A Cute New Boutique is Headed to the NewBo District
Get ready for a new place to shop this fall! A new clothing boutique called The Shop is making its way to the NewBo District in Cedar Rapids.
The Shop is moving in to 1390 3rd Street SE in the restored Skelly Oil gas station, which is right across the street from Little Bohemia and Tornado's Grub & Pub. The building has actually been on owner Lauri Martensen's radar for about a year now. She told me:
"I would tell my husband all the time how much I loved the look of the little building and wished it were mine. As I was looking for properties to lease, the building was suddenly available and it felt like it was meant to be."
Lauri isn't new to the boutique business. She was actually the co-owner of Spark Boutique in Anamosa, where she lived for the last 30 years. After five years in business, Lauri and her business partner decided to move on to new ventures, and she found herself moving back to Cedar Rapids.
After leaving Spark Boutique, Lauri knew she wanted to stay in the business, and that's when the idea for The Shop was born. According to her, The Shop will open sometime this fall, and she plans to offer "women’s clothing and apparel that are much like the building itself, classic, yet trendy and modern." She can't wait to work in the area among so many other locally-owned small businesses.
We don't have an official opening date yet for The Shop, but you can follow along with updates from the business on Facebook HERE.