BizBeat: Family reopens shop with a vintage twist

J Street Vintage, Gritty & Pretty opened its doors at 615 Jefferson St. on Saturday morning.

The family-owned and operated business will also be open today from 1-4 p.m., as they celebrate their grand opening.

Becky Bocklage first opened Decorator Outlet at the same location 19 years ago. That later became Accents, which closed in 2012. Just two years later, Becky, her husband Joe and daughter Rosie Runyon, set out to reopen the shop, but with a vintage twist.

Rosie was just a baby when the Jefferson Street store first opened. She is now a senior at Jefferson City High School. When she approached her mom about wanting to help run a new store, Becky said the vintage shop just seemed like a natural fit. Both her and Joe have had experience in antique-type pieces. The Bocklages will do most of the buying and stocking, while Rosie takes on managing the store. Son Ron, a fourth-grader, also likes to help pick pieces and do some negotiating.

There has been a lot of excitement surrounding J Street's grand opening.

"We've had a lot of encouraging comments," Becky said. And on their first day, several former customers came in to congratulate the family on their new business. "It's been good to see customers we formed relationships with."

The J Street store purposely chose the word "vintage" for its title because its contents are made up of various pieces, mostly old, with character, recycled and re-purposed, but not necessarily antique.

"Gritty and pretty really does define it," the new business owner said. From rusty old pieces to vintage chairs and dishes, J Street hopes to keep its prices reasonable. Many pieces are found from "picking" at farms and auctions. There are also rental spaces available for consignment and space for pop-up booths such as craft vendors or Paparazzi Jewelers.

The shop is open each Friday from 4-8 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. For more information, check out J Street Vintage on Facebook or at jstreetvintage.com.