Photo courtesy of Kate Hartman.
Chickadee
Chickadee Manager Blakely Oberneder, Owner Kate Hartman and Assistant Manager Kelly Petro.
For Kate Hartman, the ideal neighborhood shop spans generations through an eclectic mix of gifts, accessories and antiques.
And that’s exactly what she set out to accomplish when she opened Chickadee with her mother-in-law in September 2011. Operating under the slogan, “Where Birmingham finds its little touch of Southern class,” Hartman and her team have established themselves in Birmingham’s gift and antique market.
“We wanted to focus on both style and price point,” Hartman said. “So everyone can find something they love here.”
Located in a service station-turned-retail building on Cahaba Heights Road, Chickadee offers a diverse mix of furniture, jewelry, pottery, antiques, books and more. Handmade, regional and local items line the shelves and tables. Gift-wrapping is offered, as well as the opportunity for customers to buy something they can’t find in the store.
“If you don’t see it on the floor, we can special-order it for you,” Hartman said.
Brides can walk in to Chickadee and register for everything in the store, particularly selections that fall out of the normal assemblage of towels and plates that fill a bride’s list.
“We want them to know there is more to register for out there than just china,” said Hartman. “You can register for neat lamps and other items you wouldn’t normally think about.”
Other common Chickadee customers are first-time homebuyers looking to add an extra touch to an already decorated room or to completely start from scratch. Chickadee offers a design service where employees travel to a customer’s home and help them design the ideal space. Hartman said having that personal connection with the customers has been a favorite part of working at Chickadee.
“I really do love all our customers because I just know so much about some of them,” Hartman said. “There was one woman I did a design service for, and I mean, I saw her in her pajamas. I think that’s something.”
Hartman and her employees make it a point to be active in the community, participating in events such as the Cahaba Crawl and also hosting book signings and a special “Made in the South” event.
The ladies of Chickadee do not let the holidays pass unnoticed. In October, the store hosted a “Chick or Treat” event offering 25 percent off a purchase for any customer bringing in a donation to Children’s Harbor, an organization serving children with chronic illnesses. In December, the store offered monogrammed ornaments, and for Valentine’s Day, a display of fun books and other gifts.
Chickadee makes it a rarity for a customer to leave uninspired.
And as the city looks to improve the look and feel of the Cahaba Heights area, Hartman looks forward to more sidewalks and also welcoming more businesses as neighbors. She hopes Chickadee will continue to be a vibrant, familiar presence in the community.
“We really want to cross-promote other stores around us,” Hartman said. “This is such a great area. I’m excited to see it grow and develop.”
For more, visit chickadeebirmingham.com.
