By Caroline Kilaru
Correspondent
The Red Hen has flown the coop.
The shop, a gift and resale boutique for mothers and young children, has vacated its Carrboro location and will reopen in Chapel Hill’s University Mall after Thanksgiving.
Though the business had thrived on West Weaver Street for almost five years, The Red Hen had struggled recently due to the long-term construction project that has closed the street since March, owner DeeDee Lavinder said.
“Even before the construction started, the town told us we could borrow money if sales were low,†Lavinder said. “That didn’t make sense to me because there were no guarantees about when the project would finish, and return business might be slow.â€
Several months ago, Lavinder had considered closing The Red Hen due to the shop’s sharp decline in business and the ongoing nature of the construction.
“Then we had the ‘Save The Red Hen’ event, which brought out so many people and so much love and community support,†Lavinder said. “I thought, well we could close, or we could expand. There are product lines we’ve always wanted to carry but haven’t had the space to, and we want to carry larger children’s sizes to retain our customers over time.â€
As Lavinder began thinking about a possible move, the idea of University Mall became more appealing.
“The staff there was kind, I’d even say solicitous, in bringing us over,†she said. “The location’s more central for most of our customers, there’s plenty of parking and we’re excited to be close to the library’s new space.â€
So Lavinder decided to take out a loan for the move and expansion of the store.
“In my mind, it makes sense to take out a loan when you will use that money to generate more income,†she said.Â
The new store will be located on the Dillard’s side of the mall and will cover more than double the square footage of the Carrboro location.
“We’ll have organic socks and tights, new toy and gift lines and up to size 16 for boys and girls,†she said.
As for The Red Hen’s former home in Carrboro? The space is owned by a group of investors, and Rep. Joe Hackney is the managing partner.
“We’ll try to attract a new tenant as soon as possible, but we are sorry to see The Red Hen go,†Hackney said. “We really liked them and think they have a good business model, but the construction just did them in in the end.â€
The Red Hen will be open for the holiday season, with a soft opening on Friday and a grand-opening party on Dec. 15 from 4 to 6 p.m.