Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, October 12, 2023, Reprinted with permission and gratitude.
By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy
What’s the October buzz in Spring Valley?
It’s the Hive, baby.
Jenn Slifka’s opened a place to shop, create and bee happy—because why not, once one already owns three other businesses? The hum of each is getting into individual rhythms, so once those were established–Chateau de Chic Salon, Chic by Chateau Boutique, and Stellar 181, the taproom and restaurant she co-operates with her husband, Alex—it became time to use the building that they own across the street, the former Hop and Barrel Brewery in what was previously the Phil Sheldon Plumbing and Heating building, and prior to that, the True Value and Coast to Coast hardware stores.
Jenn related, in between giving haircuts and checking on things happening in the boutique next door, that “it is a collaboration of a lot of fun things in one building.” She expounded, “We have a home décor section, a retro/vintage section, and a shared art space for classes and community members to use. Our goal is to allow it to be open to people who want to come in and craft or do artwork, but also host a variety of classes, such as painting, potting, pottery, macrame, whatever people want to do. It is a huge building, so we tried to incorporate a lot of fun ideas that we feel Spring Valley is lacking… home décor, thrift store, antique store, vintage shop, consignment shop, art gallery, slight museum feel, art space, event space, shopping, et cetera. Sarah Kohn will be running it along with myself. Our hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 to 6, and open later the nights we have classes or events.”
The Broadway Hive opened during the September Wednesdays on Broadway farmers’ market, and so far, there has “been a lot of good feedback.” Slifka and Kohn will be available for a longer exchange in the coming weeks, so more information on what the October buzz is in Spring Valley will be forthcoming in an upcoming issue of the Mower County Independent. Meanwhile, curious individuals are encouraged to stop in on the corner of Broadway and Jefferson streets or log onto Facebook to find the Broadway Hive and what’s inside.
Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325
