Not quite a year after bringing her “sexy city cowgirl” style to downtown Wichita, Cheris Coggins is expanding her Urban Interiors at Eaton Place.
The store currently is in 2,200 square feet at the building, and in March it’s going to move several doors down to the corner of Douglas and St. Francis.
“Something needs to be in there,” Coggins says she told the firm leasing the space. “I kind of begged my way in there.”
Her business, which is “wow upholstery pieces and fun home decor,” has been good but not great since opening in January. Coggins thinks the visible corner spot with its big bank of windows will help with visibility.
“I loved that spot in the beginning, but it was unaffordable.”
And huge at almost 9,000 square feet.
In August, Coggins closed her Farmhouse 5 store in Anthony, so she’ll have some of that merchandise to put in the expanded space.
“Honestly, when you own a small business, the customer wants to see you,” she says.
Coggins says between the two stores, she always felt like she was in the wrong place.
“I just wanted to concentrate on this market right now.”
She has an idea of using the new space for several concepts within her store.
“I’m a dreamer schemer.”
Coggins plans a boutique with jewelry, purses and Old Gringo boots.
She says she’d also like to find a baker who can supply the shop with cinnamon rolls and other treats “to make it kind of a destination store.”
“That’s why I’m kind of taking a few months to get creative.”
Coggins says she never considered moving her store out of downtown, especially with the new Spaghetti Works District immediately to the east of Eaton Place.
“Hopefully they’ll be bringing some more retail in,” she says.
“I love it down here,” Coggins says. “I love the buildings, I love the history, I love the feel. . . . I love everything about it.”
