A vintage furniture store is going to open in the spot where Eye Opener Family Restaurant used to be in Sunnyslope.
Joe McCallum and his brother, Adam McCallum purchased the building at 524 W. Hatcher Road, which had been home to the eatery until it closed several years ago. Joe said business partners Frank Malefors of Malefors Vintage Imports and Ryan Mapes of Fine Line Modern will be the main employees working inside the furniture store once it opens.
Joe McCallum (left), Adam McCallum, Frank Malefors and Ryan Mapes sit in front of the former Eye Opener Family Restaurant, where they plan to open a vintage furniture store that will be called Eye Opener (photo by Miles McDermott).
Joe collects vintage and modern furniture. Malefors and Mapes have sold furniture at various stores in the area but no longer had a physical business from which to sell items and the building on Hatcher Road intrigued the group.
“We had an interest in the building because it’s interesting,” Joe said. “My brother and I didn’t have much desire to operate a restaurant. We saw a big, wide open space (that) was just ideal for a furniture storeroom.”
He said customers can expect to find “curated vintage” items including sofas, chairs, tables and bedroom furniture, as well as artwork and lighting.
Joe added prices for the merchandise will be priced from affordable to more at the “collector’s level.” He said much of the pieces Malefors sells are made in Denmark while Mapes’ collection is “a bit more eclectic” and includes items he finds at estate sales and auctions around the Southwest. Besides Mapes and Malefors’ items, there will be other items sold by various vendors who rent the space.
Joe said he hopes the store will open in May but it might be later this year. The goal is to also eventually offer a pop-up retail market with vintage clothing or art on the site and perhaps a farmers market.
Having grown up in Phoenix, Joe said he likes Sunnyslope and Adam has a degree in architecture.
“It’s (Sunnyslope) always had its own kind of vibe that’s unique in the Valley,” Joe said.
He added many artists and prominent architects live in Sunnyslope and many residents’ roots “go back a long way.”
The business partners had to obtain a change-of-use permit as part of their work to open the business. Joe said city of Phoenix officials have been helpful as he and his team participated in the city’s Adaptive Reuse Program. That program provides development guidance, a reduced timeframe, cost savings and streamlined processes for customers that want to alter older buildings for new business uses. Joe also praised the Hatcher Urban Business Alliance (theHUB) for its support and encouragement.
How nice to see a breath of fresh air come in to sunnslope, in the way of the Eye Opener/ furniture store. So glad someone cares enough to invest local. I wish them all the best with great success
Looking forward to the added growth in Sunnyslope….I live in Moon Valley and will be one of your future customers!