Storefront Sets Up Shop In Chicago

I have heard of renting a car, hotel room or even a roller rink by the day, but a Store front?  That's a new one!  Storefront is a pop-up retail company that makes it possible for companies to rent out retail space, short-term.  Originally based in San Francisco, Storefront made it's debut in Chicago last week at Lacuna Artists Loft - Reverie Gallery.  

On July 1st, Storefront had a soft opening at Jackson Junge Gallery, 1389 N Milwaukee ave, to officially announce their expansion to Chicago.  Chicagoans were invited to view a pop-up art exhibit while enjoying tasty cocktails and appetizers.  

Private Event Manager/Gallery Assistant, Lauren Brescia co-hosted the event.  

Halfstack:  How did the partnership between Jackson Junge Gallery and Storefront form for this event?

Lauren:  Storefront contacted the gallery in the beginning of June inquiring about event rental.  One of their employees who recently relocated from Chicago to San Francisco, had lived in Wicker Park for a few years and was familiar with our gallery.  She told the Storefront staff that our space would be perfect for their smaller “soft launch” event.  Following the initial inquiry, there was a series of phone calls and emails that both explained the concept behind their company and resulted in Jackson Junge Gallery becoming a member of the Storefront community.  We now have our own profile and event rental listing.

 HS:  How do you think the event turned out?

LB: The event acted as a marketing tool, not only for this new enterprise for Storefront, but for our gallery rentals.  We were really happy that Storefront selected our space for their Chicago “soft launch”, because it brought in a lot of industry contacts that we were able to network with during the event. 

HS: What are your thoughts on the movement Storefront is bringing to Chicago?

LB:  I for one, am tired of Chicago being referred to as the “Second City”.  Chicago is booming in many ways right now, and I think we should have every business venture/opportunity that other big cities like New York and L.A. have to offer.  I really like the concept behind Storefront, in that it gives people a database of unique retail, event, and gallery spaces that are available to rent whether it be for one night or one month.  I am a huge supporter of pop-up spaces, as I actually operated my own pop-up gallery in the loop for three months, a few years ago.  There are so many great vacant and under appreciated spaces in the city that could be put to good use, hopefully Storefront will be able to capitalize on that.  Most importantly, Storefront will be giving small/independent businesses another method of bringing in additional (and often much needed) revenue.

For more information on Storefront and venue rentals, visit www.thestorefront.com.