Tag: Flipside Hats

Business Closing

Flipside Hats Closing Storefront Focuses Online

At the end of January, Flipside Hats will close its Montavilla Storefront at 7848 SE Stark Street and focus on growing its already successful online distribution. Customers can find discounts on the remaining inventory at the store until they sell out within the next couple of weeks. The 500-square-foot retail space is available for a future tenant, and the building owners are actively looking for a new business to fill the space.

Kori Giudici and Jacob Wollner, co-owners of Flipside Hats, purchased the Montavilla building at the beginning of 2021 to host their business. The hat shop and online order fulfillment facility relocated from SE Belmont to Stark Street in November 2021 after an extensive renovation of the new location. Flipside Hats used the larger storefront space at 7850 SE Stark Street for their shop and made space for another storefront next door. Endure Vintage Furniture rented the smaller retail storefront in the hat-maker-owned building in February 2023 but closed the business in April 2024. Flipside Hats and its related brands moved their operations out of the building after the owners relocated to Tucson, Arizona. The company maintained Portland-based production at another location and only used the showroom space on SE Stark Street, leaving a large back room underutilized. After searching for new tenants for the smaller storefront’s vacancy, they found Storied Vintage, which could use the expanded floor space of the larger unit, so Flipside Hats moved into the smaller space.

Changing business needs and challenges running the location from another state started to negate the value of a showroom. Jacob Wollner said they still love the neighborhood and will retain ownership of the two-storefront property. “We still love the building here, there’s a lot of really amazing businesses [in Montavilla],” said Wollner. He explained that the small storefront should be a great starting point for someone looking to open a shop on SE Stark Street. “We made that [storefront] as an accessible entry point for small business, and so hopefully someone in the community can utilize it and serve the neighborhood,” remarked Wollner. It is a single-room shop with a private bathroom attached. The building owners designed the smaller storefront for retail use, having insufficient room and utilities for food prep. It is the right size and layout for a modest store that wants large windows and good foot traffic.

Customers interested in finding unique hats at a discount should visit the shop on SE Stark Street, and if people miss the sale, they can always find the hats online at flipsidehats.com. Businesses interested in the space should contact Jacob Wollner at 503-272-1357 for more information.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Business Relocating, New Business

Flipside Hats Flips Storefronts

Flipside Hats recently moved one door down within the same building, taking over 7848 SE Stark Street from a previous tenant. The hat company relocated to Montavilla from SE Belmont Street in November 2021 after an extensive remodel of the building. Endure Vintage Furniture rented the smaller retail space at the hat-maker-owned building in February 2023 but closed the business last April. Flipside Hats and its related brands moved their operations out of the building two years ago, relocating to Tucson, Arizona, while maintaining Portland-based production. Since then, the company only used the showroom space on SE Stark Street. Flipping storefronts in the building allowed the owners to rent to a new furniture company, Storied Vintage, which could use the expanded floor space as they increase capacity.

Kori Giudici and Jacob Wollner co-own Flipside Hats and have had strong ties to Portland. The couple bought the Montavilla building at the beginning of 2021 and renovated it to serve as a showroom, warehouse, and design shop. However, after a year, circumstances changed, and they needed to move out of the state. “We moved most of our operations like our offices and our warehouse and our design to Arizona,” explained Wollner, adding, “We still have our production in Portland.”

When the last tenant vacated, Giudici and Wollner had the opportunity to consider leasing out the smaller space again or switching locations based on interest from prospective tenants. They found Storied Vintage looking for dedicated showroom space with a backroom workspace, prompting the change in locations. Wollner said the last occupants left significant repair work, so they would have already needed to invest in that space, further incentivizing the storefront swap. They have also seen a decrease in foot traffic walking into the shop and saw this as a way to update operations.

Empty Flipside Hat space at 7850 SE Stark St and the future home of Storied Vintage

The new storefront space will have slightly reduced operating hours but offer an increased product selection. “We are planning to expand our specialty item offerings from the shop, making it more interesting and engaging for people based on what they want,” said Wollner. The store will carry more items produced by maker partners, offering jewelry, cards, and other small craft items complementary to the hats on display. Flipside Hats will also expand its apparel lines and have a specialty line of Portland hats. They expect these changes will bring more people into the shop and keep their four store employees busy with guests seeking the right accessory.

Flipside Hats is open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekends. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Customers can shop for the current hat collections online or in the store. The shop has unique items that are not always available online.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Community, New Business

Red Shed Tree Sales and Seasonal Boutique

At 10 a.m., on November 24th, Red Shed Christmas Trees reopened their seasonal Montavillage location in the Vinje & Son’s parking lot near SE 78th Avenue and Washington Street. Shoppers will find a wide selection of Douglas, Nordmann, Grand, and Noble Fir trees ranging from 2 to 15 feet tall. Wreaths and garlands are just some of the extended holiday decorations offered at this outdoor sales lot. Owner Lesle Janssen has once again brought in local artists and makers to sell their crafts at a gift boutique located at the southeast corner of the property.

All Red Shed trees come from Greg Smith’s Molalla Tree Farms, where they locally harvested them with minimal pesticides. With 200 acres of naturally grown product, Janssen values the dependable relationship with the Molalla, OR, grower. “I really like Greg. He puts a lot of love into his trees. He has many different fields to choose from. So when there’s a hot summer. There’s a blight. There’s this. There’s that. He still has things to choose from, so we’re always getting good trees,” said Janssen.

Fighting inflation is top of mind for Janssen. Red Shed Trees is cash only this year to keep their prices low and maintain a respectful salary for the seasonal staff. That saves processing fees and reduces the payment bottleneck that complicates checkout. As a consequence of that discussion, Janssen says they will have competitive pricing compared to other options. “I notice that our prices are lower than Home Depot, and we have better trees.” There are online payment options for people shopping in the boutique for gifts or decorations, with the purchase going directly through the maker’s payment system.

Tree price card. Red Shed is cash only and trees larger than 10 feet often require reservation.

Lesle Janssen has made space in her tree lot for free festive activities for several years. Pre-pandemic, they offered craft activities for children, but they transitioned to take-home activity packs in recent years. This season, the owner’s mother, Janie Janssen, assembled 500 bags for kids to pick up and craft at home. They also offer two large outdoor-themed backdrops for people to take family photos. As in previous years, Peter McNamee Photography provided the forest and mountain shots used in the massive prints.

McNamee is a Montavilla resident and is one of the vendors selling their works in the boutique. Also returning to the holiday sales booth are the pottery and soaps from Shane Reaney Studios. While supplies last, people can purchase confections made by McTavish Shortbread. These baked-to-order items are a special treat rarely available in small quantities and often sell out. For those looking for a mood-setting addition to their centerpiece, Hannah Miller sells distinctive beeswax candles through her company Waxing & Raining Handmade Goods.

In addition to making space for craftspeople who don’t have a storefront, Red Shed is supporting Hats For Healing with another local business, Flipside Hats. Flipside makes all the beanies worn by tree lot staff, and Lesle Janssen is promoting their work. This year, the tree lot will sell tree seedlings people can plant on their property and earn Carbon reduction credits. Red Shed employee Alex Wick is also the founder and CEO of Cascadia Carbon. His NFTree program uses NFT technology to enable homeowners to register their carbon-sequestering trees and participate in the voluntary carbon offset market. People can purchase a Redwood, Douglas Fir, or Grand Fir seedling to register with the program, and they track its carbon capture as it grows.

David Kelly and Lesle Janssen in Seasonal Boutique stand

Red Shed Christmas Trees is open now and will remain open until they run out of stock. People can visit the lot daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with an additional hour in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays. They have both standard wreaths and hard-to-find juniper wreaths. Garland is sold by the foot, up to 75 feet long, and customers needing to buy a stand or arrange delivery also have options. Red Shed is a Montavilla tradition, serving 3,000 residents each year, and they are the official supplier of the community Holiday Tree installed in the Public Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Update: In a partnership with Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street, people who purchase a Red Shed Christmas Tree will receive $2 off the price of a beer 4-pack or $3 off a 64oz Growler fill. Promotion ends December 24th and limited to one per customer, other exclusions may apply.

Business Relocating, New Business

Endure Vintage Furnishings on SE Stark

Last weekend, Endure vintage furniture opened at its new location in Downtown Montavilla. The store moved to 7848 SE Stark Street after relocating from a temporary space on E Burnside Street. The mid-century modern focused furniture store joins a handful of other shops selling classic items on SE Stark Street.

Endure began as a pop-up shop in late 2022, and its success kept the doors open. A steady interest in the store’s collection prompted the owners to relocate to a permeant storefront with more space. Although this business’ name is relatively new, co-owner Brandon Laws has eight years of experience selling furniture online and operates other vintage enterprises outside of Oregon.

During their location search, Laws and his partner, Stephanie Trimble, considered one space near a collection of vintage shops on SE Hawthorne Boulevard. However, they ultimately chose to take the storefront next door to Flipside Hats in that recently remodeled building. “The space itself is beautiful and has light and really good windows. I just kind of fell in love with the space,” explained Laws. “It just seems like Montavilla is in a better position of its arc. People are moving east in our city, and I feel like Montavilla’s time is just around the corner.” Said Laws. He recognizes the neighborhood is already an established Portland destination but feels there is plenty of room to mature, particularly around the growing number of Vintage shops clustering together on the main street.

SE Stark Street has featured antique shops for decades, but the number of shops has increased dramatically over the last three years. In this competitive market, Endure sets itself apart from the other shops by focusing on a particular era of furniture. “Though a handful of vintage shops have opened on that little stretch of Stark Street, we have a little bit different flavor of inventory than the other ones,” said Laws. “We’re a little bit more strictly mid-century modern than most folks. We focus on case goods, so credenzas dressers and things that are shaped like boxes.”

Article images courtesy Endure

The bulk of inventory comes from the 1950s through the 1960s, and store staff refinish most pieces, restoring them to their original condition. Laws and Trimble feel that those years were the best era for American-made home goods. “We’re drawn to things that are really well crafted. We focus on a time period where there was a lot of bounty in the United States, and there were actually big-name designers designing pieces of furniture, which stopped happening in the US after a certain amount of time,” explained Laws. During that time, people invested more of their income towards quality furniture made with hardwoods and other durable materials. 

The search for mid-century modern furniture takes a nationwide hunt by a group of enthusiasts. “I have a few friends that pick for me out in the Midwest and East Coast. We travel the country and load up the biggest truck we can get,” said Laws. They then transport those items to a warehouse or other storage locations to be cleaned up and made ready for a new home. On average, Laws and Trimble only display ten percent of the available inventory in the shop. Consequentially, they often have access to the particular item a customer wants. “We’re pretty good at finding things for people,” remarked Laws.

Article images courtesy Endure

Endure’s inventory is not restricted to vintage furniture. Stephanie Trimble has collected an assortment of vintage dresses over the last 15 years. The store will rotate through the 1000 peace collection, which covers styles from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. They will also have a selection of new handmade items and works from Pacific Northwest artists, rounding out the store’s offerings.

Endure is open Friday through Monday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with extended weekend hours starting at noon. These limited hours will expand after they hire an employee later this year. Expect a rotating collection of mid-century modern furniture alongside other vintage items on display, and stop in to make special requests for that particular piece you are seeking.

Update: Endure closed at the end of April 2024. The storefront at 7848 SE Stark Street is now available for rent.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Business Relocating, Event, New Business

Flipside Hats Opens November 1st

Flipside Hats officially reopens in its new location on Monday, November 1st. The apparel maker relocated operations to 7850 SE Stark Street from the 4400 block of SE Belmont Street this month, after an extensive renovation period. Many long nights went into the move, but staff have now settled into their new home and are ready to show off the company’s renowned product lines in the new showroom.

The owners of Flipside Hats bought the Montavilla building at the beginning of 2021. The decision to move to Stark Street stemmed from a desire to embed the business in the neighborhood, explained co-owner of Flipside hats Jacob Wollner. “We are a community business, and Montavilla is our home, our community.” Owning the building means they can safely put down deep roots as they further grow the company.

Until recently, staff would design, manufacture, and distribute the products from a single location. Before moving operations, Flipside Hats partnered with clothing producers to manufacture the company’s designs at different locations. Production remains local, with 90 percent of the product line made within the Portland Metro area. This new location supports the store and showroom upfront, with design, operations, and e-commerce fulfillment occurring in the back portion of the building.

Although not complete, the shop already emotes a mature retail experience. It features ample open space between intricate displays packed full of clothing accessories. Throughout the store, staff insert antique furniture and luggage into the layout, creating an antique aesthetic that softens the edge of the new construction. 

Although built-in 1946, the building received a substantial update this year. Crews completely replaced the storefront that previously served as an office. A modern aluminum and glass wall now extends the width of the building, offering expansive views of Stark Street. The extended height doors and taller windows pour sunlight onto the showroom floor. The natural finish of the reclaimed wood floor bounces that light around the room, creating a muted but rich illumination, even on a cloudy day. The owners removed the flat interior ceiling to reveal the barrel vault roof structure in a bold embrace of the building’s form. The curved wood planks show grey stains from their original use as forms for the building’s concrete walls. The rough finish overhead sets the tone for the function of this space. It is not only a place for retail but where creators design the next season’s products, just beyond the rolling barn door behind the cash wrap.

Flipside Hats’ store serves two roles for the business. It is principally a retail shop ready to provide customers with whatever new product the company offers, but it is also a showroom featuring the complete product line. Flipside Hats and their other brand, Hats for Healing, rotate product lines twice per year—retailers from all over the country stock their store shelves with selections from the Fall-Winter and Spring-Summer collections. This storefront allows buyers to view the company’s offerings in a retail presentation. Due to the variety in styles created here, very few retail chains sell the full assortment of products. This showroom is the one place that has all available items on display. Currently, all but 15 hat lines are out on the sales floor. Wollner expects to have the remaining hats out soon.

Starting Monday, the shop is open to the public from 9 AM to 4 PM weekdays and 11 AM to 6 PM on the Weekends. Staff plan to adjust store hours based on seasonal changes and customer feedback. They are excited to be open in Montavilla and ready to outfit you for the Winter weather or assist with your holiday shopping.

Business Relocating, Construction, New Business, Property Lease

Dual Storefront Remodel on SE Stark

Yesterday, construction crews began installing the new aluminum and glass storefront at 7850 SE Stark Street. The owners of Flipside Hats bought this building at the beginning of the year to become the new headquarters and factory for their apparel company. When completed, two new shops will occupy this space.

The majority of the building will support hat production, retail, and other business operations for the company. However, Flipside Hat owner Jacob Wollner thought the showroom did not need to occupy the entirety of the storefront. There was an opportunity to split the space and create a second 609 square-foot shop for another tenant. That second storefront will have a separate main entrance and restroom. Wollner explained that it would be an ideal space for a small flower shop or jewelry store. Although prospective tenants have shown interest, none have committed to opening there.

Image courtesy Flipside Hats

The buildout was delayed by a slower than expected city permitting process and a personal matter that took Wollner out of the country. Until recently, the installation of six gooseneck barn lights above the windows was the only outward sign of construction at the site. Now work has ramped up again, and progress is visible. Wollner’s full vision of the building has taken form now that the new aluminum and glass storefront is in place.

Image courtesy Flipside Hats

The building began its existence in 1946, housing the Hook Cycle Shop. Later, Mt. Tabor Schwinn Cyclery took over the space until the mid-1980s. In 1998 a group bought the building for their business, Electronic Claims Services. At that time, the owners removed the storefront and transformed the structure into an office building. This current renovation work is restorative, bring back the shopfront appearance lost in the last century’s remodel.

Image courtesy Flipside Hats

Soon, Flipside hat staff will relocate from their current store at 4438 SE Belmont Street to this new Montavilla location. For twenty years, the building has had its shades drawn and doors shut to the neighborhood. However, even before the store opens on Stark Street, this refacing project will reconnect the continuous retail on the block. Once again, the inviting light of shops will shine out onto the sidewalk and guide shoppers along Montavilla’s historic main street.

Image courtesy Flipside Hats
Business Relocating, Property Sale

Flipside Hats Moving to Stark Street

Portland-based hat manufacture Flipside Hats is relocating to Montavilla later this year. In late February, the company purchased 7850 SE Stark Street to become the new production hub and retail showroom for the nineteen-year-old clothing maker. Upgrades to the company’s future location are in the planning phase, with a tentative opening date in the fall.

Although the hat maker sells most of its products through wholesale channels, the showroom will offer direct-to-consumer sales. Flipside Hats owner Jacob Wollner expressed his enthusiasm for the new location, “We are super excited to move to Stark Street and the Montavilla area.” The showroom’s placement at the center of Montavilla Town will increase walk-in traffic, spotlighting the American-made and sustainably produced work from this apparel manufacturer.

Efforts to restore the former home of Electronic Claims Services into a retail location are already underway. Issued April 8th, permit 20-227665 changes occupancy for the building from Business to Mercantile and proposes a reconfiguration of interior walls. Demolition of two front rooms will create an open area street-side, eventually becoming the showroom. Crews will remove the drop grid ceiling above the front area and expos the entire vertical space to the retail floor below. New LED track lighting replaces the older fixtures to create commerce-friendly lighting. Other alterations are likely as the new owners begin the redesign process.

People interested in a preview of Flipside Hats’ showroom should visit their current location at 4438 SE Belmont Street. They are open seven days a week, from 11 AM to 6 PM on weekdays and weekends from 11 AM to 4 PM. That location will stay in operation until the business and its eight staff relocate to the renovated building on Stark Street.

Mixed manufacturing and retail historically perform well in the area. Located just a block away from Flipside Hats’ building, Union Rose successfully combined clothing production with an existing storefront business. Montavilla retail is known to favor locally created products, and this latest addition strengthens that reputation. Look for activity at the site to increase over the summer as staff prepares the space for opening.