Ginger's leaves nomadic ways behind with move to Main Street

Ginger Lewis has some pretty loyal customers.

In 16 years, her shop has been at four different locations. Each time, her customers followed -- whether it was to Hotel Baker, Charlestowne Mall or her latest location on Route 64 near Randall Road.

"We've had a real good following," said Lewis, who first opened Ginger's in 1991 in what was then the Third Street Shops in downtown St. Charles. "I've had people who have followed me from one location to the next."

Lewis' latest move, from Charlestowne Mall to her shop at 1980 W. Main St. in the West Towne Market, is hopefully her last, she said.

"This is it. No more moves," Lewis said. "We're very optimistic about this location."

The new shop, which opened Sept. 1, puts Ginger's along one of the city's major routes and near other popular stops, like Starbucks.

"I think we're going to have a real nice mix of businesses and stores," said Lewis, who said she felt her store sometimes got "lost" in Charlestowne Mall.

And though she is excited about her new location, it is her mix of unique gifts -- from glass paperweights to painted furniture to kaleidoscopes -- that has made her a favorite stop for customers.

"We have things that are unique and they've all been touched by an artist," said Lewis, noting that all of the items are hand made. "We like to say we have the fingerprint of an artist on each and every piece."

Some of her items, like the paperweights and kaleidoscopes, can't be found elsewhere.

"The paperweights are wonderful," said Meredith Artz, a St. Charles woman who has been visiting Ginger's for the last 10 years.

Artz, whose husband was the first to bring home a paperweight from Ginger's as a gift, estimates 40 of the 60 paperweights in her collection come from Ginger's. Her mother and sister also make stops at Ginger's when visiting to add to their own collection of paperweights.

In addition to the unique gifts, Artz enjoys the attention to detail at the shop. For example, each piece comes with a small story card about the artist. Artz also knows from experience she can call the shop in advance, request a gift and then pick it up already packaged complete with a gift bow.

"She's such a wonderful person … and it's an enjoyable place to go and spend some time," Artz said.

With her new location, Lewis has expanded her selection of items to include painted furniture, glycerin soaps and Woodwick candles. She also carries a line of figurines dubbed "dancing old ladies." Lewis proudly notes that all of the items in her shop are made by American artists, all of whom she has met in person.

Lewis, who is in the shop most days, says her passion for the business has helped her succeed. Her dedication to St. Charles also has helped. She noted that she has considered locating to nearby suburbs, but couldn't bring herself to move out of town.

"I feel very strongly about staying in the area," said Lewis, who lives in Wood Dale.

The shop, which offers free gift packaging, is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays and most holidays. You can reach Ginger's by calling (630) 513-8920.