Enjoy, An Urban General Store
- February 2008Every town once had its general store—the place to go for everything from fabric, to seeds, flour, and hardware. The original "one-stop shop," it was where you could get everything you needed plus a dose of socializing with the owners to find out what was going on around the town. Lincoln Square's Enjoy, An Urban General Store applies a modern twist to that concept. "The idea was an urban take on an old fashioned general store," explains Becca Wood, the shop's owner. "We have things you want here and maybe you don't need them, but they exist to make your life happier." The shop is set up in different "departments" where you can find alarm clocks that make animal noises, baby shirts that read "I might puke," and a fun tool set that's fully functional yet covered with flowers. It's a perfect place to find a gift for someone, but to also take note of the things that you might like for yourself.
Before Becca had even thought of the idea for her store, she had her heart set on opening it in Lincoln Square. Originally from the Boston area, Becca visited an old friend in Chicago for the first time about six years ago. "She took me to the Davis Theater to see a movie," Becca recalls. "I totally loved the neighborhood from the second I got out of the car. A lot of Chicago neighborhoods had a big-city feel, but Lincoln Square seemed like a smaller place with so much character."
It hasn't taken long for the neighborhood to return its love for Enjoy, An Urban General Store. It's a popular spot with local moms, kids, and dogs alike. "We're not a 'you-break-it-you-bought-it' store," says Becca. "From the very beginning I wanted to make the store a spot where kids would have a chance to touch the merchandise. If an item breaks, then that means there's something wrong with it and I don't want to buy it again." In homage to the general stores of the past, one end of the counter has bins filled with all types of little toys and gadgets that children find fascinating—and it's located right at their level. "So much of what we sell is tactile and we want people to touch it," she says. Becca also encourages browsers, and typically sees a lot over the weekends when there's a wait to eat at Cafe Selmarie next door. "I love when people come in and stay a while," says Becca. "Because there's really a lot to look at here. I wanted to create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable browsing." Even dogs love visiting Enjoy, An Urban General Store. "There's Gatsby the Shih-Tzu," says Elana, Becca's best friend and indispensable employee. "Whenever he passes by the store, he literally drags his dog walker in here so he can get a treat. It's always funny watching the dog walkers try to figure out what's happening." The shop is doing better than Becca ever expected and is a big hit with neighbors. "Everyone in the neighborhood has been so supportive," says Becca. "One of our customers who comes in at least once a week told us the other day, 'In Lincoln Square if we like you, you'll know that we really like you,'" laughs Elana.
Enjoy, An Urban General Store opened on a hot day in July 2005, smack in the middle of the Lincoln Square Sidewalk Sale. "I remember that the first thing I sold was to a guy," recalls Becca. "It was a beer mug with a quote on it. I was so excited—I almost couldn't believe it." Becca's mom and dad were there for the big opening day, along with a number of friends who volunteered. They all chipped in to get the store up and running, from cleaning, to painting, to building the display shelves. "My claim to fame is that I cleaned the big grid wall in the back," laughs Elana. Becca's family still lives in the Boston area. You'll see them occasionally behind the cash register at Enjoy, An Urban General Store. But no one is more involved than Elana, who has worked there since day one. "We're best friends," says Becca. "We have a great working relationship." The two find plenty of time to laugh and keep a sense of humor about it all.
Although Becca seems truly in awe of her success, she comes from a family of entrepreneurs that has run a series of small businesses. Her parents have owned gift shops in Massachusetts for the past 20 years. Their shop outside of Boston, called Prelude, was recently sold. The other, Periwinkles, is open every May through October in Cape Cod where it's located right on the ocean. "I grew up in their stores," says Becca. "My parents basically taught me everything I know about business." After she graduated from college, Becca went to work as a manager for one of the family shops. That dovetailed into a job as a sales rep for a line of gifts. "I sold 30 different card and gift lines in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut," she explains. "I realized it wasn't for me. It was very lonely. I basically spent all of my time driving around in a car full of product samples." Becca's brother has the same entrepreneurial streak, but he's applied it to restaurants that he owns in Rhode Island. Becca's mom and dad still offer their guidance and advice when she buys items for Enjoy, An Urban General Store. "It's so funny," says Becca. "My mom picks out things to buy that I would never choose in a million years. But people love what she suggests." By her own description, Becca's dad has an odd sense of humor that sometimes comes out in the items he recommends.
As designed, Enjoy, An Urban General Store has a little bit of everything for just about every kind of person. There are items to be had for under a dollar, and those that fall right within the amount you'd want to spend on a gift for a friend. Becca likes to bring in items from local artists and vendors as often as possible. In the past, she's sold shirts made by Deborah Maris Lader, owner of Chicago Printmakers Collaborative. Becca also carries CDs from the Old Town School of Folk Music and from local label Bloodshot Records. "I'm working on bringing in more items from local artists in 2008," she says. Right now, some of her more popular items include art from Lee Stanley of Curly Girl Design, including cards and a number of prints hanging on the wall behind the counter. She also sells a lot of imaginative prints from Story People, made by artist Brian Andreas. Other popular items include mugs and pins from Jane Jenni and a whole line of clocks, magnets, hats, bumper stickers, and more celebrating Bush's last day in office. "We try not to get political, but these just happened to be really big sellers," explains Becca.
There are items for all ages, from babies, to kids, to adults. A particularly hot seller with the kids are the Webkinz, little stuffed animals that take on a life of their own online once kids go home and log onto the Webkinz site. Enjoy, An Urban General Store has a particularly good selection of greeting cards and stationery, many of which are darkly humorous and offbeat. "I love watching people stand in the card section and just let out these huge belly laughs when they read a card," says Becca. The shop carries all independent lines such as eEvil Ink, Snow & Graham, and Kissmekwik. Enjoy, An Urban General Store also sells a good selection of jewelry. One of the most popular lines is Dogeared, which makes a "Karma" necklace that sold like hotcakes at the holidays. "I think everyone in Lincoln Square must be wearing one by now," laughs Elana. "It's sold on a little card with an explanation about the design. People love to wear things with meaning."
If you haven't yet visited Enjoy, An Urban General Store, make sure you come in and browse, touch, read, and have fun. You'll see why Becca's formula for success has led her to create one. "If I had to say, I think the keys to a successful business are a good location, listening to your customers to learn what they want, and not being afraid to make a change," says Becca. Although she's only been open for a few years, Becca has already made a few adjustments to meet her customers' needs. When she realized how many people had children in the neighborhood, she expanded her kids' section. "Now that the babies have grown, I've adjusted what I'm buying again, and I'm sure I'll have to change again in the future," Becca explains. For both Becca and Elana, caring for the customers and seeing positive response from the neighborhood are the most rewarding parts of the job. "I had my best day ever one morning when I was walking to the store to open up," recalls Becca. "I saw this little kid playing in Giddings Plaza and wearing the complete Kidorables green frog outfit from the store—the frog raincoat, rain boots, and umbrella. I thought to myself, this is perfect. This is exactly what I was hoping for when I opened the store."
Enjoy, An Urban General Store
4727 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773.334.8626
www.urbangeneralstore.com
Hours:
Monday - Wednesday 10:00am - 7:00pm
Thursday 10:00am - 8:00pm
Friday 10:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday 10:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 10:00am - 5:00pm
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