The Story of Shaddow Domain: Episode 5 – Pleeeeeeease!

Shaddow Domain, Circa sometime in the early 2000's

I’ll always be thankful to Rosie (Dave) Harmon and his amazing mom Ora for renting us our 175 S. Eastern Avenue location in 2002, and to the rest of the family for being there for us so many times. At first, Rosie was very apprehensive. He wasn’t sure what I was planning, but to be honest, I wasn't sure either. Rosie was afraid that I was planning to open a tattoo shop for some reason, and he didn't want that.

My sister and I got him to talk to us about the building and we literally begged Rosie, a good friend of hers, to rent the space to me. Even though he was perfectly happy keeping the tiny building next to the R&R Bar empty, he finally relented for the unbelievable price of $300 per month, as long as I didn’t paint the walls black. He said “Fine, you won’t last six months anyway” which still makes me smile when I think about it 24 years later.

My kids and I had lots of great times stumbling through what it took to learn how to manage something that was one hundred percent alien to me. The building, the business, the whole package was a whole other world. Who in their right mind opens a retail business when they have never even worked retail.

Of course, there were rough times as well, but somehow, we just made it work. I tell everyone that the business just did it by itself and dragged me along with it, and I still think that was true, at least in the beginning.

If you have memories to share about the early years in this tiny little, no bathroom having, temperature fluctuating, 100 and then some year old building next to a tiny dive bar, please post them in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!

Gawd I miss that little dive bar.