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Oliver’s Train’s and Toys to Open Second Store on Main Street
For as long as most people can remember, there has been a toy store on Evanston’s Main Street. That tradition will continue later this summer when Oliver’s Trains and Toys opens their second location at 710 Main Street. Oliver’s, which opened its first location on Central Street in 2012, is a store that prides itself on offering a carefully chosen selection of toys for its customers while providing great service.
Owned by Bogdan and Siri Rogalski, Oliver’s is named after their son who inspired the store’s philosophy. Mr. Rogalski explains, “We learned from buying toys for our own son that when you choose the right toy for your child, you can amaze and inspire them. That’s what motivates us when we’re choosing the products we carry and the toys we recommend to our customers.”
The first Oliver’s store on Central Street has been successful and very fulfilling for the Rogalskis, so they began to scout for a second location. “When we heard the toy store on Main Street was closing, we wanted to step in and fill the void. The Main Street area is rich with locally owned businesses who share our philosophy about customer service. We considered a few options, including the current toy store’s location, but felt it was too large for what we want to accomplish. It was at that time when we learned about the space at 710 Main Street.”
Shaun Chinsky, the third generation owner of Good’s of Evanston and the building’s owner, explains how the connection came about. “Shortly after learning that the toy store across the street was closing, I heard that Oliver’s was interested in a second location in this area. Knowing that our framing business has not been utilizing all of the space we occupy, I have been keeping my eyes open for the right retail business owner who would add to the vibrancy of the block. When I met Bogdan and Siri, I was very impressed by the energy and passion they have for Oliver’s, and I knew right away that they would be a perfect fit for Main Street.”
Good’s will be consolidating its picture framing business into two storefronts to make room for Oliver’s. According to Chinsky, the change will have little effect on the offerings in his store. “Five years ago, picture framing occupied less then two of our storefronts. This change will simply return us to that size, which is what we have been for most of our 110 year history. More importantly, we get to play a key role in welcoming another locally owned store to the block.”
The Rogalskis expect Oliver’s to open late in the summer of this year. “We have a lot of work to do between now and then. We are very excited about being part of Main Street.”