By Brittany Wiley, BAPA Business Liaison
Customer Service in the Time of Coronavirus
Small business owners in Beverly/Morgan Park are thrilled (yet cautious) about reopening. A few of them share their plans with The Villager.
Belle Up: Safety is in Style
Belle Up, 1915 W 103rd St., is Beverly/Morgan Park’s source for stylish maternity apparel and chic contemporary clothing. Owner Jamenda McCoy is committed to continuing a high level of customer service through the store reopening. By taking appointments during the week, McCoy is assuring her customers a better experience. This allows them to be “diligent about capacities and sanitization,” said McCoy. “We want even immune-compromised and women in high-risk categories to feel comfortable” coming into the store. Each surface is sanitized between visits, including any clothing that has been tried on, as well as the fitting rooms. Customers sanitize upon entry and everyone must wear masks. Belle Up is also still offering free local deliveries and curbside pickup. They go Live on Facebook and Instagram weekly where customers can link to the website or DM to shop. Even if you can’t make it into the physical location, you can still easily snag a summer dress or some elevated loungewear for the home office. Shop online at belleup.com or follow them on Instagram and Facebook @belleup. Bricks-and-mortar hours of operation are Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (by appointment or walk-ins during open spots) and Sat., 12 to 5 p.m. (walk-ins welcome).
Horse Thief Hollow: Crafted Outdoor Dining
The restaurant business model has been constantly changing through the pandemic and Neil Byers has transitioned his business to continue serving our community in any way he can. Horse Thief Hollow Brewery, 10426 S. Western, served us through the stay-at-home mandate by offering takeout and delivery options for food and craft brews. Once the new regulations were announced, their work began on an outdoor seating area. The semi-permanent space on the south side of the building is being designed to create ambience and atmosphere for patrons, all while supporting local artists and businesses. A fence will enclose the space lined with custom planters by PM Creations and filled with blooms by Olivia’s Garden. Local artists are covering the asphalt with new murals and updating the current wall artwork. Patrons will sit along picnic tables and enjoy their beer while chatting at whiskey barrel high tops and listening to music through a new outdoor speaker system. Every part of the project is well thought-out, with both support to local vendors and customer experience in mind. Get up there and enjoy a Little Wing by making a reservation for one of their limited indoor seats or on the patio beginning in early July. www.horsethiefbrewing.com 773-779-2739
Everything’s Relative: Luxurious Safety
Joan Each Rowan, owner of Everything’s Relative – Beverly, got ahead of the curve during her closure. She set out to make her salon beautifully safe and functional through the pandemic. The salon, located at 10548 S Western, has a new tagline “Safety is the new luxury.” Glass partitions framed with aluminum now stand between shampoo bowls and stations, which are disinfected between clients. Hand sanitizing stations and masks are available for every guest. They will continue to limit the number of people inside while offering haircuts, color, styling and foot treatments. To book an appointment with one of their talented stylists, visit everythingsrelativesalon.com or call 773-941-6565.
Pick Yourself Up: AndySunflower Cafe
Andrea “Andy” Robinson is the owner of AndySunflower Café, which sits inside of Ain’t She Sweet Café at 9920 S Western. Andy believes “coffee and great conversation is what matters mos.” Although she has had to limit her customer contact as of late, she looks forward to being able to open her bar to two seats spaced to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Andy will continue to serve her coffee and specialty creations for curbside pickup as well, with a delivery option coming in the near future. Through the midst of the coronavirus, her ideas (and coffee) didn’t stop flowing. She is working on some exciting new projects to expand her business: a whole bean coffee subscription and new apparel for the store. Order a foamy cappuccino or a refreshing Peach Mint Iced Tea online at andysunflowercafe.com or by phone 312-961-3171. Hours: Mon. – Fri., 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sat., 8 a.m.to 2 p.m.
Beverly Records: Vinyl Goes Virtual
Vinyl still lives in this 53 year old record shop owned by the Dreznes family and located at 11612 S. Western. After being forced to close their physical doors until non-essential retail was able to reopen, Jack Dreznes and his son John decided to take their business virtual. They launched their live shopping events on Apr. 7. After the success and surprising amount of fun they had, they followed with two more virtual events. John explained that although they had an online platform to sell through, they “missed customer interaction, so using Facebook Live was a great way to get some of that interaction back.” Their doors are back open now, but they will continue to do their live events. Follow them on Facebook @BeverlyRecordsChicago to hang out, have a beer with the Dreznes’ and buy some rare vinyl at their next Live home shopping event.
