Sometimes, life has a way of altering our plans and putting us on a new path. For Gemma Wojnar, owner of the new Packwood Mercantile, two seemingly bleak events opened the door for her new venture.
First, Wojnar was finishing college in spring 2020 and working in the bar industry. We all know how that went; she was soon out of work, along with much of the workforce who made up the retail industry. But that unemployment was a blessing, because it was always her goal to branch out of the beverage industry and use her degree from Oregon State University in business and marketing in a way that was meaningful to her.
The change in employment sent her to Packwood, Washington, where she worked with her romantic partner Jake Howard to renovate a church property he had recently purchased. “I learned a lot, especially about small finish work,” said Wojnar.
Then, catalyst number two occurred. The cabin that Howard and their dog, Deacon, were living in had a tree fall on it … while they were all in it. Thankfully, all was well for the three of them, but they were forced to live in the church. Once the renovation of the parsonage was completed in November 2021, Wojnar knew she needed to make some choices. “I wanted something to do by myself. At the time I felt lost, but I knew I wanted to use my degree.”
Then, friends told her about a building that was now available and encouraged her to open a vintage shop. Wojnar felt she couldn’t survive just on vintage, so she created a hybrid store selling high-end gifts with a Pacific Northwest style. The big, beautiful store sells mostly products from local vendors and contains a thrifted section. Plus, she sells canned local craft beers.
Tapping into her newly-learned finish work skills, Wojnar decorated the space herself. “I wanted the shop to have a woodsy feel to reflect the charm of Packwood and the original Packwood Mercantile that burned down many, many years ago, so I painted the shop dark green and used schoolhouse lighting,” said Wojnar. She used old photo prints of Packwood to cover the walls in the shop’s bathroom and incorporated vintage items, each with their own story as display pieces.
For Additional Information
Packwood Mercantile
13015 US-12, Packwood
packwoodmercantile.com
LYNN CASTLE