MOTHER-DAUGHTER DUO OPENS NEW SUPERIOR BOUTIQUE

By Maria Lockwood Superior Telegram

Afamily-owned boutique, Kindred Stone & Co. opened Sept. 11 at 1122 Belknap Street. Nestled between Nummi Jewelers and Live Limitless, the store features a mix of styles from boho to vintage farmhouse in sizes XS to 3X.

“We have everything from basic tees to bralettes, activewear, and then we’ve got sweaters, jackets, scarves,” said co-owner Jami Konkler. “We’ve got some hats and then a lot of jewelry.”

Visitors can find shoes, locally made soaps and candles and a corner devoted to canine gear, from harnesses and toys to treats. Behind the counter, they’ll find Arlo the shop dog, a mini goldendoodle.

“We’re all inclusive,” Konkler said. “We want to make sure to have sizes for everybody, styles for everybody, and all ages too,” from college students to grandparents.

Beth Sundby of Duluth visited the shop for the first time Sept. 17.

“It’s adorable in here,” she said, and the flooring, woodwork and displays really drew her in. “It’s a fun space to even be in.”

She walked out the door with five new purchases.

“I think that the area, the Twin Ports area, needs more shops like this,” Sundby said.

The boutique is a family affair. Konkler’s co-owner is her mother, Judy Konklin. Her two sisters chime in with ideas for styles to carry.

Her brother provides IT help. The entire family spent their evenings and weekends renovating the storefront, which opened a month and 10 days after the lease was signed.

“Even if you don’t come in to buy, it’s something to experience,” Judy said. “Walk in and introduce yourself and look around.”

The mother-daughter duo took business classes together in 2019 through the Small Business Development Center. Opening a boutique, they said, was a good fit.

“We love going to boutiques,” Jami said.

“Traveling when the kids were younger and did sports, we would always go to these small towns and that’s what you did in the down time, you know, in between games you’d go and you either caught a movie or go to the bowling alley or shopped,” said Judy.

The pandemic put their boutique dreams on hold for a year, but they found their ideal space in the former drugstore. When touring the site, they immediately fell in love with the 100-year-old penny tile floor.

“I think this just fits our vibe,” Judy said.

The space is manageable for a new business, she said, and the storefront is close to two other boutiques — Blue Arrow Boutique and Wildflower Boutique, both on Tower Avenue — without being too close. They aim to add to the shopping experience in Superior, Jami said, and build community.

Local small business owners have stopped by to welcome them to the area.

“It’s been a really nice outpouring of support from the community and the other shop owners,” Judy said.

Mack Dahlin, owner of Live Limitless, looked through the selection of candles at Kindred Stone & Co. on Sept. 17.

“I love having someone next door, and I think it’s a great way to bring in new people for both,” she said of the new shop.

For Jami, entrepreneurship was a chance to trade a work from home job for one that involved creativity, socializing with the public and wearing cute clothes.

Judy is the former co-owner of Concrete

Sawing Services. She currently works at AG O’Brien Plumbing and Heating in Duluth while helping at the shop Fridays and Saturdays. They spent the first few weeks arranging the floor layout to turn it into a hunt that will draw people in.

“To have an experience where you have to make a couple laps to catch everything,” Jami said.

The soft opening was successful and customers have been finding the new shop. Parking is available behind the building, along Baxter Avenue and in the lot on the corner of Belknap Street and Lamborn Avenue.

“I have to say we’re surprised how well it’s taken off. It just feels good. It feels like we made the right choice,” Judy said.

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Fire Tower

From Page 1

Funds to purchase the tower were raised through T-shirt and art sales, the sale of commemorative plaques on the tower’s stair treads, booths at local events and donations. Volunteers put in hours clearing brush and maintaining trails. The group intended to open the site for camping rentals to help pay for upkeep. Two years ago, Mike and Dorothy O’Brien donated a cabin to the nonprofit. It was both a challenge and an opportunity.

“A lot of money was directed toward getting the cabin in place, but then we knew the cabin would be our moneymaker,” said Friends of the Bird Sanctuary board member Brian Finstad.

The property opened as an Airbnb rental this spring, and it has proven more popular than members of the group anticipated.

“We were hoping to make enough to pay the insurance for the year, and it’s made enough to pay the insurance for four years,” said Smith, who is also a board member. Additional funds raised through rentals could go toward adding amenities like running water and septic to the site or future upkeep. “The whole exterior of the fire tower has to be periodically re-galvanized,” Finstad said. The listing on Airbnb spells out what the spot does — and does not — offer.

Fire Tower

From Page 4

The one-room cabin has electricity and a composting toilet. There’s non-potable water available for dousing the campfire, as well as hookups for RVs and clearings for tents.

“There was a family here, they go on a camping trip every summer. The parents were really happy to stay inside this year. Their teenagers were happy to finally have their own tent,” Smith said.

The red refrigerator in the “kitchen” section of the cabin was recently donated by a guest. There’s a fan, radio and electric heat, but no air conditioning. Cooking involves bringing a personal grill or green camp stove along, or utilizing the campfire. A local metalworker recently donated a custom metal screen for the firepit.

The pieces fell into place for turning the preserved site into a rental property, Finstad said, something not every nonprofit will be able to do. It has allowed the group to preserve the historic tower for future generations while opening the area to new visitors.

“There’s a lot of local people that really care about it, but eventually they’re going to get sick of donating money, so this is really the long-term plan, and it’s working out great for just the first year,” Smith said. “I can’t wait to improve the area.”

Public tours of the Gordon Fire Tower and cabin take place every other Sunday from 1-4 p.m. On Oct. 3, visitors to the site included Chuck and Brenda Warner of Minong, who were eager to see the memorial stair tread they purchased, third from the top.

“I’ve been up there,” said Chuck Warner, who grew up in Gordon. “As a kid, we always went up there. We’d go up there and watch for fires with the fire person.”

“You’re much older now, dear,” Brenda Warner said.

As with the Airbnb rentals, the tours have been popular. An average of 20 to 30 people have stopped by each time the tower is open to the public.

“This year we were testing the waters to see, like, were people even going to show up, and they showed up so overwhelmingly that I personally would like to see every weekend next year,” Finstad said. Visit the Facebook page for more information on public tours, as well as updates about the 2022 Airbnb rental season.

Business

From Page 1

The boutique, which offers a rotating variety of styles for women in sizes small to 3X, moved to a Duluth storefront near the Stone Ridge Shopping Mall in 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Simons cut the store’s hours and focused more on online sales. She decided to move the shop to Superior when her lease was up.

“This is a lot nicer, in general, location-wise,” Simons said. “You can’t not find it. You say ‘in between the Flame and Pizza Man on Tower Avenue.’ It’s like, boom, there’s only one place it could be.”

Ride or Die Pizzeria

Terry and Dawn Johnson, owners of Lee’s Pizza in Duluth, decided to open a new pizzeria in the former Thirsty Pagan building at 1623 Broadway St. The restaurant’s name comes from something Dawn said to Terry early in their relationship.

“In the first week we were together, my wife said I was her ride or die. She’s been calling me her ride or die ever since. My wife has a few health issues, and we’re not promised tomorrow, so I just jumped up and said that’s what we’re going to call it,” Terry said.

Too Good Bakery

Liberty Smith is working toward her dream of owning a drive-thru bakery.

During the spring and summer, she sets up shop in the Blaine Business Center and at local farmers markets. She sells home-baked treats like strawberry shortbread dessert bars and double chocolate cookies, among others.

However, Smith is closing the operation for the winter with plans to reopen in spring 2022, according to a post on the Too Good Bakery Facebook page.

Caribou Cabin

The drive-thru coffee shop opened at 2215 E. Second St. in July.

While there are six Caribou Coffee locations in Duluth, the East Second Street location is the company’s first in Superior.

Spaces by

Blue Arrow

The owners of Blue Arrow Boutique decided to expand over the summer, opening a second storefront featuring home decor, gift items and a gathering space in July.

Aimee Glonek and Anndrea Ploeger said they’ve been interested in expanding for years, and with Savanna Schatz as manager for the new store, they decided to take the leap.

“We’ve got the right people, the right space, the right time,” Glonek said.

Superior Waffles Calvin and Natalie Harris opened Superior Waffles, 1412 Tower Ave., in July. The Belgian waffle bar features sweet and savory options.

BUSINESS: Page 7

From Page 6

The couple dreamt of opening a restaurant for a while, but the timing didn’t work out. When Natalie was laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to take the leap. Their love of waffles was also a factor.

“We thought Superior needs something with a wow factor here, too,” Cal Harris said.

“It’s seems like when you want to celebrate something you have to go to Duluth. We want to have something fun to experience and unique to Superior so family and friends can come and have some delicious waffles and have fun experiences.”

Imperium Chiropractic

Robyn Tozer, and her husband, Dr. Thomas Tozer, decided to open their third chiropractic office at 1001 Belknap St., in the Central Flats building, in July.

The Ladysmith couple opened the location to provide a partnership opportunity for Dr. William Zimmer, who they knew through an internship.

“We knew who he was, the quality of work that he did,” Dr. Tozer said. “We wanted to be able to support him. After looking into ‘what if we just expanded our third office into the Superior community’ ... it just made a lot of sense that we would do that and help him out to be able to have a clinic in Superior.”

Serenity Spa and Salon, Posh Boutique

Childhood friends

Raya Horst and Jessica Matson took ownership of Serenity Spa and Salon and Posh Boutique at 1705 Tower Ave., in August. Horst and Matson were independent stylists at Serenity before they decided to purchase the business, but the endeavor is more than a business to them.

“We just kind of became one giant family,” Horst said, instead of two separate owners. “You know, as they say, it takes a village and here we’ve just become this super tight knit group where her kids are mine, mine are hers.”

Sellers Auction

The addition of Sellers Auction in September means every storefront in Belknap Plaza is occupied.

Owners Christina and Mickey Greene moved the business to 102 Belknap St., from its previous location at 902 Ogden Ave., because the owner of their previous location was looking to sell the building.

The business hosts in-store auctions every Wednesday night, handles on-site estate sales in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and accepts consignments, which are sold at general auctions.

“This place is so much better already,” Christina Greene said. “We have so much more foot traffic, and it’s so funny, because we were in Superior for almost four years and we’re getting people in there daily saying ‘Oh, I never knew you were there.’”

Kindred Stone & Co.

The family-owned boutique opened in September at 1122 Belknap St., and held a grand opening celebration in early October.

Jami Konklin owns the store with her mother, Judy Konklin. The business offers women’s clothing, accessories, soaps, and canine accessories.

“We’re all inclusive,” Konkler said. “We want to make sure to have sizes for everybody, styles for everybody, and all ages too,” from college students to grandparents.

Tap on Tower

The self-pour concept taproom at 1106 Tower Ave., was slated to open in late October, according to owner Jordan DeCaro. DeCaro, who owns Duluth Tap Exchange in Lincoln Park, decided to open a similar establishment across the bridge because of Duluth Tap Exchange’s popularity among Wisconsinites.

“We get a lot of ongoing support from Wisconsin residents,” DeCaro said. “This fit the concept and all the new development in this area kind of drives you. Once you do one, it’s like you get that hunger to continue to bring this concept to different demographics. It’s very unique. You can drink one ounce; you can have 30 ounces. It’s really up to you.”