The city of Decatur has an abundance of different cafes, restaurants, ice cream shops and stores. Each store offers something unique to the community and has developed a eccentric environment which brings new excitement to items being sold everywhere.
Sq/ft:
This rustic, alternative clothing shop is located in the middle of Decatur square. The store offers name-brand items that are desired by most.
“The shop opened three years ago and is owned by three local women with ties to the city,” Sierra Benton, the Sq/ft owner, said. “We’re an independent boutique, selling men’s and women’s clothing, as well as home goods. We have something for everybody.”
The store makes an effort to connect with the community that surrounds it. Not only with providing an eye-catching urban-themed shop, where even the fitting rooms have individual themes, but also by selling some locally produced items and hosting charity events.
“We try our best to carry local items,” Benton said. “Currently, we are carrying coffee from a coffee roaster right down the road, t-shirts from a shirt company in Inman Park, and jewelry made by a Decatur jewelry designer. Our next community event will begin next week. Any customer who brings in items for our Humane Society Donation Drive will receive 15 percent off their purchase.”
Sq/ft prides itself off being located in an area where the amount of residents and visitors who enjoy strolling the streets is high, and the energy is always positive and full.
“We love Decatur! We benefit from the foot traffic from all the other stores and restaurants. Decatur is very friendly to small businesses,” Benton said.
If wanting items from brands that are known to be pricey is kryptonite for most, then taking a trip to Sq/ft would be beneficial. It offers a chance to look fancy and high-fashioned, without spending insane amounts of cash.
“There is something here for everyone! No matter your style or your budget, you’ll find something you love,” Benton said.
The name brands that Sq/ft carries:
Men:
Clothing: Lucky Brand, Alternative, Levi’s, Joe’s Jeans, Patagonia, Agave
Shoes: Frye, Bed Stu, Camper, Puma, Sanuk, Cushe, Tretorn, Fly London, Crocs, OTZ, Keen, Tom’s, Dr. Martens
Women:
Clothing: Velvet, Patagonia, Alternative, Subtle Luxury, Blank Jeans, Wilt
Shoes: Frye, Bed Stu, Jeffrey Campbell, Dolce Vita, BC, Seychelles, Crocs, Keens, Tretorn, Puma, OTZ, Sanuk, OTBT, Dr. Martens
Kids: Crocs, Puma, Keen, Chooze Shoes, Mini Mooz, Dr. Martens
Location and Hours
149 Sycamore St
Decatur, GA 30030
Hours:
Mon: 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.
Tues-Thurs: 11 a.m.- 8 p.m.
Fri-Sat: 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Sun: 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
—————————–
Little Shop of Stories
In the heart of Decatur’s square lies a colorful, eccentric book shop that welcomes all customers with a giant frog at the door, and that shop is Little Shop of Stories. This is mainly a children’s bookstore that also mixes in some adult fiction and nonfiction into the mix.
“We’re one of only a few children’s bookstores in the Southeast,” David Shallenberger, co-owner, said. “We opened in 2005. For my business partner, this was a lifelong dream.”
The shop does its best to try and connect with the community, and hold events within the shop as well as attend and contribute to events occurring around Atlanta.
“We have three storytimes each week. We do book themed summer camps. We host author events,” Shallenberger said. “We’re intimately involved with the Decatur Book Festival. We do a community wide reading program. We’re also well-connected to the schools, sending authors and running bookfairs, [and] we host the annual Christmas Tree lighting.”
Learn more about the community reading program at: http://weareonthesamepage.org
The shop location was put in Decatur due to the appeal that the shop would have to those living in the surrounding area.
“With the high quality schools in Decatur, the community is attractive to parents with young children. So the demographics are great. The city is wonderful to work with,” Shallenberger said.
Little Shop of Stories is creating ways to work donations into their shop with some new projects that are underway.
“We are slowly building a bookmobile. We currently have a short bus and have fixed up the outside. Our hope is to collect new and gently used books and travel to underserved communities in the Atlanta area.” Shallenberger said.
This bookshop has a largely appeal to children, but the items that they carry are helpful to student who are located in the city as well.
“Georgia State students majoring in elementary education, would find us a wonderful resource,” Shallenberger said. “Art majors interested in in illustration would as well. We also have a great selection of books.”
They even do birthdays:
Little Shop of Stories offers a birthday package for a party of up to 12 children for a price of $175 (additional kids is another $5 for each).
Here is what they offer:
-Birthday party room can be used for up to two hours
-The birthday person can choose any themed storytime to be held for half-an-hour, this is where the people of Little Shop of Stories get creative and in touch with their theatre side.
-If wanted, 12 custom birthday cards can be made up for the guests.
-Juice and paper goods (napkins, plates, forks, etc.) can be provided for the party.
Location and Hours
133 E Court Square # A
Decatur, GA 30030
Hours:
Mon-Wed: 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.
Thurs-Sat: 10 a.m.- 9 a.m.
Sun: 12 p.m.- 9 p.m.
