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A Colorful New Business in Sister Bay: Spot

Jennie Bexell

After stepping into Jennie Bexell’s new shop in downtown Sister Bay, Spot, featuring bright, colorful, funky and affordable clothing, accessories, and “up-cycled” items, you would never guess she once owned a black wardrobe as a teenager.

“It was to the point that my dad gave me money and said, ‘Please buy something different than black.’ I bought something dark gray,” she laughs. But then a flip switched in college and Bexell “suddenly liked super bright colors, and it’s been super bright colors since then. I just love colors, they put me in a good mood.”

That love of colors, coupled with a lifelong desire to open a business, led Bexell to reflect on what she could bring to the Sister Bay business community.

“I’ve only worked in the service industry in the county and didn’t feel I was the one to start another bar or another restaurant. So I started looking around, thinking about what kind of retail I would want to do and what would work and location, location, location,” she explains. “One day when I was leaving Al’s [Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant], I drove by here thinking, ‘What would be the perfect location?’ I saw the For Rent sign and called – it was a friend of mine who met me here 20 minutes later and this was just too good to pass up.”

That was in mid-March…of this year. She got the keys April 28 and opened Spot’s door May 24.

“Everything happened super, super quick. Everything happened so smoothly, it was meant to be,” smiles Bexell. “It felt like some higher force took over – like I really didn’t have much to say after I stopped here and looked at this place, I just decided to keep trying until I ran into a reason not to do this and I have yet to run into a reason and now I’m open.”

Though Bexell is quick to credit her friends for helping her launch Spot so quickly and successfully. “Every single friend of mine has been so great – from painting to legal advice: Bob and Bonnie [Spielman] at Hat Head, Erin [Bosman] from Patricia Shoppe, Tony Gonzales with painting,” says Bexell, who was also whisked away to Chicago for the last of the spring buying shows by Brynn Buselmeier.

“I had not gone to the bank or done anything,” she laughs. “I pretended like I had a business. So I was buying this stuff not knowing if I would be able to pull it off. When I got home I went to the bank and said, ‘You guys better give me money now.’”

The bank happily complied, and Bexell went to work setting up shop. She found bed-bunk frames at Julie’s Upscale Resale to use as clothing racks; the AC Tap – where Bexell works a few nights a week – provided her with cupboards; and Gonzales gave her a yellow Schwinn bike for the front window display.

In the whirlwind of starting a business from scratch in a matter of weeks, Bexell found time to tour around Wisconsin to find and meet regional artists she wanted to feature in Spot. There are now 14 Wisconsin artists featured, including Terry Lischka of Kewaunee who creates bags, headbands and bow ties out of wool coats and Mary Beth Mead of Ellison Bay who creates jewelry from vintage pieces and precious stones.

“The odd thing is – I really don’t care about fashion,” she whispers with a smile.

Again, you would never guess.

Spot, open 12 – 7 pm daily, is located at 10647 N Bay Shore Drive in Sister Bay. For more information call 920.857.4185 or search for Spot on Facebook.

Spot plans to host a social once a month. The next will take place June 26, 5 – 7 pm, featuring free beverages and appetizers.