EVERYTHING YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED. A new destination in Menomonie has opened its doors downtown, and it's a familiar friend: Hive & Hollow.

The first descriptor I'll give for Hive & Hollow's new location in Menomonie? Jaw-dropping. I can comfortably use that because it was my genuine reaction when I firest stepped into the 222 Main St. East space now home to the local floral and gift shop: My jaw dropped, and my eyes couldn’t flit around fast enough to drink it all in. (However, you can actually drink there thanks to the coffee and mocktail bar. More on that later.)

Welcomed by floor-to-ceiling shelving on the right, stocked with timeless vintage glassware, nature-themed prints, books, and more, the front window of the store is host to sprawling greenery and plants available for purchase. A lush couch and lounge area is next, as the shop seems to stretch on and on, straight to the back where Hive & Hollow’s magical floristry is at work.

Throughout the middle of the space, a refinished bar salvaged from an old Stanley church is ready to lure you in or welcome you for a post-shopping drink (during which you’ll nearly be lost in the nooks and crannies of the shop’s oddities and wares). The walls and ceiling were repainted in a rich dark green color, accents of warm wood furniture and wares galore marking it a Hive & Hollow space. This is no longer the tiny (and beloved!) spot the shop first opened at in the city: it is sprawling, magic contained within four walls in downtown Menomonie.

Lounging at the front of the store with in-house coffee drinks.

One of the shop's many dreamy displays.

An expansion to downtown Menomonie once seemed a dream for a variety of reasons, but when a different location fell through, the Main Street space called. “In my dream world, I always wanted a space like this where many people could have their art and things altogether. I love creating spaces people want to be, want to gather,” Sarah Lambert-Freeman said. “It was always just a dream – whether or not I ever thought it would be a reality. … That seemed a little crazy,” she laughed.

Lambert-Freeman launched her floristry career in the ’90s in the Twin Cities area, carving a place and tell-tale style for herself before settling into the Chippewa Valley years later. Menomonie first welcomed Hive & Hollow – the thoughtfully curated, whimsical, and tasteful floral shop – in 2018. Of course, as soon as she settled into small business ownership in this area, the pandemic hit.

Sarah Lambert-Freeman, owner.

Her son, Rowan, created their website where folks were able to purchase and send flowers during that time. In between another move – opening an Eau Claire location on the corner of Dewey and Wisconsin streets – and the pandemic, Sarah also faced cancer. “It's just been pivot after pivot after pivot,” she said of the business’s first few years.

The biggest move of all – literally and figuratively – has been the latest one. The relocation and expansion of its Menomonie shop occurred quickly, with the decision to look for a new home made just this spring, Sarah said. Their original location never had air conditioning, and as a smaller space, had limited room for coolers and stock. While planning for this fall’s wedding season, she and the team knew they’d outgrown the shop.

Now, Hive & Hollow’s signature floral arrangements, glassware and vintage goods, and variety of vendor art has been joined by new features: BarbaLynn’s Vintage and A Girl North stock a vintage clothing and dressing room area in the store (plus a couple of vintage wedding dresses); More John Thomas Pottery pieces are available (Sarah has commissioned custom pieces from him); Legacy Chocolates; and – of course – there’s the coffee and mocktail bar.

While Sarah will go before the Menomonie City Council soon in hopes of securing a license to sell wine, the mocktails have been surprisingly well-received for a Wisconsin town. At a recent downtown event, Sarah said folks sat the bar and ordered seconds and thirds, until the shop closed. I enjoyed an incredible cold-pressed latte and French press coffee that taste as good as they look (not always a guarantee at some places).

The Hive & Hollow team hopes to become a gathering place for locals and those passing through as well as for events. Already, one wedding is booked for the new location, and Sarah said they are open to most kinds of events after hours (local organizations, celebratory events, etc.). 

Downtown Menomonie officially welcomed the familiar faces of the Hive & Hollow team to Main Street at the beginning of August. Their hours are likely to adjust as they settle in, so keep up with the shop on Facebook or call (715) 231-3133 for information.

French pressed coffee and Legacy truffle.

Part of the shelving at the front of the store.

Learn more about Hive & Hollow on its website • Visit its new Menomonie location at 222 Main St. East, and its Eau Claire location at 224 N. Dewey St. • Reach out with inquiries via email at hello@hiveandhollow.earth