The owners of the Violets boutique say their upcoming move from McCauley to a spot on Whyte Avenue directly west of the Mill Creek Ravine fulfills a long-held desire to be part of the charm of the surrounding small business community.
The new Violets, which sells home goods, clothing, accessories, stationery, and more, will be located at 9612 82 Avenue NW. Co-owners Danielle Ferchoff and Robyn Smart are optimistic the new store will open (along with current storemate Love Object) by July 1, when their current lease is up. They first inquired about the space in 2022, but things didn’t work out. But when new owner Blais Realty Group was renovating it in 2024, the two jumped at the chance for a lease.
“Not only with that being our dream area, even before we opened in McCauley, I just think we already have really great connections and relationships with the other businesses,” Ferchoff told Taproot. “We really seem to work well with everyone over there — not that we don’t in McCauley — but we’re just really excited for a new cluster of businesses.”
That cluster includes Weekly, Take Care Cafe, Color de Vino, Maven & Grace, Mill Creek Cafe, and Darling, which Taproot covered the opening of in 2023.
Ferchoff and Smart said Whyte Avenue east of 99 Street NW has appealed to them more than the more established business area to the west. Ferchoff said that the latter area has changed.
“When we were kids, there were lots of independent, small businesses, and ‘main’ Whyte Ave, to us, doesn’t really feel like that anymore,” Ferchoff said. “The Mill Creek area is special … you’re not next to a Winners.”
Ferchoff and Smart said their current location at 10816 95 Street NW is special, too. In an Instagram announcement about the move, Violets named Paper Birch Books and True Blue Barber & Shop as two kindred businesses that opened after their own.
“We grew a lot in McCauley … and McCauley is growing a lot, so it does feel like we’re leaving at a time of growth,” Smart told Taproot.
Robyn Smart (left) and Danielle Ferchoff plan to move their boutique, Violets, from McCauley to 9612 82 Avenue NW by July 1. They’ve had their eye on the space just west of Mill Creek Ravine for three years. (Supplied)
Smart said that aside from their dream coming true with the new space, a vast number of Violets customers live on the south side of the river, in neighbourhoods like Bonnie Doon and Strathcona.
“We have a ton of people who are really excited for the move, so that feels good,” Smart said.
Moving was also a matter of necessity. A 2024 fire that severely damaged the neighbouring Zocalo meant repairs to the building shrunk Zocalo and roughly doubled the size of Violets. “That’s a really big space that we’re just unable to fill,” Smart said.
Even though the Violets space only had smoke damage, the co-owners said they lost their entire inventory as part of the insurance claim process, which meant the store had to “start over” and close for four months.
They hope the unfortunate circumstances lead to something good for their neighbours, they both said.
“We’re really excited for McCauley because lots of things are popping up there,” Ferchoff said. “We hope someone really cool or fun or awesome for the neighborhood takes over our spot.”
More businesses on the horizon
Ferchoff and Smart teased that there will be another new neighbour coming next door to the new Violets space, but that they “aren’t allowed” to say who. However, there is public information about a few new businesses coming up in the surrounding area:
- Campio Brewing Co. and Relish Bar & Market are both opening inside Ritchie Market, which is directly south of where Violets will open, later this year.
- Maven & Grace has a sign up at the former home of Earth’s General Store. Maven & Grace currently has two shops in the retail cluster just west of Mill Creek Ravine.
- Beljan Development is planning the Ritchie Hub for “retail and food and beverage operators such as gastropubs, restaurants, and breweries” at 96 Street and 82 Avenue NW. That project covers roughly 6,700 square feet.