Meet Burke Mercantile, one of my go-to places in Long Beach! I love how passionate Maggie is about being in conversation with her community, and how much she loves Long Beach. As a born-and-raised local, sometimes I need an outside perspective to help me appreciate what I have here;)
Maggie is going on vacation next month, and we'll be filling the shop with CARLEEN's Fall collection while she's gone, so mark your calendar and come visit us!
1. Can you introduce yourself?
Hi! I'm Maggie, owner and operator of Burke Mercantile, a small boutique for slow fashion, curated goods, and unique gifts here in LB since 2018! I am originally from greater Cincinnati, Ohio, but have been in Long Beach now for 17 years - so this is HOME. I'm a nerd for design and architecture, antiquing, fine art, and ceramics. I'm also addicted to sourdough bread and pastries thanks to all the incredible bakeries and pizzerias we have here in LB. If I'm not at the shop, you're likely to find me at an antique store, an art museum, or a bakery
2. How did you decide to open Burke Mercantile? And how did you decide to re-open on 2nd Street?
I first decided to open Burke Mercantile after getting completely burned out after almost a decade in corporate retail.
At the time, there weren't many options for shopping independent and sustainable fashion in Long Beach, and I dreamt about bringing that to the City! I've always had a bit of a curator in my DNA, but was rejected by most of my efforts to study design in college. Long Beach has always been a place that really welcomed and nurtured my creativity, so when I had the opportunity to leave corporate and work for local shops in town, it was the path and experience I needed to pursue my own shopkeeper dreams!
My newest space in Belmont Shore seemed to serendipitously find me. I was in a bit of a depression last year after having closed my downtown LB store of 6.5 years, and was working for a non-profit full time while still running Burke as an online business. The non-profit then decided to close, and the week I was being let go, I passed by this space with a For Lease sign on my walk to drop off an online order. The timing was right, the size was right, it was 2 blocks from where I live, and it simply felt like the universe was handing me an opportunity to try again.
I'm so glad that I did, and my joy has returned being back in a brick & mortar shop among the community every day!
3. Can you tell us how you first discovered CARLEEN?
OMG yes! It was my first year of business, 2018, and Garmentory was hosting a trade show for independent fashion at The Line Hotel in LA. It was the first trade show I had attended, I was super nervous and felt like I had no idea what I was doing. The first booth I walked up to when I got there was CARLEEN. I was taking a look at the pieces when the gal working said hello and asked me where I was from. I said I have a shop in Long Beach, and she goes, "OMG KELSY IS GOING TO BE SO EXCITED, THAT'S WHERE SHE IS FROM!" Sure enough, you emailed me within the next couple of days to connect and I got to learn more about you and the line, and carried it in the store for a few years! The CARLEEN team made me feel so welcomed and more confident to take on the rest of the trade show, and dare I say we have been friends ever since?! :)
4. What do you appreciate about CARLEEN?
I appreciate that collecting CARLEEN pieces feels a bit like collecting Art, from limited editions to one-of-a-kinds. They are investments that offer a lot of personality and pride! I also admire how CARLEEN has always been true to its commitment of upcycling, incorporating and celebrating vintage textile, and sourcing/producing locally to reduce impact and footprint. Many fashion brands have now jumped on the "bandwagon" with a sprinkle of these sustainability efforts, but all of them have always been the core of what CARLEEN is, and you do it with such a specific point of view that makes the brand super identifiable without loud logos. It's really special!
5. We're coming to Belmont Shore to shop at Burke- what's another place we must check out while we're in the neighborhood?
It's SO hard to pick just one, but I would have to say Colossus Bread, just a few doors around the corner from Burke! Mostly because they just expanded their beautiful bakery into a full service restaurant! They have great coffee, matcha, and pastries to go as always, but now you can enjoy a full sit down meal for either brunch OR dinner before or after you shop here at Burke! They have great wines on the drink menu, and you won't want to miss the sourdough pizza! No matter what time of day you go, just make sure you are ordering their amazing bread with your meal and definitely don't skip dessert!
