Longtime Downtown Businesses Purple Petunia, The Calico Shoppe Will Close Mid-March
owners Daniel and Lynn Goelzer retire after nearly 30 years in downtown Eau Claire
Goodbyes are always hard, and that's no different for two longtime downtown Eau Claire businesses – The Purple Petunia and The Calico Shoppe – which will close early this spring.
Lynn Goelzer opened The Calico Shoppe (214 S. Barstow St.) in 1993 to bring her love of quilting to Eau Claire by selling different fabrics. She opened The Purple Petunia next door nine years later, and since then the business has transformed into an iconic gift shop.
Though a final closing date hasn’t been set, Goelzer expects the stores to close mid-March and will be announcing the closing date within the next couple of weeks. They are now offering closing sales in both stores.
Goelzer and her husband, Daniel, plan to travel after they retire to visit their children and grandchildren located across the U.S., and to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation. But have no fear – they aren’t leaving the area for good.
“We are just happy that we have been able to work downtown here,” Daniel said. “Downtown has been good for us and there’s a new owner of the building, so I’m sure there will be good things happening.”
The Calico Shoppe and The Purple Petunia • 214 and 216 S. Barstow St., EauClaire • 715-834-9990 • calicoshoppe.com
