There was a running joke at the McMillin household in the Chicago suburb of La Grange. The family talked about opening a fictitious store in their community stocked only with things liked by Jack, the kind of place where every item on every shelf reflected his taste. Then they discussed how there was not a cool boutique in their area that sold men’s clothing.

After COVID, that pie-in-sky brick-and-mortar got a stiff blast of momentum behind its sail. Sue and Jack McMillin opened their unique garments and gifts store with high-quality clothing for men in September of 2022. They named it Jack’s West End, paying homage to Jack and to the West end of their beloved community, which is where the store is located in La Grange.

“I do think our store is a good example of retail therapy,” noted Susan. “I think people come in and they relax; they like hanging out and looking around. There is a lot going on in the store, even for such a small store. You’re going to see something different than maybe the first time you walked through it.

“There really aren’t boutiques or stores for men the way there might have been 30 years ago, and we decided to kind of flush out the idea and liked the challenge of that,” said Susan. “So, we decided to give it a go.”

Neither Susan nor Jack entered the world of retail with any experience, and their path forward was anything but clear. In fact, Susan was a school librarian before Jack’s West End.

“I had no idea where to begin, because I had never done anything with retail before, and we just started taking one step at a time,” chuckled Jack. “I had no idea what I was doing. You ask one question, and you take one step at a time.”

It helped that the McMillins had ample construction experience. When they opened the store, they knew they wanted to create an inviting space built largely with materials they sourced themselves.

“When we first made the commitment to open the store, we both knew that we wanted to build the store ourselves,” shared Jack who studied industrial design at The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. “Sue is also very creative. So, we went to work, buckled down and did all the build out.

“I’ve always created things and made things with my hands, whether it was art or fixing things, or taking apart a TV, making something new out of something else. So, that’s really how the store came together. I built basically everything in store with my hands and found things at garage sales, on Facebook Marketplace, and we literally picked things up off the curb.”

For Susan and Jack, the cost to design, build, and open Jack’s West End totaled roughly $5,000.

Welcome to the “Pub Shed”

The ambiance and decor for the store did not emerge from an edition of Architectural Digest or Better Homes & Garden. Instead, their muse came from the backyard of the McMillin’s home down the street.

“We have a backyard bar called the Pub Shed. That was our decorating inspiration for the store,” said Susan with a smile. “Everybody likes to hang out in pub sheds, so we thought if we use that as our inspiration, maybe people would also feel comfortable and want to hang out here.”

“I have my grade school beer can collection in the shed,” Jack chimed in. “That’s what inspired the beer cans that are displayed in the store, to kind of give that feel of our backyard bar.

“We like to think of Jack’s West End as a nice experience to shop,” added Jack. “We want people to be comfortable and feel like they’re somewhere different or somewhere homey, but also someplace else like maybe in the mountains or northern Wisconsin,”

Trails to cocktails: A lifestyle in clothes

The clothing curation at their store reflects Jack’s laid-back, yet adventurous spirit.

“We have a lot of outdoorsy brands that promote lifestyle clothing,” noted Susan. “What we have isn’t necessarily for climbing a mountain, but the brands might make clothing that you could climb a mountain.

“My mom always talks about how you sell a lifestyle. When you see a commercial, they’re selling something maybe you want to be or the type of person you want to be,” Susan continued. “I do think we have a lot of that in the store. It’s clothing that people identify with as like, ‘I’m a golfer,’ or ‘I am a hiker,’ or ‘I love sitting by a fire.'”

“I think our clothing is something that you’re comfortable going out on the trail with,” added Jack. “But you’re also comfortable going to a bar with it, going on a date.”

“Trails to cocktails. So, there you go,” Susan said as she laughed looking at Jack.

Walk through Jack’s West End and you will discover that their selection extends far beyond clothing. As a former librarian, Susan is especially pleased with the store’s eccentric literary selection.

“We have binoculars, coolers, and we carry a lot of socks!” Susan stated. “We have a lot of local art. Our artists and craftsmen contribute to the feel of Jack’s West End.”

“We also carry a lot of gift items, and not just for men. Women can come in here, and buy a gift for another woman very easily,” Jack continued.

Behind the counter, the dynamic between Susan and Jack reveals the heart of their partnership.

“I really enjoy coming to work here. I don’t really work here! It’s Sue’s business 100%,” explained Jack. “She does everything starting with finding the brands. I will give suggestions, and she’ll say ‘I’m thinking about bringing in this brand. What do you think of it?’ I’m like, I don’t know if it’s a fit. Then she brings it in anyway, and it’s a great fit!

“When I’m here, people assume I know everything about the business, and I don’t. But, boy, do I love being behind that counter and just talking to people that come in off the street. Some people come in, and they’ll say ‘This place is just so awesome and reminds me of something in Utah. Reminds me of a California surf town.’ I just get so much joy and pride that we can bring that feeling to somebody.”

“I’m having a great time running this store. It’s been awesome. The things that delight me do surprise me,” said Susan with a laugh.

Susan is the only full-time employee at the store. They also have nine part-timers pitching, many of whom have a deep connection to their community like the McMillin family.

“We’ve been extremely well received by the community. People have been excited we’re here. They like shopping here. We like to have great stores in our towns. I think people take ownership of that in some weird way,” observed Susan. “This is where we live, and it’s got these cool restaurants and stores, and we’ve become invested somewhat emotionally. We have a great business association in town, and they’ve been… they’ve promoted us heavily. It’s been fun.”

“La Grange is a little unique, in that a lot of people who were raised here are now raising their own families here. So, there’s a very strong sense of community here,” added Jack.

For Susan, the community connection has become her most meaningful reward in opening the store.

“We have a unique opportunity as a business to support the community. I was not really thinking about that when we opened, but it has really shown up as important to both Jack and I,” said Susan with a warm smile.

A message to Illinois

Running a small, retail business in Illinois comes with unique challenges. For Susan, it’s the uncertainties of the job that keep her on her toes.

“Is there anything we can do to just keep things more stable? Because every week it’s been a different story. A different tax,” explained Susan. “People don’t know. It’s hard to plan. You see it reflected in people coming through the door. People don’t want to spend money if they don’t know what’s going on. I guess what I’d like to tell Illinois legislators is to do anything they can to create stable and consistent messaging about our economy and state of things. It’s really hard when things change all the time.”

Jack sees the bigger picture of what’s at stake for communities across the state.

“What I’d like to tell the legislators is they just need to support us. I think that retail stores are the backbone of communities. If we lose, we’ll have open (unoccupied) storefronts in our downtowns, and the communities die,” observed Jack. “We need to have people out there shopping and supporting each other and seeing each other. That’s the way the economy thrives.”

Hard-earned wisdom

After several years of success at Jack’s West End, the McMillins say they have learned lessons they wish they had known before opening their store.

“One thing I wish someone would have told me when we were getting into retail was that you can’t let your inventory sit on the shelves,” said Jack. “If it’s not moving, put it on sale and get it out the door. You need to be turning your inventory. If you’re sitting on it, you’re paying for it.”

“Inventory is in your system, and you get taxed on it at the end of the year. So if it’s sitting in your basement, it’s still considered part of your income,” continued Susan. “Even if you have it in your basement for three years, you’re paying for it for three years. So just get it out the door. It’s just not selling. Don’t get emotional about it. Just put it on sale and get it out. Get it done. Move on.”

Jack and Susan’s advice for new and aspiring retailers also goes beyond inventory management.

“It’s a lot of hard work. If you’re going to commit to it, then you’ve got to get in 100%,” said Jack with a smile.

“Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions. Just ask the questions. People love to give advice”, continued Susan with confidence in her voice. “They want to be your mentor. Just put it out there. Let it rip. If you don’t know what you’re doing, ask questions.”

Ask Susan and Jack why they love what they do and the answer circles back to their community.

“I really feel that the business adds to the community,” Jack said. “Whether it’s donating to a food bank, volunteering at the church, booster clubs or fundraisers for the Boy Scouts, we like to contribute.”

“Jack’s West End matters, because we’re the heart of the community. It’s a place people feel comfortable going,” continued Jack. “It’s a place where people feel good about purchasing (things), because they’re purchasing from local folks who support our community, and that just says they’re supporting us.”

“And that makes people who come in here feel good,” Susan exclaimed. “They feel good about supporting something local.”