Ground Floor: Family inspires new Cedar Rapids furniture store

CEDAR RAPIDS — As a child, Jessica Campbell and her siblings spent a lot of time at the video store their mother owned in Anamosa.

Now, she is replicating that childhood experience for her own children. On May 15, she and her mother, Elizabeth, opened Stryde to Zen, a store that sells pre-owned and refurbished furniture.

'The reason we wanted the store was so we could hang out together and have the kids here,' Jessica said, noting that the arrangement gives her the flexibility to leave in the middle of the day for events such as her oldest son's elementary school field trip. 'I couldn't do that at my old job.'

The mother and daughter first decided to go into business together when Jessica was pregnant with her second son, who now is eight months old. Their initial plan was to open an indoor play center for children, similar to one they had seen in Dubuque. But that plan soon changed.

'We were at an auction looking at furniture and said we should just sell furniture,' Jessica recalled. 'It would be easier than having a bunch of kids running around.'

'We both like doing craft things,' Elizabeth added. 'One day we decided it sounded like a good idea.'

The women began collecting and refurbishing furniture, using various painting techniques to transform tables, dressers and other pieces.

'We are striving for one-of-a-kind, unique things that you can't find anywhere else,' Elizabeth said.

Their plans for the store hit a snag when the original location they had selected — new construction in Czech Village — wasn't ready in time.

'We wanted to be open by Halloween and then by Christmas, but it was never ready,' Elizabeth said.

In the meantime, they had to find somewhere to keep their growing inventory.

'We had storage units all over the place, and she had her house full,' Jessica said.

Finally, the women abandoned the idea of a Czech Village location and found a new space on Third Avenue, just east of downtown. They opened for business on May 15.

'We've had pretty good traffic so far,' Jessica noted. 'There are a lot of similar businesses in the area so we don't have to advertise as much.'

At least initially, until they have a better idea of what their busy times will be, both mother and daughter plan to be at the store together during business hours. And, just as Jessica spent a lot of time at her mother's video store when she was young, they plan for Jessica's two boys to be there a lot, too, in a play space at the back of the store.

The women noted that the boys not only gave them a reason for opening Stryde to Zen, the boys' names — Stryder and Zenic — gave the store its name.

At a glance

Owners: Elizabeth and Jessica Campbell

Business: Stryde to Zen

Address: 709 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids

Phone: (319) 536-7504

Website: www.strydetozen.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/StrydetoZen

Know a company or manager who has been in business for less than a year that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor'? Contact Francie Williamson at francie.williamson@thegazette.com