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Back in the black
Bakeries, bike shops, personal trainers and comic-book stores are flourishing during the downturn.
During a recession, people turn to vice and comfort. Or so goes conventional wisdom. And while it’s true that nationwide sales of beer, guns and Big Macs are up, they’re not the only ones winning. Some local businesses are enjoying a surge, and they don’t deal in vice at all. Unless, of course, you consider cupcakes and doughnuts wicked.
Norm J. Dinkel, third-generation owner of 87-year-old bakery Dinkel’s (3329 N Lincoln Ave, 773-281-7300), says there’s little sign of recession in his store. “In 1922 we started. We went through the Depression, then recessions through ’60 and ’73, the ’80s…if I wasn’t reading the newspaper, I wouldn’t have known it,” he says.
People turn to bakeries in tough times for very simple reasons, he says. “We’re seeking stability in a very unstable world. We’re selling tradition. Bakeries are good for family, because it brings everyone together. Me and my fellow bakers are pretty busy.”
It’s also economical. “You can buy a doughnut for a buck. But those poor guys out there selling cars, they’re in trouble.”
Another form of transportation, however, is surging: bicycles. “We’re definitely incredibly busy. It’s tough to keep up with demand,” says Manuel Tenorio, owner of two Johnny Sprockets bike shops. In fact, Tenorio barely had time for an interview in his buzzing storefront and repair shop. People see bikes as an investment, he says. “It’s not a frivolous thing you spend your money on. You get health, entertainment and transportation.”
Sweat sells, which also means that personal trainers have seen a swell in demand. “People are investing in themselves,” says Louciana Johnson, a personal trainer and manager at HiFi Personal Fitness (1030 W North Ave, 312-751-1224) in Wicker Park.
At the beginning of the recession, Johnson says, people retreated to comfort foods and small indulgences. “But I think people have refocused themselves. They realize that personal training improves their overall life, satisfaction and happiness.” Johnson says he’s gone from part-time to nearly full-time with his growing number of clients, who are willing to pay $65 to $90 an hour.
And if people aren’t turning to sugar and adrenaline rushes, there’s always good ol’ fantasy. Comic books have done reasonably well, and at least four comic-book stores have opened in Chicago in the last 18 months, including a new Graham Crackers Comics location in Edgewater. Shane Wallace, manager of the Lincoln Park location of Graham Crackers (2562 N Clark St, 773-665-2010), says “it’s escapism and it’s cheaper than a movie.”
But it’s not increased business across the board. Shops have had to adapt and reconfigure inventory. Gone are the $400 statues and figures priced above $20. They’ve also scaled back orders of mid- to lower-tier comics.
“Our sales are down, but our profits are actually double,” says Eric Thornton, manager of Chicago Comics (3244 N Clark St, 773-528-1983). “We saw the incoming tide and we’ve adjusted. We’ve taken less risk than normal. We’re healthy, but there have been some adjustments.”
