CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Nestled among the high-end stores in Chicago's Gold Coast, you'll find a window to the past, a quiet, unassuming beauty boutique called Bravco, located at 43 E. Oak St.
Most days, you'll find owners Howard and Barbara Gordon, both in their 80s, working the checkout counter or chatting up customers.
“For 43 years, this is my home,” Howard Gordon said.
"We have our children working with us, so it makes it fun,” Barbara Gordon said.
Since they first opened in 1980, much has changed.
"A store this size on Oak Street was $450 a month-rent. Today, a store this size on Oak Street is about $25,000 a month."
But through all the change, Bravco remains, much to the delight of long-time customers like Debbie McHugh.
"I'm so happy that it's still thriving, and it says everything about this family. Everyone loves this store," McHugh said.
Thanks to social media influencers highlighting the store's massive selection of hair, makeup and other beauty products, a new generation of shoppers is discovering Bravco.
Azure Erdman is among them.
"I found this place through a TikTok, her name is Jen, and she said she's been coming here for years...I just decided to come here today and buy some great products," Erdman said.
Both Barbara and Gordon sometimes find the store's continuing success hard to believe.
"We thought we'd just get a salary out of it and that was about it. It's been a blessing."
As for retirement?
"I've thought about it, but I have no hobbies . This is not what I would consider work," Howard Gordon said.
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