Businesses find new homes in St. Charles

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Carol Nunns of St. Charles folds a bolt a fabric while working at the new Sew Generously shop at 3341 W. Main Street in St. Charles. (Sandy Bressner – sbressner@kcchronicle.com)

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ST. CHARLES – A trip to Starbucks in downtown St. Charles led Donna Chipp to what she had been searching for this year: a location for the jewelry store she planned to open.

Something about the building at 111 E. Main St. appealed to the Campton Hills resident.

“Call it good feng shui,” Chipp said. “It felt comfortable, and it felt right.”

Donna’s Jewelry Box is among eight other businesses, excluding those on First Street, that have opened in St. Charles in recent months, Economic Development Director Michael Mertes said.

Other businesses include Qdoba, 2701 E. Main St., Copper Fox Cafe, 305 W. Main St., and Sew Generously, 3341 W. Main St.

Like other Chicago suburbs, Mertes said, business growth in the city slowed during the recession, so it is encouraging to see momentum increase.

“We’re excited to have new businesses in the community,” he said. “Hopefully it’s a sign things are definitely bouncing back economically.”

Chipp launched Donna’s Jewelry Box with the hope of jump-starting her own career.

After working for more than 30 years in the direct marketing field, she lost her job about three years ago – just six months after adopting a baby. As the economy tanked, her sister suggested she do something with her longtime love, jewelry.

She began selling hand-crafted items at flea markets, and customers asked if she had a store. It opened Sept. 26.

“Basically I created my own job while betting the family home,” Chipp said. “It feels wonderful and a little scary. You keep watching the news and hope the economy will at least hold its own for awhile.”

The recession led to an expansion of the Beth Fowler School of Dance. Founder Beth Fowler never thought her school would outgrow its 8,000-square-foot facility in Genoa, but the number of students swelled in the past two years.

“This fall it hit where there were 60 dancers trying to get in Monday night advanced ballet class,” she said. “We just felt like we were about ready to explode.”

The school spent the last year searching for a second facility, considering cities such as Rockford and DeKalb, but neither community had what Fowler wanted.

Then she heard about a space in St. Charles.

“As soon as we looked at it we completely fell in love with it,” Fowler said.

Also 8,000 square feet, the Illinois Avenue location has two dance studios, dressing rooms with showers, bathrooms, a waiting area and a break room, she said.

Fowler planned to start classes in January but, after getting an overwhelming response at a recent open house, is thinking about beginning them as early as next week.

Karin Furio’s store, Sew Generously, is another place residents can exercise their artistic talents.

In addition to carrying the full line of Bernina sewing machines, the business offers classes and welcomes customers to bring in projects they are struggling with.

The store’s purpose is to “inspire the customers and educate them, just to keep their talent flowing and energized,” Furio said.

As one of nine kids, she began sewing at age 10 to avoid wearing hand-me-downs.

Meanwhile, she said, today’s youth have TV shows, such as Project Runway, to inspire them but may not have the traditional sources, such as mothers and home economics classes, to teach them the skills.

“My goal is to get the young generation in here and to inspire them with the fashions,” Furio said.

She believes she chose a location for her store that will let her do just that.

“I picked St. Charles because it’s a beautiful community,” Furio said, “and the city itself, they relate to the small businesses and try to encourage their success.”

Recent business openings in St. Charles

• Donna's Jewelry Box, 111 W. Main St.
• T-Bones Steakhouse, 1890 W. Main St.
• Skippy's Gyros, 922 S. Randall Road
• Just Kabobs, 1825 W. Main St.
• Copper Fox Cafe, 305 W. Main St.
• Qdoba, 2701 E. Main St.
• T-Mobile, 2701 E. Main St.
• Sew Generously, 3341 W. Main St.
• Beth Fowler School of Dance, 3720 Illinois Ave.

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