THE SHOP ON BROADWAY in the small southeastern Minnesota community of Plainview checks all the boxes for me in a business that vends antiques, collectibles and assorted treasures. It’s clean, organized and filled with an abundance of natural light from large storefront windows in an historic space. Plus, the merchandise is artfully-displayed rather than crammed onto shelves and elsewhere.
I appreciate when proprietors like Sonia Furini and Lisa Petersson take care to present an inviting, uncluttered shopping environment. I could see the thought they put into art grouped on walls, glassware set atop furniture, buttons arranged in a collage…
That button collection caused me to pause, read and laugh. My favorite among the many carries a decidedly Minnesota message: Minnesota—Land of blonde hair and blue ears. That certainly seems accurate given the many residents of Scandinavian heritage living in a state known for its cold winters.
As I wandered through the shop, I eyed a floral painting and silently talked myself out of buying another piece of art. I own a sizable collection because, well, I like original art. A lot.
In many ways, antique shops sell memories. And The Shop on Broadway is no exception. I spotted ribbon bedecked crocheted hearts positioned on a vintage mirrored chest of drawers. Somewhere in a closet, I have a gold heart crocheted by my Grandma Ida. And in my home I also have three vintage chests of drawers, one from my husband’s family, the other two from mine. Yes, I like aged furniture, too, especially the beautiful antique wooden table Randy and I purchased at a neighbor’s farm auction (back in my hometown of Vesta) 40 years ago.
There are stories, always stories, attached to these things of old or not quite so old.
Suspended unicycles at The Shop on Broadway led to sharing that my son rides a unicycle. Or did, when he was younger. He still has one at his current residence in Indiana, but uses his electric bike now to get around and pedal to the Purdue University campus.
That’s the other thing about The Shop on Broadway. This is the sort of place where you feel instantly welcomed, where stories and information are exchanged. A customer, a Plainview native back in town, popped in to express his gratitude to co-proprietor Sonia for opening this relatively new shop. And while he didn’t buy anything, he filled her in on some glassware and promised to spread the word about the business.
I left, too, without any purchases. Not because I didn’t see items I like, but rather because I am avoiding acquiring more stuff. And like the guy who exited The Shop on Broadway shortly before me, I promise to spread the word about this wonderful little shop in Plainview which I tag as friendly. And charming.
PLEASE CLICK HERE to read my introductory post on Plainview. And please watch for more stories from this southeastern Minnesota small town of 3,340 northeast of Rochester. Note that The Shop is open, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. As in any small town, it’s best to check store hours in advance of a visit because “open” hours are often limited.
© Copyright 2022 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
What a treasure! I could spend hours in a place like that!! 🙂
The Shop on Broadway is, for sure, a treasure. Thank you for appreciating this small town shop, Penny.
what a charming shop! the owners clearly have an eye for the aesthetic and have a love for what they sell as well. I love those peacock pieces, just because they are so quirky. I love the spelling bee champion button the best. I would spend a long time wandering around and looking at everything if I was in there, and hopefully just leave with one small thing, as I’m also trying not to accumulate any more stuff, but it might be hard to resist. I hope they do really well
That spelling bee button is great, Beth. I agree.
What a lovely shop and it looks beautifully curated. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed this mini tour of The Shop on Broadway.
Let me have that dining set – beautiful! The stools too. I love exploring places like these because you never know what treasures might be calling to bring them home with you – ha! Happy Day – Enjoy 🙂
Yup, “bring me home!”
I can tell you these shops are needed, especially when it comes to purchasing furniture and it is taking months and months to get. Obviously sometimes you have to order new. I have curated some wood pieces over the years that I have cleaned up and some that I have had to paint (really picky in what I paint though). The shops around here do great in getting creative to draw people in (i.e., raffles, artisans sharing their crafts and how to’s, musicians, etc.).
You’re definitely right on these shops being needed. With people also more focused on reusing, second-hand, etc., they have a place now more than ever. I like how the shops in your community are creating events to draw folks into their businesses. Great idea.
I hope this shop survives…it looks wonderful. I hope to visit it later this summer.
I, too, hope it’s successful. Be sure to check shop hours before you head to Plainview.