Evanston has seen another few weeks with no shortage of business changes: 4 Suns Fresh Juice announced its return to their original location on Main Street and local artisan store Crafted opened its doors on Dempster Street.
Another few local spots have had fun shakeups, too, with Central Street’s Lapin Technology Systems changing ownership and name and Nobel’s Nibbles cookies hitting their first retail selling spot at Foster Deli.
Fire recovery
Over two years after a fire broke out at 4 Suns Fresh Juice at 1906 Main St., the establishment announced it will return to its original space. Not only will they keep selling juice, but plan to expand the menu to include vegan fare, according to the store’s Instagram.
In February 2023, postfire, owner Gabi Walker-Aguilar found herself out of a job and means to take care of her four sons, for whom the juice shop was named.
Insurance covered only $25,000 of needed repairs to the store, according to a GoFundMe page started two years ago to cover the rest of the costs.
Our Evanston magazine founder Ande Breunig started the GoFundMe shortly after the fire to help offset the personal cost to Walker-Aguilar and her family. It raised nearly $20,000.
Now, Walker-Aguilar is able to open the store again.
“In 2023 I lost my juice bar in fire..for 2 years I’ve been working to figure out how I would come back … The time has come!” Walker-Aguilar wrote in an Instagram reel.
No opening date has been announced, but the 4 Suns Instagram account has been telling followers to stay tuned.
Shopping local artisans
Crafted, a new local artisan shop at 822 Dempster St., officially opened its doors for sales with a party on April 4.
Store owner Maddie Sykes told the RoundTable that so many came to the opening evening there was shoulder-to-shoulder mingling among artists selling their wares at the store and potential customers.
Sykes’ store offers a hyperlocal range of products, from skin care to candles and pottery to perfume. Her store also features samples of custom-made furniture, which she can connect customers to via her interior design business.
She’s had the design business for years, but only recently pulled the trigger on adding a retail store.
A ‘tiny explosion’
“I was driving down Dempster Street and I saw this space was available for lease,” Sykes said. “I would say, a light bulb went off, but it was more like a tiny explosion in my head.”
She wanted to create a space where local artists — who aren’t often business people, she says — could sell their work and keep more of their own money.
“It’s really hard to find outlets to sell your own artwork where you’re not sort of getting ripped off; like a lot of galleries take a huge cut,” Sykes said. “I understand that the gallery has overhead, and they have all kinds of operating costs, but it’s always just seemed a little bit unfair to me.”
Just a few months after she saw the empty space in January, Sykes’ retail space for local artists opened with a bang.
She has already found a number of artists to sell their work, primarily through Evanston Made. Since opening last week Sykes has received a number of inquiries from artists interested in selling.
She expects that the stock won’t remain exactly the same as she learns what kinds of items sell, and potentially cycles through different artists to meet the kinds of art, accessories and decor customers are looking for.
“I will make room for different artists,” Sykes said.
Cookies selling out
An Evanston local made-to-order cookie business has started to expand into retail sales. Cookie baker Patty Bridgman, owner of Nobel’s Nibbles, brought her first batch of cookies to Foster Deli at 831 Foster St. just a few weeks ago.
She brought a second batch at the end of last week, as all three dozen of the individually wrapped cookies had already sold out.
“I’m hoping to expand to other stores,” Bridgman told the RoundTable via email. “I am a resident of the Main-Dempster-Mile, so it would be nice to find a restaurant or store near me that would be interested, but I am open to anywhere in Evanston.”
Bridgman started the cookie business after being laid off from her job last fall.
While searching for her next opportunity, she took a food safety certification course and started baking.
“I applied for a cottage food operation license through the city. It took some time (and a lot of posts in Evanston Facebook groups), but things are finally starting to gain a bit of traction,” Bridgman said.
“Not having a brick-and-mortar location comes with its challenges, but I’m doing my best to navigate them and build something sustainable.”
A changing of hands
Northwest Evanston’s Lapin Technology at 2934 Central St. underwent a name and ownership change this month. Previous owner Roger A. Knuth sold the spot’s operations to “one of the company’s most experienced and trusted technicians, Jett Weiner.
Knuth, a graduate of Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, started Lapin Systems out of his home back in the ’90s after he noticed a lack of Mac repair spots in the Chicagoland area. After more than 30 years of work in the tech industry in the area, he’s stepping back.
Knuth announced the change of hands via email to customers on March 31, with the changes effective April 1.
Chicago North Shore Mac and PC (CNS) took over the support and services previously provided by Lapin Systems, but technician Weiner and all other Lapin employees are sticking around under the change.
“We are pleased to share that all other members of the Lapin Systems team will transition to CNS so you can continue to rely on the same familiar faces and high level of expertise you have come to expect,” Knuth said.
“On a personal note, thank you for your business and loyalty over the years. I am confident that you will be in excellent hands with Jett and his team at Chicago North Shore Mac and PC,” Knuth said.
