Eric Williams’ retail store, The Silver Room, has been a bustling community gathering place ever since the Hyde Park location opened at 1506 E. 53rd Street in 2015. Now with the store temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams is looking for ways to boost the store’s online presence and stay connected with his loyal customers, many of whom would stop by just to say hello on a daily basis.
It’s not always easy to translate the energy of an in-person shopping experience to a website, but Williams and his team have done a great job, and shoppers will spot cool finds like Lee Bey’s Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side, a t-shirt frame (in three sizes!) you’ll wonder how you managed to live without until now, lovely Swahili-inspired dresses, a modern planter/storage piece you need in your home now (especially since you’ve been spending so much time there!), and more. You’ll find products organized by apparel, jewelry, accessories, lifestyle, home goods, gifts, and gift cards.
The Silver Room’s event programming has always been an integral part of Williams’ mission, and many of those events have now moved to an online format, including the Silver Room Sessions, scheduled every Thursday from 1-2 p.m. – “…a weekly virtual gathering…discussing the impact of COVID-19 on our lives. A place to discuss & network, get insight on resources for & from small business & artists, and just be human with one another. We’re in this together. Nothing is off table.”
One of The Silver Room’s social media graphics illustrates different ways to support small businesses during the pandemic, and they are all great suggestions, including shop online store; share, tag, post on social media; ask how you can help; subscribe to the newsletter; buy gift cards; and leave a 5-star review on Yelp or Google – so be sure to show your love for The Silver Room and all of Hyde Park’s other small businesses today!
