Jen Lavigne opened Boho To Go inside a portion of the former Baja Bean space at 1520 W. Main St. in June. The store sells vintage Bohemian decor and furniture. Photo courtesy of Boho To Go.
The effort to reimagine a former Fan bar continues with the addition of a vintage furniture store.
Boho To Go made the jump from Instagram to a brick-and-mortar spot at 1520 W. Main St. in June.
Owner Jen Lavigne grew up thrifting and helping out at her grandparents’ antiques store. She got her start selling pieces on Instagram as a side gig about two years ago. She left her job as a nurse to focus on Boho to Go last fall.
“I grew up with that background,” she said. “So, it has always been in my blood to appreciate other peoples’ junk.”
After Baja Bean Co.’s lease expired at 1520 West Main St., the building owner decided to carve the space up for multiple tenants within the former bar. (BizSense file photo)
When her inventory overran the Mechanicsville home she shares with her husband, she sought out a more central location in the city. She hopes to expand the business and take advantage of foot traffic in the Fan.
While there are plenty of other thrift stores in town, Lavigne is betting she can set herself apart with her focus on vintage items that are restored to their former glory and not altered to change the paintjob, form or function of the original piece. The store’s stock is primarily furniture and decor from the 1960s to the 1970s, along with a few items from the hair-metal decade and mid-century pieces.
Boho to Go joins Boho Basement, a boutique that sells gifts and home decor, and Small Friend Records & Books inside what was once Baja Bean, which left the space in October after 20 years. Building owner John Conrad has sought to revitalize the space by carving it up for multiple tenants.
Boho to Go’s space is about 900 square feet. The most recent master plan for the ground floor of the building doles out 900 square feet for four retail spaces and then another 1,900 square feet for a single restaurant that would also utilize a 2,500-square-foot patio. Previously, Conrad’s plans called for space for two restaurants.
“Our conversion away from restaurant to retail has been very successful for us as a landlord as well as the retail businesses,” Conrad said in an email. “We are taking our time on the remaining retail and restaurant spaces.”
Elsewhere in the neighborhood, Ever Better Coffee Co. has plans to open before the end of the year. The economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic have spelled the end of Metro Bar & Grill as well as Lamplighter Coffee Roasters’ location on Morris Street.
Jen Lavigne opened Boho To Go inside a portion of the former Baja Bean space at 1520 W. Main St. in June. The store sells vintage Bohemian decor and furniture. Photo courtesy of Boho To Go.
The effort to reimagine a former Fan bar continues with the addition of a vintage furniture store.
Boho To Go made the jump from Instagram to a brick-and-mortar spot at 1520 W. Main St. in June.
Owner Jen Lavigne grew up thrifting and helping out at her grandparents’ antiques store. She got her start selling pieces on Instagram as a side gig about two years ago. She left her job as a nurse to focus on Boho to Go last fall.
“I grew up with that background,” she said. “So, it has always been in my blood to appreciate other peoples’ junk.”
After Baja Bean Co.’s lease expired at 1520 West Main St., the building owner decided to carve the space up for multiple tenants within the former bar. (BizSense file photo)
When her inventory overran the Mechanicsville home she shares with her husband, she sought out a more central location in the city. She hopes to expand the business and take advantage of foot traffic in the Fan.
While there are plenty of other thrift stores in town, Lavigne is betting she can set herself apart with her focus on vintage items that are restored to their former glory and not altered to change the paintjob, form or function of the original piece. The store’s stock is primarily furniture and decor from the 1960s to the 1970s, along with a few items from the hair-metal decade and mid-century pieces.
Boho to Go joins Boho Basement, a boutique that sells gifts and home decor, and Small Friend Records & Books inside what was once Baja Bean, which left the space in October after 20 years. Building owner John Conrad has sought to revitalize the space by carving it up for multiple tenants.
Boho to Go’s space is about 900 square feet. The most recent master plan for the ground floor of the building doles out 900 square feet for four retail spaces and then another 1,900 square feet for a single restaurant that would also utilize a 2,500-square-foot patio. Previously, Conrad’s plans called for space for two restaurants.
“Our conversion away from restaurant to retail has been very successful for us as a landlord as well as the retail businesses,” Conrad said in an email. “We are taking our time on the remaining retail and restaurant spaces.”
Elsewhere in the neighborhood, Ever Better Coffee Co. has plans to open before the end of the year. The economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic have spelled the end of Metro Bar & Grill as well as Lamplighter Coffee Roasters’ location on Morris Street.