BRIDGEPORT — Drive past the vacant storefront at 3333 S. Halsted St. and you might think Hardscrabble Gifts, the Chicago-centric shop that opened with a splash in 2012, has closed.
But look closer and you’ll notice a sign scrawled with the truth: The shop moved just next door to 3335 S. Halsted St.
Owners Leanne and Janet Scanlon, a mother-daughter duo native to the neighborhood, saw opportunity earlier this year when they looked next door and saw that Chitown Pickers had closed. The shop sold toys, coins and jewelry and sported a lot more space than what the Scanlons had to work with.
“We saw an opportunity to expand,” said Janet Scanlon, a retired Chicago Police detective.
Since moving into the new storefront in May, the extra space has allowed the business to feature more of their most popular items in the store, Scanlon said.
About 75 percent of the shop's inventory is locally made. Local artists supply items like handmade jewelry crafted from found items, light boxes, dish towels and cutting boards.
You can also order up custom T-shirts and personalized property signs designed with your family’s name.
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