DOWAGIAC — Tuesday afternoon, a group of members with the Greater Dowagiac Area Chamber of Commerce gathered in a small storefront wedged in between other businesses on Front Street in order to welcome a new business.

“Welcome to Dowagiac,” said Chamber President Kim MacGregor. “We are so happy to have you and to help you in any way we can. We wish you the best success.”

The Greater Dowagiac Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for The Vape Saloon Tuesday afternoon. Owned by Dylan and Alicia Gatties, The Vape Saloon opened on June 1 at 226 S. Front Street, Dowagiac. The store sells specialty vape products, devices and e-juices.

Holding a banner bearing the logo of the new store and with their two children flanking their sides, Dylan and Alicia said they were touched by the gesture and the support the chamber of commerce was offering them and their new business.

“It’s been great,” Alicia said.

“The support here is really strong,” Dylan added. “A lot of communities would be really judgmental of something like this, but we have been welcomed with open arms.”

More than just the Greater Dowagiac Area Chamber of Commerce, Dylan said that he and The Vape Saloon have received support from the Dowagiac community.

“I was really surprised how much I was welcomed in the community,” Dylan said. “People from every business down here [have] been in here and asking what I’ve been doing. They have all been really welcoming. … I’m really glad the community has welcomed me, because for something like [vape products] a lot of people might not know about it or understand it. I’m glad that people trust me to know what I’m doing.”

That support has translated into customers, Dylan said, estimating that The Vape Saloon has already doubled the number of sales it was expecting by this time.

“There really was a need here [in Dowagiac] for a store like this,” he said.

Seeing the high sales of the products makes Dylan hopeful for the health of Dowagiac and the surrounding area, as he said he believes in vape products to be a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes. Gatties has been vaping for many years, eventually turning to vaping to quit smoking, something vaping has been shown in preliminary studies to assist with.

“I’ve known a lot of people to have success with it,” he said. “[Vaping] is in my personal opinion and statistically to be the fastest way to quit smoking. I’ve seen maybe six people already toss out their cigarettes and come in here looking to quit.”

When asked by the chamber what they could do to help The Vape Saloon grow and be successful in Dowagiac, Dylan and Alicia had the same answer.

“Just let people know about us. Help us get the word out,” Dylan said. “If you see someone outside smoking, say, ‘hey, there is a place downtown that can help you quit.’”