perfect example of how a single, beautifully executed venue can lift the whole block. Plus she was the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce's Entrepreneur of the Year for 2025!

Jess Sagun & Kinsey Muller — Winna’s Kitchen Mother-and-daughter owners Jess Sagun and Kinsey Muller brought Winna’s Kitchen to Main Street with the express aim of feeding people and reigniting downtown energy. Their family-owned, comfort-forward spot combines community focus with honest, elevated comfort food — the kind of everyday place that makes locals feel at home and downtown feel alive again. Don't let their kindness mislead you, there is a reason they have been featured on The Today Show, The Cooking Channel and Bon Appetite. They also took home the trophy for Chef Swap at the Beach. (If they won't brag on themselves, we'll do it for them!)

Jenny Halstead — eMYRge Not every cornerstone is a restaurant. Jenny Halstead runs eMYRge, a nonprofit and entrepreneur-support hub that helps founders launch and scale businesses in the Grand Strand. Her role is crucial: successful downtowns depend on the scaffolding that helps small enterprises survive and thrive. eMYRge is doing that work — coaching, connecting, and making entrepreneurship less lonely.

Liliana Vasquez — The Dolly Llama (Myrtle Beach Liliana Vasquez brought The Dolly Llama’s playful dessert and waffle concept to 9th Avenue, adding late-afternoon and family-friendly energy to the street. Beyond delicious, photogenic treats, Liliana’s shop signals a neighborhood that’s meant to be explored for casual delights as much as fine dining.

Fabiana Oliveira — Boteco VIP Fabiana Oliveira owns Boteco VIP - Brazilian Homemade Flavors. Boteco VIP is a Brazilian-inspired restaurant that brings the warmth of homemade-style food to the heart of Myrtle Beach. Open daily for both lunch and dinner, the restaurant combines traditional Brazilian dishes with the comforting taste of home. Beyond the kitchen, Boteco VIP is also recognized for its signature craft cocktails, making it a vibrant spot for flavorful dining and social gatherings. Here, both locals and visitors can enjoy an authentic taste of Brazil in every meal.

Why this is different — and rare

Urban change happens most reliably when locals invest their time, talent, and capital into a neighborhood. 9th Ave’s transformation is unique because it’s emerging from people who live here, who care about their neighbors, and who are building for consistency rather than a seasonal rush. These women value curation, heritage, and scarcity. On 9th, that translates to thoughtfully designed concepts, high standards of hospitality, and a mix of destination dining and everyday comfort that’s by locals, for locals — and, importantly, built to last.

A broader reality: women still face steep barriers in leadership

The presence of these women on 9th is powerful because it runs against two stubborn national trends:

• In the restaurant industry, most recent profiles show that the sector is relatively inclusive on ownership compared with other industries — roughly half of restaurant firms are at least partially women-owned, and sizable shares are majority-owned by women. Yet women still face disproportionate operational and capital barriers compared with male peers.

• In technology — which matters here because organizations like eMYRge bridge tech and entrepreneurship — women remain underrepresented in senior technical roles. Recent industry analyses show women occupy a minority of CTO/CIO roles and a smaller share of senior technical leadership overall (estimates commonly point toward roughly 20% or less in senior tech leadership roles across many markets). That gap makes Jenny Halstead’s work supporting founders especially consequential.

Those statistics help explain why the visibility of women owners and operators on 9th isn’t merely encouraging — it’s vital. The street’s leaders are setting a blueprint other women (and men) can follow: combine community-first thinking, high standards of service, and smart business support.

The change that still needs the community

Downtown’s revival isn’t automatic. It’s fragile and it depends on a simple social contract: when locals reclaim the streets — with weekday dinners, neighborhood dessert runs, midday coffee, and attendance at events — the businesses that rely on steady foot traffic survive the off-seasons and expand their offerings. Without consistent local support, turnover increases, investment dries up, and the character that makes a place special gets eroded.

That’s why the call to action is plain: come downtown not just to visit but to live a little of your day there. Book a tasting at The Tasting Room on 9th, take a midweek lunch at Winna’s, bring kids for waffles at The Dolly Llama, connect with eMYRge if you’re launching a side hustle, and reserve a night for Boteco VIP’s lively flavors. Each visit compounds: it adds income, it demonstrates demand to lenders and developers, and it creates the social density that transforms streets into neighborhoods.

A neighborhood that wears refinement like hospitality

If history teaches us anything about place-making, it’s this: scarcity, story, and craft make demand inevitable. 9th Avenue is cultivating those exact ingredients — not by replicating a global brand, but by local artisanship: finely tuned menus, intentional hospitality, entrepreneurial scaffolding, and bold cultural flavor. The result is a downtown that is both approachable and aspirational, a place that belongs to locals but invites curious visitors without losing its soul.

How to support — simple, effective moves

• Dine local midweek — steady traffic matters more than weekend crowds.

• Buy gift cards from these shops for friends and family.

• Attend local events or volunteer with eMYRge and similar organizations.

• Share your experience on social platforms and review sites — word of mouth still drives discovery.

  
  

Final note

9th Avenue’s renaissance is not a one-off makeover. It’s the product of women who chose to lead with craft, community, and care. Lisa Lee, Jess Sagun, Kinsey Muller, Jenny Halstead, Liliana Vasquez, and Fabiana Oliveira represent a new civic choreography: businesses that serve neighborhoods, create jobs, and invite belonging. That’s rare, that’s desirable, and it’s just beginning.

Visit 9th Avenue. Bring friends. Become part of the story that will define downtown Myrtle Beach for years to come.