Marquette now has a new way to shop: a drink in one hand and an outfit to try on in the other.
Che Bello, located at 145 West Washington Street, recently received its liquor license and now serves both beer and wine to shoppers who are looking to have a little fun while browsing the shop's assortment of clothing and accessories for sale.
Che Bello is locally owned by Ljubitza Ghiardi (known as Yubi to her regulars) and her husband.
Originally from Lima, Peru, Ghiardi met her now-husband in Arizona. He was a Gwinn native who attended Northern Michigan University.
"I absolutely fell in love with Marquette when I first came to visit his hometown eight years ago and so here we are now living here," Ghiardi said. "It really is a wonderful city."
For just $1 per beer and $2 for a glass of wine, customers can have a drink while they browse dresses, tops, skirts, accessories and jewelry.
"We have some people that enjoy wine or beer while they shop," she said. "Especially after a long day of work for them. It's nice and relaxing."
They first got their liquor permit approved in the spring and now serve Bud Light, Coors Light, pinot grigio, riesling and also champagne for the holidays.
Customers can enjoy this extra shopping perk any day of the week that they are open, which is Monday through Saturday.
"It's just nice to have the option to be able to have a cocktail and relax while you are shopping; it always helps," Ghiardi said.
They came up with the idea from an experience they had with a friend who owned a boutique in Arizona.
"Every time my husband and I went to visit him at the boutique, he would hand us a beer when we walked in," she said. "It was just nice being able to shop, relax while enjoying a cocktail. My husband did say the beer helped his shopping experience. When we opened our clothing boutique we definitely wanted our customers to have the option of being able to enjoy that cocktail while they shopped. "
Customers are welcome to relax on a couch while paging through a magazine or sip on their drink as they browse the store. This same couch also doubles as an activity space for children who visit the store with their parents. Here, kids can color and watch their lighting light.
The feedback from the Marquette community and customers has been positive since they started serving, said Ghiardi and the store has experienced a growing customer base overall since they first opened in December 2011, serving both men and women.
One thing that sets them aside from competition is the uniqueness of their products.
"We carry brands that are unique, fashionable and at great prices," Ghiardi said. "We only bring in between one to six pieces of a particular style so it's nice knowing you won't find everyone wearing the same piece."
When a new item arrives at the store, which is weekly, they take a photo of it and share it on
their Facebook page to keep their fans and customers informed of their latest arrivals. This helps those who may be too busy to visit the store on a regular basis to see the items without having to come in, she said.
Customers can order over the phone based on those photos or they can order off their website. Even if the boutique does not have what a customer is looking for, Ghiardi takes the time to research styles for them and place special orders for them, including for special occasions like bridesmaid dresses for weddings. She also makes sure their store is involved with the community through fundraising events; they are currently joining together with two other local businesses for a New Year makeover contest.
Ghiardi hopes that some day they may be able to expand, although they are happy with how they are doing now.
"We are really happy to be in Downtown Marquette and really love what we do," she said.
Julia Woehrer is a freelance writer, photographer and social media coordinator. She attended the School of Art and Design at Northern Michigan University where she concentrated in photography and minored in journalism. She volunteers at a local no-kill cat shelter and enjoys spending time with her cats, Bella and Macy.
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