The proprietors of vintage boutique Go-Kat-Go have come up with a new name and even more kitschier focus for their new location along Grand Avenue, which opens at the beginning of next month: Jackalope Trading Post.
Needless to say, we definitely approve of the new moniker.
Go-Kat-Go co-owner Brandi Kvetko says, as the store's new name portends, it will evoke the kitschy feel of old school Arizona souvenir shops and roadside attractions, which she explains is perfectly embodied by the mythical beast the jackalope.
"We just kinda wanted a name change and being that I was born in Phoenix, I kind of love old Arizona stuff, like the old trading posts, souvenir stands, and the kitschiness of it all," she says. "I just thought that's perfect, being in an older building on Grand Avenue, the old Route 60 [highway]."
See also: - Go-Kat-Go Moving to Grand Avenue Next Door to Bikini Lounge - Shopping: Go-Kat-Go and Bo's Funky Stuff
The co-owner says that it's a fascination borne from her childhood, when she accompanied her dad Bo Kvetko [of Bo's Funky Stuff in Glendale] on his travels throughout Arizona.
"When I was always little, it was something I was fascinated by, growing up here and going to all these little places in Holbrook and other small towns with my father," she says.
Kvetko states that the shop, which she co-owns with Christian Swanberg, will offer "kind of our own take on the vintage souvenir places and trading posts" and will sell vintage ephemera, memorabilia, and tchotchkes that are distinctly Arizonan in nature.
It isn't much of a stretch from the sort of throwback and retro items that Go-Kat-Go regularly sold, which will still be available at the new location on Grand Avenue, such as items in the retro vein of rockabilly, hot rod, cocktail, and tiki cultures.
"We're going to be doing the same stuff we've always done, its just going to be a little bit more of a addition to what we already do. Because we already carry vintage stuff and Arizona stuff and will continue to do so," Kvetko says. "Basically, the Go-Kat-Go name will still be around but we're branding that out and doing T-shirts and other clothing. But Jackalope [Trading Post] will be the name of the place."
She says that Swanberg will also be relocating his screen-printing to the location, which is between the Trunk Space and Bikini Lounge.
"We just wanted a little bit of a change of scenery and a little bit of a change of name and open things up to some new businesses," Kvetko says.
The pair are currently planning on holding a soft opening for Jackalope Trading Post on Saturday, February 2, but also say there's a "strong possibility" that they might open their doors a day earlier for next month's First Friday on February 1.
"At this point we're just focusing on the move and getting everything under one name," Kvetko says.
Jackalope Trading Post will hold its soft opening on Saturday, February 1.
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