The only thing constant in life is change, and downtown business owners Katy and Chris Rhodes hope you will be as excited about their upcoming changes as they are. First is the name change to Crockett Street Trading Company.
Next will be moving the entire kit and kaboodle of Appli-Ks Embroidery and Gifts from 616 Texas Street to a newly-rehabbed space at 431 Crockett Street. You know the spot, it’s just a couple of doors down from the popular Glass Hat Cafe. This will happen in January of 2024, after the Christmas sales season.
The new space starting January 2024.
Appli-Ks Embroidery and Gifts, downtown’s embroidery and ‘Happy Everything’ shop, has become so much more over the past few years. In August, they moved lock, stock and giant embroidery machine from a tiny space in the Lofts at 624 Texas to the much more expansive storefront at Refine Design Boutiques, 616 Texas St.
Katie and Chris
The move was a hit, allowing the Rhodes to bring in a large variety of vendors, from Hummer and Son honey products, to vintage clothing by What the Funk to freeze-dried candy items by Bliss Bites and Jessica’s Freeze Dried Sweets. Over the months, the desire of vendors for space has continued to grow, giving the space the feeling of a nicely-curated old time general mercantile.
616 Texas St.
That is exactly what they want. “We love this concept,” says Chris. “It’s a great mix of merchandise, a real one stop shop.” “A customer came in the other day and asked for candles. We had three different lines to show him.”
“There won’t be individual vendor spaces,” according to Katy. “The vendor goods will be set up around the entire shop, really creating a seamless feel of a wide mix of products, like stores used to be.”
The Rhodes are the first to admit that two business moves in five months is both exhausting and not ideal. The decision was forced upon them when the owner of the 616 Texas space decided to move Refine Design back to her home in Texas. While the Rhodes could have entered into a lease for the entirety of 616 Texas, it was 431 Crockett that caught their eye.
431 Crockett, empty. It won’t be this way for long.
In moving to 431 Crockett Street, they will make a little downtown history as the first business there since major rehab. They will make the first mark and create a space that they want. “It’s a clean canvas,” says Chris, “and Katy has some big plans.” Those reasons, plus the ease of customers getting in and out and the Glass Hat nearby, helped seal the deal.
Refine Design Boutiques and Appli-Ks will be open at 616 Texas until Dec. 30, then the changes will happen. (PS- be on the lookout for big sales.)
Refine Design will close, Appli-Ks will move, 431 Crockett Street will see new life and 616 Texas Street will be available for the next chapter in its long story.
Story from Aug. 5, 2020
Downtown’s favorite little custom embroidery shop- Appli-Ks Embroidery and Gifts– has moved from the Red River District to the Lofts at 624 at 624 Texas Street and owner Katy Rhodes couldn’t be happier. See a video showing the store and all the items they carry.
Rhodes is thrilled to be carrying a line called ‘Happy Everything’ which was a popular seller at the former Kings Hardware. She is the only seller in the area of a line which can be changed almost daily with new attachments like the spooky house below. These pieces are held on with velcro and can be changed according to season, holiday, color and more. A single platter, for example, could serve multiple holidays and purposes. As the wreath below shows, Appli-K’s can also customize each piece with a name, date or event.
The Appli-K’s space is off the lobby just behind Rhino Coffee downtown, so the next time you are grabbing a java, pop in. Appli-K’s light-filled nook offers all sorts of gifts that can be bought as-is or personalized, embroidery services, home decor and Louisiana-themed gifts.
Appli-K’s started in a small space in the Red River District after winning a Pop Up Business Award from the Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation. In the years since, Katy, her mom, dad and husband created a thriving storefront filled with all things embroidered- from aprons and tea towels to pillows and book bags. “This is a perfect location for Katy’s store,” says DDA director Liz Swaine. Every apartment tenant in the building will want at least one of the items that Katy will have for sale. Additionally, all the customers coming into Rhino and Season’s Salon on the ground floor and to the businesses on the mezzanine will have a wonderful retail space to explore.”
