It's Your Business: Women's clothing store to open
This fall, downtown Urbana will welcome a new business.
And it's not a lawyer's office or yoga studio.
The Wooden Hanger will feature new women's clothing made with fabrics such as organic cotton and bamboo.
The clothing boutique will be on the first floor of the Knowlton & Bennett building, at the southeast corner of Race and Main streets.
Most recently the building housed law offices, but for most of its life, the 1926 Art Deco and Italianate building was a pharmacy and general store. Many of the store's features, such as built-in cabinets, with drawers and display cases, remain.
"This is just going to be an awesome spot for clothing," said owner Ginny Gluege.
An opening is planned for early November.
"I call it artsy, contemporary clothing," Gluege said, adding that she wanted to sell easy-to-wear designs in a friendly environment.
The store will carry clothing lines such as Bryn Walker, Garden Gear and Fat Hat Clothing Company. All of the lines, except for one, are made in America.
She will also sell some scarves and handmade jewelry.
"I want customers to come in and hang out. I won't bug you. I don't like high-pressure sales," she said.
Gluege is opening the store with the help of her daughter, Abby Schulz, who studied fashion marketing at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago.
A nurse for most of her life, Gluege started working at a women's clothing store in Madison, Wis., after her position at a medical center there was eliminated. She wanted to work at the shop because she loved the clothes, she said.
Gluege absorbed all she could about how to run a women's clothing store and began working with a business consultant with the goal of opening her own shop in Mount Horeb, Wis., a small town southwest of Madison.
After her husband's health care job was eliminated and he accepted a position in Champaign-Urbana, Gluege started looking at retail spaces here.
"Everything just fell into place," she said about finding the space in downtown Urbana.
"I think I'm getting in at a good time," she added, referring to a downtown revitalization.
"I love the architecture. This is such a fascinating building," she said.
Gluege is planning to be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Tapas in Urbana
Speaking of downtown Urbana, a new tapas restaurant has opened on the north side of Main Street.
V. Picasso, at 214 W. Main St., opened Wednesday in the space formerly occupied by The Office bar.
As reported in July, the new restaurant is owned by Victor Fuentes, who is behind the El Toro regional chain of restaurants. Fuentes remodeled the interior, including the kitchen, and added an outdoor seating area.
The menu features hot and cold tapas dishes (small plates of food), as well as sandwiches, such as a steak sandwich, salads and entrees, such as a rib-eye risotto. There are vegetarian and vegan dishes available.
The restaurant, which can be reached at 328-0122, is open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
New life for the Embassy
Building owner David Kraft has leased the space previously known as the Embassy Tavern in downtown Urbana. A new tavern at 114 S. Race St. is expected to open in mid-November. The Embassy closed in late March.
One Week Boutique
A date and location for One Week Boutique, the biannual children's consignment event, was finally announced last week.
It will be in the former D&D grocery store, at 201 N. Prairieview Road in Mahomet, and it will be held Friday, Nov. 13, through Sunday, Nov. 15.
In recent years, the sale has been held at the former Rhodes Furniture store, 912 W. Anthony Drive, C. That building will be home to a new Goodwill store and distribution center.
More information is available at www.oneweekboutique.com.
Fourth Street Biz Expo
More than 30 retail and food vendors will set up on the 900 block of North Fourth Street next Saturday for the Fourth Street Business Expo.
In addition to the business booths, there will be health care information and screenings available, plus live broadcasts featuring WBCP radio hosts and on-air giveaways.
The event will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17.
A few booth spaces are still available. More information is available from Tracy Parsons at Premiere Events at 714-3734.
Holiday market
The Lincoln Square Village Holiday Market is looking for vendors to sell art, crafts and food for its fall and winter market.
The market begins Saturday, Nov. 14, and continues on Saturdays through Dec. 19. It's open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sale features sellers of jewelry, pottery, paintings, soaps, ornaments, pet accessories and more.
Applications are still being accepted. The deadline for turning in a vendor application is Nov. 6.
More information is available from the Urbana Business Association at www.urbanabusiness.com or 344-3872.
Curves
Area Curves centers are offering a special during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Bring in proof of a mammogram or a donation to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research, and the fitness center will waive the service fee if you join the club during the last few weeks in October. The promotion runs Oct. 12 through 31.
There are Curves locations in Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Danville, Mahomet, Rantoul, Gibson City, Monticello, Tolono and Tuscola.
Are you opening a new business or changing an existing business? Christine des Garennes can be reached by phone at 351-5388 or 800-252-3346; by e-mail at cgarenne@news-gazette.com; or by regular mail at The News-Gazette, c/o It's Your Business column, P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677
Also on this date
- Domestic dispute brings two deaths in Danville
- Mental health grant panel has youngsters in mind
- Urbana district hopes suit shows need for sharing info
- Beckman Institute marks 20 years of collaboration
- UI has funny way of showing it has 'no secrets'
- Plenty of options for fresh apples among area farms
- Event will give teachers tools to use in classrooms
- Students compete to register organ, tissue donors
- Fundraiser to aid Schlarman dancer's trip
- Obituaries