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| Few stores in Chicago are more aptly named than the Happy Food Spot, a sparkling example of what every convenience store should aspire to be. If you've ever stopped in the Lincoln Avenue store to pick up a snack or some groceries, then you've experienced its scent of freshly washed floors and its exceptional variety of items representing countries around the world. You'll recall products in the Happy Food Spot that cater to the tastes of a wide range of nationalities who live in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. And you'll also remember Kimmy, who greets most of her customers by name and always with a smile on her face.
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 There's a reason why the Happy Food Spot is a model corner store. It's because Kimmy, the proprietor, is a determined and experienced businesswoman who has owned and operated everything from a T-shirt store to a hardware store since she came to the US from Korea in 1976. In 1983, she decided that it was time to open a new business. When she found out that the KOS market was for sale, a small grocery which had been located at the corner of Lincoln and Eastwood for more than 60 years, she immediately went to talk to the owner. She thought that the neighborhood, then a solidly German community, would be a perfect place for her daughter to learn more about German culture. (On her father's side, her grandmother was German.) From the minute she saw the shop, Kimmy knew it was perfect. So she bought the business, then moved in the very next day and opened the Happy Food Spot.
At first it was a challenge to run the store, since it only had the little bit of stock left over from the previous owner. Each time a customer stopped in, Kimmy asked them what they wanted or liked, so that she could fill the store with what her neighbors needed. Little by little, she stocked everything using the previous owner's ordering books and by taking many of her customers' suggestions. You can still see the German influence in the products Kimmy has today—from the marzipan beside the cash register, to the mustards, deli meats and cheeses in the coolers. As the neighborhood has evolved and diversified, so have the products in the Happy Food Spot. Like the neighborhood, Kimmy says, her products now represent "all nationalities." From the time she first opened her doors, the Happy Food Spot has been a member of the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce. |
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 Nearly 20 years later, the neighborhood still loves and depends on the Happy Food Spot. A constant stream of customers flow in and out, after movies at the Davis Theatre, as well as to pick up sodas when thirsty, ice cream novelties in the summertime, newspapers and lucky lottery tickets. She's got a good handle on what her customers buy now, but if you ask her, Kimmy will still order something special for you. When you look around the Happy Food Spot, you'll find everything from cheesecakes, to pirogis and potato pancakes, to wild salmon burgers in the coolers. A selection of fresh produce fills the window, along with souvenirs for people visiting Chicago. She stocks products from Poland, Ireland, Sweden, Germany and England, just to name a few countries. Like America, Kimmy says her products are "all mixed up."
And don't think that just because you can buy pate or gourmet mustard at the Happy Food Spot, that it won't be priced fairly. "My neighbors and customers are my family, and this is my home," says Kimmy. She says that she has wanted to remodel the store for some time now, but she doesn't want to shut the store down on her customers. One of her regular customers says of Kimmy, "This is a beautiful store and she's a very nice person to top it off. And she's even beautiful too." When asked how she named the store, Kimmy recalls, "because everybody wants to be happy and also I try to make people happy." |
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| On a Sunday evening, people file in and out of the Happy Food Spot to buy their tickets for The Big Game. Through the years, a number of customers have purchased winning lottery tickets at the Happy Food Spot. When her customers ask her what she would do if she sold the winning ticket this time, Kimmy says, "don't worry. If I win, I'll stay open," she laughs. Kimmy's granddaughter, Cheyenne, sits at her side and helps her out throughout the day. She is very close to her grandmother and visits about four times a year from her home in Hartford, Connecticut. Since she grew up in Chicago and has spent many hours of her childhood in the store, Cheyenne moves confidently around the Happy Food Spot like it's her second home. She keeps up a playful relationship with Kimmy, whom she calls her "Oma" (German for grandmother). Nothing slips by Cheyenne. You can see that Kimmy has passed on her philosophy of life to her granddaughter, which is above all, to "be honest." |
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 If you need some items to stock up your pantry, or if you're looking to grab a beverage on the way to Welles Park, stop by the Happy Food Spot. You'll be amazed by the broad range of items Kimmy stocks in her store. She's always searching for new products, so each time you might find something a bit different. Visit to say hello to Kimmy, to pick up something you need or to let her know if you're hoping she might carry something new. The Happy Food Spot is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00am to 8:00pm, and Sunday 10:00am to 7:00pm. |
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| Read more profiles in the Member of the Month Archives |
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