Still in the process of moving out of her business’ longtime home, Arcade Antiques owner Kathleen Snyder will reopen a smaller version of the store later this month on East Burlington Street in Riverside.
According to Snyder, Arcade Antiques will share space at 33 E. Burlington St. with Travel With Tower. Since the business is moving into a much smaller space, Snyder is also downsizing her inventory to jewelry and lamps.
“We still have an awful lot to do,” said Snyder, adding she’s hoping to be ready to open her new space by the end of the month.
According to Marilyn Lopata, who has operated Tower With Travel for nearly four decades, the plan to share the space “evolved” during the fall of 2005.
“I said I’ve got more room than I need, and it sort of evolved from there,” said Lopata, who has known Snyder for the past 30 years. “I think it’ll be good for both of us. Her foot traffic will bring in people who will look at the travel brochures and our people will look at all of her jewelry and other wonderful stuff. I think it’ll be great.”
Within the next two weeks, Snyder said that she will be holding a liquidation sale at Arcade Antiques’ longtime home at 25 Forest Ave. The sale will be conducted March 17-19 by Cheryl Colby of Riverside-based Antique Kitchen Estate Sales. Colby said the hours of the sale would be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 17 and 18 and from noon to 4 p.m. on March 19. Payment will be accepted by cash or check.
Among the items for sale will be sterling silver pieces, porcelain, bronzes, lamps, furniture, hand-painted china, glass, crystal and more.
The large wooden pharmacy cabinets that lined the walls as display cases in the Forest Avenue store won’t be for sale. They are destined for an antiques dealer in Georgia, Snyder said.
Flower shop waiting for license
While Snyder readies her new space for business, just down the street Vacha Florist is finalizing plans to open inside the former home of Pringle’s at 23 E. Burlington St.
Pat and Frank Vacha applied for a business license in February to occupy the space that has long been home to a flower shop. Pringle’s closed in October 2005 after a 79-year run in Riverside.
Vacha Florist, meanwhile, has been in business since 1887. Josef Vacha, a Czechoslovakian immigrant, opened the first shop at 47th Street and Campbell Avenue in Chicago, and later moved to 47th Street and Western Avenue.
The business sold its Chicago property in 1999, settling in Lyons on Joliet Road. The Vacha family sold the Lyons property in January.
“My husband heard that Pringle’s was closing,” said Pat Vacha. “We drove by, took a look and thought it might not be a bad idea.”
However, the business license for the new flower shop is being held up, Vacha said pending repairs to the building ordered by the Village of Riverside. The Vachas do not own the building.
When the business does open, Vacha said that the store will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Chew Chew owner buys retail space
Meanwhile, Scott Zimmer, who owns and operates the Chew Chew Cafe restaurant in the Arcade Building on Riverside Road, has purchased the retail space at 31 E. Burlington St., home to Provo’s Bake Shoppe.
Zimmer declined to elaborate on whether or not he had any plans for the space, noting that the space already has a tenant.
According to documents obtained from the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, Zimmer purchased both the commercial space and the residential condominium space above it on Dec. 22, 2005 from Linda Acker for $285,000.
