Huntley’s Shops on Main retail incubator opens Saturday

Cami Garifo was looking for a job after graduating from the University of Missouri this past spring.

Then she learned about the Shops on Main business incubator in downtown Huntley and decided to pursue her lifelong dream of opening a boutique.

Garifo, who grew up in Huntley, said she is “so blessed” to be starting her dream business in her hometown and to get the help launching it through the new retail incubator.

Garifo’s CP Boutique is one of 10 businesses chosen to be the first group to operate in the incubator market, which opens for business Saturday.

Garifo said she’s looking forward to opening day and to meeting people from her online store. “I have really high hopes,” she said.

Garifo aims to offer comfortable clothing that also can be wardrobe staples. She hopes to have themed holiday pieces, but also to rotate the inventory every week or two.

But most of all, “I want people to enjoy shopping here,” Garifo said.

Huntley has aimed to get the shops open in time for the 2025 holiday season. The village opted to convert the Hackett House near the Route 47 and Main Street intersection into four incubator spaces, along with six small, newly built freestanding stores on the grounds.

“Shops on Main represents the journey of local entrepreneurs who are turning their dreams of owning a store and expanding their businesses into reality,” Village President Tim Hoeft said. “It is exciting to see years of planning, teamwork, and community support come together in such a meaningful way. We are looking forward to seeing these small businesses grow and bring new energy and shopping options to Huntley.”

Huntley Development Manager Melissa Stocker said the business owners have put their hearts and souls into it. She praised the first group of business owners and said there will be “little extras” the first couple of weekends.

“We’re ready for opening day,” Stocker said.

The new incubator shops are:

• The Chef Shoppe, run by chef Joanne Thomas, selling butters, spice blends, kitchen gadgets, pastries, and cookbooks.

• Bare Rags, selling women’s apparel.

• chARM candy collection, run by Laura Ruggiero, selling handmade jewelry and children’s accessories.

• DD Creations Studio, selling personalized products.

• Pots and Pies, selling baked sweet and savory goods. Pots and Pies has a location in downtown Crystal Lake.

• Wild In Ink, selling journals, candles, women’s clothing and other creative items.

• Sew Mine, selling sewing and craft supplies.

• Huntley Art Hub Gallery, selling jewelry and art.

• CP Boutique, selling women’s clothing and accessories.

• The Find — Vintage + Thrift, selling curated secondhand clothing and original graphic tees, including menswear.

The Chef Shoppe’s Thomas said she got into cooking at age 6 with an Easy-Bake oven. She recalled mimicking her mother’s cooking and putting spices into her mother’s cooking when her mother left the room. A Marine Corp veteran, Thomas sells at the Woodstock and Huntley farmers markets and teaches culinary classes at Huntley High School and at Del Webb.

Ruggiero started her business, chARM, in 2021 as a creative outlet. It is her first storefront. She has lived in Huntley for more than a decade.

Wild In Ink owner Denae Hintze said she self-published a poetry book in 2020. She promotes herself and the book at markets and events, and also has an online presence. She said she’s looking forward to meeting fellow shop owners, hoping to create a community feel and support each other.

Art Hub Gallery owner Cindy Rafkind said 12 local artists are featured in the gallery. Rafkind paints pet portraits and makes jewelry. She hopes to have paint-and-sip events and jewelry making classes in the space.

The tiny shops were a village initiative, though the Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce will be helping with the grand opening, chamber Executive Director Nancy Binger said.

Binger said Shops on Main collectively is a member of the chamber, and three of its businesses also are individual members. She thinks the incubator will be “an amazing addition” to Huntley Square.

A grand opening celebration is planned for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 7. The stores will be open through Dec. 21 and then will reopen in May for a full season. Stores will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays and may also be open for village special events.