A shopping and retail collective held its grand opening in Killeen Friday. The Charming Haven, 5505 S. Fort Hood St., offers a variety of goods that all sourced from local vendors in the Killeen area. Products on offer include artwork, coffee, baked goods, candles, jewelry, clothing and other items. There was even somebody face painting at the 11 a.m. grand opening.
The store’s opening is the product of longtime dream to have a brick and mortar store held by owner Jennifer Johnson. She said she first wanted to do this in High School, noting that she has always been running her own “little small business.” Her items on offer specifically fall under the brand Sweet Southern Misses. It is an enterprise she first started in 2015 offering custom pens and mason jars for sale that has since expanded to include clothing and other items. Having ran her own small business for years gives Johnson an understanding of the struggles they face. She said, “It’s hard when you’re a small business.” This store has given Johnson an opportunity to provide to many local small business owners a chance she never had. “There’s so many opportunities to help the community,” she said.
Having all of the products on sale being supplied by over 20 local crafters, artists and creators is one of the more unique aspects of the store. Products displayed ranged from graphic t-shirts and jewelry to candles and baked goods. Framed signs accompany the myriad of displays throughout the store giving customers a brief window into who made the displayed products and allowing a chance to shine to creators who otherwise might not have received the opportunity. It offers a level of intimacy and acquaintance when shopping that is rarely, if ever, found when shopping with larger locations.
While opening a brick and mortar has always been the dream for Johnson, it has certainly not always been easy. She recounted two major obstacles. The first came when a dear friend, who shared her dream of opening a store, tragically died about a decade ago leaving Johnson to carry the torch on her own. The second was her divorce two years ago that she said left her with “nowhere to do projects.” Surpassing those roadblocks to get to where Johnson stood on Friday, cutting the ribbon at The Charming Haven, was the result of a lot of hard work.
In addition to running her own small business, Johnson has experience in retail from working at Bath & Body Works for nearly five years. After starting as a sales associate, she rose through the ranks to assistant store manager giving her a significant amount of retail experience to draw on. She plans to use that experience to help the community and provide an inclusive shopping space where everybody, and even pets, can come to find quality local products.
Although the opening of The Charming Haven on Friday was in a way the completion of her dream, she still has a lot more planned for the store. “This is just phase one,” said Johnson. “The Charming Haven has so much more to come.”
