Holly House Highlighted in Chicago Sun-Times Story

Holly House started with a simple idea. That being to help local makers sell their work. To give people a place to create.

Today, it’s actually doing both.

You’ll find Holly House in Orland Park’s historic downtown and in Lincoln Park. The shops feature more than 20 independent vendors. You can browse handmade jewelry, artwork, soaps, and clothing. Or you can take a class and make something yourself.

That’s the point. Participation.

Founder Samantha Frontera launched Holly House with her mother Becky after seeing how hard it was to grow a handmade business online. Etsy wasn’t enough. They needed a physical space. So they built one.

Now that space supports a growing network of small creators.

Holly House is also working to grow beyond retail. Through the SDA, Frontera has been connected to additional support to help scale the business. Chris Cooks, an SDA relationship manager, has been working with Holly House to begin the process of government contracting. At the same time, the SDA has helped promote events and build connections with other local business owners to expand its reach.

The Orland Park location has helped bring new energy to the “Old Orland” area. It’s also earned Frontera a nomination for the Southland Development Authority’s (SDA) Resilience Award.

The Holly House concept is simple but timely.

Small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. businesses. And more entrepreneurs are shifting back to in-person retail and experiences. People want connection. They want something real. Not just another online checkout.

Holly House delivers that.

You can take a perfume-making class. You can design your own jewelry. Or you can just sit, relax, and spend time in a space built for creativity.

“If you want an experience, not just a purchase, come see us,” Frontera said.

Read more in this Chicago Sun-Times feature, linked here.