Water Street is Home to 50+ Businesses – and Women Lead Many of Them
historic Water Street District filled with female-fronted restaurants, retailers, salons, and more
McKenna Scherer, photos by Andrea Paulseth
Eau Claire is a hub for small business owners and entrepreneurs – the fact that it’s fertile ground for both is ingrained in the history of the Chippewa Valley – and the historic downtown area remains such today. Take Water Street for example: There have been dozens of businesses rooted there since at least the mid-1800s, and in 2025, there are upwards of 50 locally-owned shops. Many of them are also led by women.
Taking a glance at Downtown Eau Claire Inc.’s map of Water Street businesses is a sight itself: so many location pins set so closely together they’re nearly on top of each other (and some do share the same building space). The Water Street Business Improvement District has made strides to remind the community that beyond its bars – there are about a dozen of them, plus longtime liquor store Stave & Hoop – the street running parallel to the Chippewa River is also home to so much more.
Of the 50-plus businesses that call Water Street home, there are 10 salons and barbershops; about eight restaurants; six retailers; three housing businesses; two law practices; two coffee shops; one yoga studio; one flower shop; one fitness center; two auto shops; one bank; one Kwik Trip sans gasoline pumps; and three smoke shops. (Give or take, considering a handful of storefronts have changed hands in recent years, with newcomers slated to open in 2025 including El Camino Skate Shop.)
Some of those have truly stood the test of time, including Details Fine Apparel & Accessories (502 Water St.), Mona Lisa’s Restaurant (428 Water St.), Starr’s Sister Salon (412 Water St.), and Truckers Union (413 Water St.). Each is helmed by experienced, dynamic business owners with at least one similarity among them: they’re women.
The last business on the above list has become something of an institution. Truckers Union, a fixture on Water Street for more than 50 years, is a purveyor of eccentric and humorous apparel and art, as well as jewelry, decor, and smoke shop goods. After running the joint since 1970 (Truckers Union opened on Bellinger Street before moving to Water Street in 1971), founder Steve Reuter announced he was ready to step back in 2024 – and longtime local Kristi Schmidt stepped up.
One of the newest additions to the Women of Water Street, Schmidt gave the storefront a face-lift with crisp paint outside and a refresh on the inside, including its spunky and welcoming lounge area (where this article’s main photo was taken).
“I personally have only been on this beautiful adventure as a small business owner for 14 months. To say the least, it’s been a ride,” Schmidt said. “I have learned so much personally and professionally about myself: persisting to always be my true, happy self, for myself; that anyone can change professions after so many years; take chances and learn from yourself and others. It can be scary yet so rewarding.”
"I love being part of this small but strong community. We were once all struggling new businesses but the district has grown into a strong retail market. We help one another as well as challenge each other. ... I have a saying: 'When you are in the black, you must give back.' " –Mickey Judkins, owner of Details
The challenging-yet-rewarding mantra of small business owners is also shared by Mickey Judkins, owner of Details. Judkins opened her first business 1978 in a place much different than Eau Claire – Fifth Avenue in New York City – the same day she registered for her junior year of college. After making the move to the area, she opened Details on Water Street in 1988, and hasn’t looked back since – making her one of the longest-running small business owners on the block.
When asked what specifically she has learned after more than 35 years on Water Street, she answered, “How much time do you have?” In reflecting, Judkins’ affinity for community became clear.
“I love being part of this small but strong community. We were once all struggling new businesses but the district has grown into a strong retail market. We help one another as well as challenge each other,” she said. “Over the decades, I have served on many boards in order to help the community be economically strong. I have a saying: ‘When you are in the black, you must give back.’ ”
Perhaps no other local small business owners have shaped the Water Street and downtown business districts – with an investment mindful of local history translating to their building restorations – than Lisa Aspenson and John Mogensen, owners of Water Street eatery staples Mona Lisa’s and Mogie’s Pub. (In the wider downtown area, they also opened Stella Blues, The Red Room, The Livery, and The 410, respectively.)
After 30 years of running Mona Lisa’s, a beloved and tasty local staple, Aspenson has not slowed down, and her recent non-food scene venture is just another example: The longtime restaurateur extraordinaire opened FIO Vintage this past fall, located directly next to Mona Lisa’s.
As for the longest running locally-owned biz on the block, that claim goes to Starr's Sister Salon (412 Water St.). Open since 1984, the salon is a second generation family business – opened as Starr's Sister Salon by Nancy Orth – though its storefront has been occupied by the same family for four generations. (The building has been in the family since 1929, when Elvira Johnson purchased the then Johnson's Grocery.)
The commitment from business owners, community members, and the City of Eau Claire to continue mindfully developing Water Street has not only continued to draw patrons, but new entrepreneurial talent as well.
Bobbie Baker, owner of VER Salon (403 Water St.), said it was her goal to work in the downtown area after graduating from the Professional Hair Design Academy in 2011 – eight years before she opened VER. “The Water Street business community is full of visionary minds and incredible businesses,” Baker said. “Along with the people, the arts scene appealed to me as well as the warmth and liveliness the downtown area offers.”
As a small business owner, Baker acknowledged the daily joys – and challenges – of being located on Water Street. “I enjoy the fact that it’s always a rapidly changing and growing area,” she said. “As a woman in the business community, the ability to pivot and accept that radical change is a necessary part of the process of being a successful business owner has been one of my core principles.”
Ariane Foster, owner of Habitual Yoga Space (422 Water St.), didn’t know she would end up on Water Street – it was a case of right-place-right-time. Foster, too, pointed to some of the attractions that other Women of Water Street acknowledged about the area as well: the literally built-in history of its buildings; the unique abundance and proximity of locally-owned businesses almost untouched by chains or franchise; and the people at the helm of those businesses.
Foster echoed a specific skill that a fellow Woman of Water Street, Baker, noted as well: the ability to pivot. “I’ve learned that things are always changing and the importance of being able to pivot as things change,” Foster said. Perhaps one pivot she has had to make is in terms of attracting those who are walking down the street.
“One challenging aspect is signage. I’ve been told from our landlord agency that we can’t put a sign on the exterior of the building,” Foster said.
Taylor Wicks, the hairdresser behind TaylorMade Hair Co. (427 Water St., Suite No. 3), agreed with the potential marketing challenges too. Wicks, who grew up in the Chippewa Valley and was part of the Water Street fabric as a stylist for four years before securing her own space in 2024, is one of the youngest entrepreneurs on the block.
“It’s empowering to see everyone bringing their unique ideas and talents to the table, and it creates a sense of community you don’t always find in other places,” Wicks said. “However, I’d say one challenge is standing out in such a bustling area.” She, too, noted the need for resilience and adaptability.
Soundbeauty Salon owners, Josie Berenz and Kimberly Martin, also found their home on Water Street as the natural choice. Berenz spent 14 years as a stylist on Water Street, and after joining forces with Martin in 2019 (officially known as Soundbeauty after a rebrand in 2020), it only felt right to continue cultivating their clientele and craft there. To the kinds of challenges they have encountered over the years, many solutions are found outside of their own business’s walls.
“Every business has its challenges, but engaging with each other to find solutions is something I find really special about being part of the Water Street community,” Berenz said. “Value is held not only in our talents or skill sets, but sharing everyday kindness with our clientele and community.”
Locals may know Water Street for its historical value, its proximity to UW-Eau Claire, or its numerous bars and eateries. Perhaps it should be best known for the Women of Water Street, and the entrepreneurial fabric that has seen the area through decades of industrial evolution, environmental shifts, and the growing pains – and joys – of small business ownership.
Common experiences and trains of thought were found in the handful of female small business owners I connected with – as were individual musings and reflections – though it is hard to catch an entrepreneur with a free moment to chat, especially during the holidays and as the new year begins. The Women of Water Street are many, and include far more entrepreneurs than featured in this article’s photo and quotes: Sandy O'Connell of Avalon Floral (421 Water St.) ; Kim Woodby of Willow on Water (410 Water St.); Marie Frawley of Estilo Salon (438 Water St.); Rosina Llamas and daughters Stephanie and Natalie Velasquez of California Tacos (628 Water St.); Nicole Kircher of Calista Salon (840 Water St.); Renelle Laffe of ADC Boutique and Angelus Day Spa (504 Water St.), and others.
Locals may know Water Street for its historical value, its proximity to UW-Eau Claire, or its numerous bars and eateries. Perhaps it should be best known for the Women of Water Street, and the entrepreneurial fabric that has seen the area through decades of industrial evolution, environmental shifts, and the growing pains – and joys – of small business ownership.
The best way to get to know what Water Street has to offer? Take a walk through it – pop into some of its storefronts, grab a bite to eat at one of its eateries, and shop local • Find a map and list of most Water Street businesses at downtowneauclaire.org/water-street-bid
