Nestled in the vibrant mid-section of Cherokee Street, Impossible Mart & Variety Store breathes new life into a previously vacant historic commercial building. After living in the neighborhood for the past 20 years, the store’s owner, Katy McKay, is ready to undertake the challenge of revitalizing the space through curated antiques, novelty thrift finds, and local vendors specializing in a variety of hand-crafted and resale products.
Vendors include Terminal Classic, which sells screenprinted T-shirts; The Whiskey Ring, which plans to sell the bar’s merchandise; Starburst Vintage; Sifted Thrift; and Urban Myth Boutique. Ashley Johnson, the owner of Urban Myth Boutique, says she is excited for the opportunity to sell her handcrafted soaps, candles, home goods, and refurbished furniture in the new space. “This gives me the opportunity to just put my things in front of people in a less intimidating process,” she says.
As for the store’s punchy name, McKay says that she decided to stick with the word “impossible” after the building’s previous occupant Impossible Sensing, an optical sensing technology lab that conducted deep-sea and outer space research. “Mart,” then, harkens back to both the old-timey antiques sold in the store and the handful of surrounding businesses that share the label, like the Grand Furniture Mart just a few blocks down.
After a low-key soft opening on Sept. 1, the store has enjoyed light but consistent interest from passing pedestrians, local thrift shoppers, and antique aficionados alike. McKay, a self-described introvert who would rather spend her time hunting for valuable finds than networking and advertising, says that the understated opening was intentional. “I’m not, like, standing outside yelling about this, [I’m] keeping it kind of quiet, so I like that people are curious about it. That’s what I want,” McKay says…