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Lincoln Square Neighbors Say 'No More' To Mr. Nice Guy Head Shop

By Patty Wetli | November 12, 2015 3:11pm
 Mr. Nice Guy head shop, which doesn't have a business license yet, would be too close to schools, neighbors say.
Mr. Nice Guy head shop, which doesn't have a business license yet, would be too close to schools, neighbors say.
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Facebook/St. Louis Sign & Mural LLC

LINCOLN SQUARE — No more Mr. Nice Guy is the message from Lincoln Square residents to owners of a St. Louis-based head shop chain that plans to open a Chicago outpost at 4548 N. Western Ave.

Neighbors immediately mounted an opposition campaign after catching wind of Mr. Nice Guy's intentions to occupy the former Piggy Toes space. Folks were tipped off by a mural that appeared on the storefront over the weekend featuring the head shop's logo, which some have described as a "Santa Claus covered in a smoke-like beard."

A petition is already circulating to block the store from opening, and has garnered nearly 250 signatures in just one day. A Facebook page — "#NO to Mr. Nice Guy Head Shop in Lincoln Square" — has more than 75 members.

The primary concern of petitioners: Mr. Nice Guy would be located "130 feet from 500 school children" at Queen of Angels and just blocks from hundreds more students at Waters Elementary.

Although the space currently sits vacant, the petition claims the shop would lead to more vacancies, stating:

"The presence of such a retailer will discourage other businesses from renting nearby locations on a section of Western Avenue that has several vacant storefronts."

Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th) said he learned about Mr. Nice Guy at the same time as the rest of the community.

"We are obviously opposed to the store," Pawar said. "It's too close to schools. We don't believe they could obtain a business license. We've made that clear to the landlord ... and are providing a letter stating our objections to the management company."

The company, he added, has yet to file for a business license.

Reached via telephone by DNAinfo, David Palatnik, co-owner of Mr. Nice Guy with his brother, said the application is in the works.

Palatnik said he understands neighbors' concerns, which are similar to issues that were raised when he opened his shops in St. Louis, of which there are now three.

"We don't want to hurt anyone," Palatnik said.

The school, he noted, is more than 300 feet away from the store, further than what is required by law.

"No one under 18 is allowed to get into the shop," he said.

His plans are for an upscale store that will include items made by local artists and he promised Mr. Nice Guy wouldn't sell "anything chemical."

Palatnik's brother, Noach, is moving to the neighborhood and will run the shop.

Their entrance into the Chicago market brings the brothers full circle. Both used to live in the Windy City, he said, and it was Chicago's head shops that inspired them to open a similar business in St. Louis.

"Our model came from Chicago," Palatnik said. "We always liked the head shops you had in Chicago, so we decided to open Chicago-style in St. Louis."

Why Lincoln Square?

Palatnik said he fell in love with the area whenever he visited Chicago.

"I always liked Lincoln Square, going to the bars and restaurants," Palatnik said. "Western — it's a great street with a lot of traffic."

To address concerns raised by residents, Palatnik expressed a willingness to meet with members of the community to find a "middle point."

"We're going to try to work it out. We'll change the signage; if there's an item they don't want us to sell, OK, we won't sell it," he said. "We'll take it off the shelf. It's no big deal."

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