A residential corner of Uptown. Unique So Chique is at 4600 N. Magnolia Ave. Photo: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
One Uptown boutique is trying to turn the day after Thanksgiving into something more relaxed than a big-box stampede. Unique So Chique, at 4600 N. Magnolia Ave., plans a full day of shopping, brunch and tea on Friday, Nov. 24, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The deal is straightforward. For every $50 a customer spends during those hours, the store will hand out a $5 gift certificate for table service in its Tea & Chocolate Room.
Brunch and tea
The tea room will serve a special after-Thanksgiving brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The menu centers on omelets and quiches served with rosemary-whipped potatoes, toast and fresh fruit. Afternoon tea runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a list of whole leaf green, white, black and oolong teas plus organic herbal blends. A cream tea service comes with scones, jam and cream.
Combining retail with food and drink has become a common strategy for small independent shops trying to compete with malls and online sellers. A tea room gives shoppers a reason to stay longer and come back, and it creates a space for events.
A busy holiday calendar
The Black Friday event is the first of several the boutique has planned for the season. Unique So Chique has also scheduled a holiday “Gay-i-Tea” social in early December and an annual Stocking Stuffer Night later that month, both aimed at bringing neighbors through the door.
The shop sits on Magnolia Avenue in the Sheridan Park area, a mostly residential pocket west of Broadway, which means it depends heavily on destination shoppers and word of mouth. The store is among a handful of new members this fall of Business Partners, the Chamber for Uptown.
Linh Tran-Whitaker covers Argyle Street, dining and community life.
