Stephanie Peterson and her husband Mark, who opened the boutique in December 2022, signed the lease on the new building on April 1.
They are working on getting the new space ready, “all the while each working full time and having kids in baseball, softball and school play season,” Peterson said.
Last year when they decided to open the boutique, Mark Peterson wanted to offer men and women’s clothing and items together, but Stephanie Peterson wanted to focus on “giving women a place just for them first.” They thought maybe in a year or so, they’d see how they business was going and then look for a location for a men’s store.
“Once we opened A Mustard Seed, we realized we have a lot of out-of-town shoppers on the weekends, so couples or families are coming in. The men usually walk in, hands in pockets, and quickly say, ‘I’ll be outside’ or ‘I’ll be next door’,” she said.
About six weeks after they opened last year, the two started thinking of names and inventory for a men’s store. During Shop Urbana’s Spring Fling, Stephanie Peterson said they were approached by Justin Weller, who owns Urbana Tomorrow and recently purchased the building directly across the square from them.
Weller said he had six ground-level offices he wanted to convert into two separate retail spaces, so the couple looked at it the same day.
“While walking through and comparing square footage and discussing details, my face lit up and I gave Mark that, “I’ve got an idea” grin. He just shook his head and asked, ‘What are you thinking?’ and (I said) ‘Why not take both spaces and move the women’s over, too?’” Stephanie Peterson said.
The current location is roughly 300 square feet, while the new location is closer to 850 square feet. She said this new space will allow them to have two sides connected rather than one large space mixed together, so they can have a men’s side with darker colors, dim lights and a more electric feel, and the women’s side can be light and bright.
The plan is to offer men’s casual clothing such as jeans and t-shirts, but also business-like dress pants and shirts, whiskey glasses, beard care, hoodies and flannels.
The Petersons still have the lease at the current location, and they have another idea for that space, but Peterson said they need to open and get the new store running before they “tackle another project.”
“We did so much work there, it really feels like home,” she said.
The grand opening for the new and expanded store will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 30, with a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. There will be swag bags to the first 25 customers who spend $200, food trucks such as Blended By J Acai Bowls and Oracle Tacos y Mas, sweet treats from Let’s Eat Cake, sangria from Pequenos Tapas and Wine Bar, a bounce house and face panting, live music by Urbana Brewing Co., a jewelry popup and more.
They plan to be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 1, through Friday, July 7, then it’s Shop Urbana’s Second Saturday on July 8. The couple then plan to rest on Sunday, July 9, before resuming regular summer hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursdays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays.
For more information, visit A Mustard Seed, The Boutique on Facebook.
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