FS_092117

30 | September 21, 2017 | The frankfort station life & arts
frankfortstation.com
Frankfort resident organizes vendor fair at Mokena bar and grill
Vendor fair brings
local entrepreneurs
to popular eatery
Amanda Stoll, Assistant Editor
Shopping is associated
with malls, craft fairs, department
stores and trendy
boutiques. It’s also now
come to Jenny’s Southside
Tap in Mokena.
A bar and grill isn’t the
usual place to find entrepreneurs
selling their wares, but
Megan Riofski decided to
give it a try. It was so successful
when she organized
an event back in June that
she decided to give it another
go.
“Most of these girls are
local, and it gives them a
chance to meet other people
in the community,” Riofski
said, “because nine times out
of ten you can never know
your neighbor.”
She started organizing the
events partly out of frustration
with other similar events
where she couldn’t get a
booth as a newcomer. Riofski
said many other locations
that host vendor events give
priority to sellers who have
been there before, leaving
very few spaces available
for people looking for a new
venue.
Riofski started her own
business last year, Meg’s
Creations, designing and
making her own jewelry.
She said getting started can
be a drain on both time and
money but events like hers
help get the word out and
help with networking.
“It’s rough,” she said. “It’s
hard to start but you have to
go out there, and get it done.
After having a fundraiser
for her daughter’s softball
team at Jenny’s Southside
Tap, Riofski said the location
came to mind right
away when she was thinking
Ladies Night Out at Jenny’s Southside Tap in Mokena
featured 18 vendors selling clothing, jewelry, home goods
and services. The event was organized by Frankfort
resident Megan Riofski, who designs her own jewelry and
is the owner of Meg’s Jewelry.
Eighteen different vendors and entrepreneurs set up
shop at Jenny’s Southside Tap for Ladies Night Out on
Wednesday, Sept. 13.
about hosting her own event.
“I knew that they had the
space for the amount of people
to make it worthwhile,”
Riofski said.
There were 19 vendors
signed up for the event on
Sept. 13 — including Tresses
Salon, LuLaRoe, Lip
Sense, Scentsy and Pampered
Chef — which Riofski
said is about as many as
she had last time. She said
it was encouraging because
“everybody seemed to have
a good time and come back.”
“It’s very interesting. “I
love meeting any ladies
who come up to the table,”
said Pat Bauman, a sales
representative for Pampered
Chef. “The last two ladies
who came up to the table,
they’ve been using Pampered
Chef for many years
so that’s kind of fun.”
Bauman said the event
was also an opportunity for
her to give back, as Pampered
Chef was donating 30
percent of sales to Hurricane
Harvey and Irma relief efforts
and Bauman herself
donated 10 percent of her
own commissions from the
evening as well.
Lori Cagney, a sales representative
for Scentsy, said
the event provided an interesting
change of environment
for the businesses and
a relaxed, “no pressure” atmosphere
for shoppers who
attended.
Sue Wilkins (right) and her mother, Ann Brink, browse the clothing selection at the
LuLaRoe booth during Ladies Night Out on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at Jenny’s Southside Tap
in Mokena. Photos by Amanda Stoll/22nd Century Media
Pat Bauman (left) talks with Betsy Travaglini (right) of Manteno about Pampered Chef
products while Betty Jaeger (center), a Tinley Park resident, browses the items available.
“This is wonderful,” Cagney
said. “I love it. [It is
my] first time being here,
and I wasn’t expecting such
a big place. And, I love
how everyone is friendly to
each other and we all network
with each other, and
that’s what it’s all about. It’s
spreading our word. Getting
to know everyone. It’s a
chance for people that have
never been in here before or
if they’re just stopping in [to
see what’s happening].”
Cagney, who works fulltime
as a pharmacy technician,
said she’s able to sell
Scentsy as a side-job while
still spending time with her
children and husband.
This event won’t be the
last of it’s kind if Riofski
has her way. She said in
the future she wants to continue
hosting similar events
at Jenny’s, including a pre-
Christmas shopping event
and an event to support St.
Baldrick’s in the spring.