Tag: Kori Giudici

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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