Owner of new Joliet vintage store says downtown an ideal location for business

An antique shop chose to open in downtown Joliet to honor the past and bring hope to the future.

Emily Brzycki of Joliet held a soft opening July 26 and 27 for Black Cat Curiosities and officially will open for business Aug. 15. She chose a downtown Joliet location with intention.

“This was my way of doing my part, of bringing really cool items and just business to my little part of the community,” Brzycki said.

Black Cat Curiosities carries an ever-changing array of unusual vintage and antique furniture, clothing, books and home goods, Brzycki said. But Black Cat Curiosities also is about people and their stories, she said.

“I love people,” Brzycki said. “I love talking with people. I love hearing their stories and getting to know them. It just makes me happy. And antiques are full of people and their stories. It’s like connecting different lifetimes together and, to me, that’s magical.”

Brzycki said she grew up surrounded by thrifting. Her father owned a pawn shop, and her mother “was always into thrifting.”

As Brzycki “tagged along” with her parents, she noticed the quality craftsmanship in vintage and antique items, she said. New items today often aren’t “made to last” and lack the “character” and “energy” of older items, she said.

“I love bringing that into my own home and bringing that into other people’s homes,” Brzycki said.

Making a childhood dream come true

From the time she was a child, Brzycki said she yearned to own a coffee shop and bookstore.

She set the dream aside while her children, now 8 and 12, were young but continued to buy secondhand items for her home. Over time, Brzycki’s dream of a coffee shop and bookstore shifted to a vintage and antique store.

Eventually, Brzycki started selling vintage items online for extra income, which “gave me even more of a passion for it,” she said.

It’s such an incredible community. I’m really grateful to be part of it.”

—  Emily Brzycki, owner of Black Cat Curiosities

Brzycki wrote a business plan in 2020 and then created an LLC the following year. She researched who her ideal customers might be, the items they liked and “what excited them the most.” With that information, Brzycki sought the right merchandise for her store.

“I won’t buy anything I think isn’t going to sell,” she said.

Brzycki said about 75% of her store items – barring large furniture pieces – are priced for affordability, which isn’t always the case with antique stores. She also sells at markets, which will help keep store merchandise fresh, Brzycki said.

“I won’t let inventory get stale,” she said.

Why downtown Joliet?

Brzycki said her passion for history – including Joliet history – led her downtown. She also loves that Joliet is currently “filled with entrepreneurs,” Brzycki said.

“Downtown Joliet has had such a bad reputation over the years,” Brzycki said. “I’m feeling a really strong resurgence among business owners to really bring it back. It’s such an incredible community. I’m really grateful to be part of it.”

Brzycki previously offered items for sale at Internode Greenery and Home, a plant and home goods store also located downtown. Joliet requires a special-use permit for stores at which most of the merchandise is secondhand, which the City Council approved July 16.

Priscilla Cordero, executive director of the Joliet City Center Partnership, said she’s excited to see a vintage and antique store open in downtown Joliet. Cordero said businesses such as Black Cat Curiosities, Audiophil’s Records, Internode Greenery & Home, Prison City Vintage and Strange and Unusual Gallery can attract customers from outside Joliet – and even outside Illinois.

“They’re unique,” Cordero said. “They have something the town next door may not have.”

Brzycki said her store is close to her home and where her children attend school. If necessary, she can quickly transition from business owner to mom. Having grown up in Harvey, Brzycki said she relates to cities of diverse, down-to-earth, hardworking people.

Furthermore, Brzycki said she believes people should support the communities where they live and raise their families. She knows the presence of Black Cat Curiosities won’t “shatter any world records” in terms of making an impact in the community, but that’s OK.

“I feel everyone has their own way of making the world a better place,” Brzycki said.

She considered adding a coffee shop to Black Cat Curiosities, but downtown Joliet already has a longtime coffee shop, Jitters, and Brzycki said she wanted to honor it.

“But old books are still a large part of my store,” she said.

Brzycki said she knows it will take time and work for her to make a living out of her store.

“People want to see longevity,” Brzycki said. “People want to know this is going to be here before they come out sometimes.”

In the meantime, Brzycki strives to “add value to the area” in downtown Joliet, she said.

“If it works out, that makes me happy,” Brzycki said. “And if it doesn’t work out, I’m still glad that I gave it a try.”

For information, visit blackcatcuriojoliet.com.