Former Lolli Owner Brings Cool Clothes For Cool Girls To 7th Avenue With Lou

Just as children grow and change, so has business in Park Slope for Jacquie Kelleher. After closing Lolli, the children’s clothing store that she opened with Meghan Andrade on 7th Avenue 10 years ago, in February, she decided to open her own shop, bringing a more focused vision to the new space.

And that space is Lou, a shop with clothing, accessories, shoes, and gifts for girls ages 2-14. It opened in the former Lolli space at 169 7th Avenue last month, and to find out more about it, we asked Jacquie what led to her decision to open it, what the best thing about being in business in the neighborhood is, and more.

PSS: Why did you and Meghan decide to close Lolli, and how did you come to opening this new space to replace it?

Jacquie Kelleher: My business partner and I opened the store 10 years ago when we were both pregnant. We created a store for kids that we loved in a neighborhood that we loved. But just like our own children, our customers grew up and the shopping habits and the needs of the community changed. And 10 years later we had changed too. So together, we made the decision to move on and close Lolli.

Personally I wanted to continue owning and operating a business and I felt that at this point in my life I wanted to bring more of a focus to what I was offering the community and the customers I was catering to. I love so many of the girl’s brands out there and decided to create a new store focused on these brands and the customers who were always such a strong part of my other business.

What was the inspiration for Lou?

Lou is a name I have always loved for a girl. It’s my daughter’s middle name and now at nine, she is a big inspiration for what I look for when I am shopping for the store. I want Lou to be a warm and fun place for parents and their daughters or anyone looking for a gift for that special girl in their life. A place where they can find something unique to wear for their birthday, first school dance, bat mitzvah, a wedding or a graduation. Where they can get that hair accessory or piece of jewelry that they love to wear every day. I want the older girls in the neighborhood to have a place to shop where they can spend their pocket money or buy their friend a special gift.

I think the girls (and parents) that shop here appreciate quality and style. I firmly believe kids should be kids and they should dress like kids, so I work hard to choose things that I think both the parent and the kid will like – what will make them both happy.

What’s been one of the best things about being a business owner in Park Slope? And one of the most challenging?

The best thing is the community. I live in Prospect Heights but my daughter has grown up in this neighborhood, around the store. She takes dance at The Park Slope Dance Studio like a number of my customers and like I said before, it’s great to see your customers grow up and be connected to them in some small way.

As far as challenges – obviously many small businesses were impacted by the recession in 2008. And 7th Avenue has transitioned a lot in the last 10 years. But I think Lou is on a vibrant block on 7th Avenue and I look forward to continuing to serve this community.

Anything else you’d like neighbors to know?

I’ve never charted the camp waters but I am working on having some options for girls to take to camp and parents to send to camp this summer.

I want to thank the community for welcoming me back to the neighborhood.

Lou is located 169 7th Avenue, between Garfield and 1st, and is open hours are Monday-Saturday 11am-7pm and Sunday 11am-6pm. Find them on Instagram and on Facebook. For more info, contact Lou at 718-788-2002 or Jacquie@loubrooklyn.com.