Wyckwood House, a boutique and cocktail bar in downtown Aurora, is set to close its doors after seven years in operation.
Owner Shannon Gutierrez announced the closure, planned for Sept. 28, on the business’ Facebook page earlier this month. One last celebration is set to be held at the shop from noon to 3 p.m. this Sunday: the Last Call Farewell Party, which will feature food, drinks and live music.
“I’m deeply grateful for each of you who supported, shopped, sipped, celebrated and shared your lives here,” Gutierrez said in the Facebook post. “You made Wyckwood House a home.”
In an interview with The Beacon-News, Guiterrez said that Wyckwood House has been a dream come true.
Everything she listed in her original business plan, which she made in late 2016 or early 2017, she was able to check off in under five years of the business being open, she said.
Plus, Wyckwood House has defied the odds by being a million-dollar, woman-owned small business open for seven years, according to Gutierrez. She is now able to reflect on that, she said, and “be so grateful that I can close this chapter knowing that I accomplished so much more than I even dreamed of.”
Though part of the idea was always to support local artisans, Gutierrez said it was never about just shopping. It was about creating a space for people to connect, which she believes is “so important, even more today than it was then.”
The business, which would eventually grow into two physical locations, first started with markets set up in Gutierrez’s home on Aurora’s Wyckwood Drive.
Then, there was a pop-up in downtown Aurora in late 2017 at the same spot that would later, in mid-2018, become the business’ first location: 14 W. Downer Place, according to Gutierrez.
Although it was “devastating” to have to close its doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said the boutique made it through by quickly pivoting to online, where so many people shopped and supported the business.
When the store reopened, “people would literally stop in the doorway, and they were like, ‘I’m in my happy place,’” she said.
It was a blessing to be able to provide something like that during such a scary and unsettling time, according to Gutierrez. She said it was a desire to spread that feeling to another community that led her to open a location in Wheaton in October 2020.
Aurora’s location moved to where it is currently, still within downtown but at 80 S. River St., in 2022. At the new location, Gutierrez was able to make her “dream concept,” which included the cocktail bar, she said.
The year of the new Aurora location’s opening and the year following were the highest sales Wyckwood House had seen, according to Gutierrez. Around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, people rallied together to support local businesses, and after the pandemic, people wanted to get out more, so “we saw a huge boost,” she said.
But after that spike, things started getting harder, Gutierrez said. Although the Aurora and Wheaton locations were doing similar numbers, she decided last year to close the one in Wheaton to streamline locations in Aurora, where she had more invested.
“We worked hard to do a lot of creative things to get people in here and to serve our community,” she said. “It just felt like I was working 10 times harder and getting half the revenue.”
Gutierrez said she didn’t open Wyckwood House to make money, she did it to serve her community and “do something really cool and fun.” But, the revenue just didn’t feel sustainable anymore, especially with prices going up and people’s spending patterns changing, and she doesn’t have deep pockets or investors, she said.
“I was really blessed to have incredible staff at both of my locations and amazing customers that became friends and family,” she said. “It’s definitely a bittersweet time because I didn’t plan on closing at seven years.”
The climate of Aurora is “a little different” now that there is a new administration in City Hall, according to Gutierrez. She said many local businesses felt supported by previous Mayor Richard Irvin, saw the growth that was taking place and could feel the energy and excitement, which is different now that businesses are closing or moving.
Wyckwood House is now set to join those other downtown businesses that have closed or decided to move in recent months, including Leilani Asian Fusion and Warehouse 55.
Although her business is closing, Gutierrez said she will be bringing that experience, and those fond memories, forward with her. During those “pinch me” moments, she made herself stop so she didn’t get too caught up in the moment, she said, and now she is glad she has those moments in her memories.
When thinking about what’s next, Gutierrez said her heart “has always been to support other local, small businesses,” which is the model she built Wyckwood on. So, she plans to support other local businesses with event planning, she said.
Gutierrez also hopes to start consulting, she said, and not just for business but also for lifestyle. She has gone through a divorce and wants to help people navigate life changes, she said.
Though Wyckwood will soon close its doors, Gutierrez said people interested in learning about what she is doing next or who want to get in touch with her can continue to follow both the business’ social media and her personal Instagram.
Not only is Gutierrez available to plan events, but if you loved the aesthetic of Wyckwood House, she said that she is available to decorate houses.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com