Broke Bestie Boutique offers fun for tots and families alike
By Tim Hadac
Managing Editor
Southwest Chicago Post
When scheduled playdates and Park District programs can be a bit too structured, Jessica Ramirez has a new, safe space where little boys and girls can have fun and make friends—maybe even a bestie.
Broke Bestie Boutique had its soft opening earlier this year in a freshly remodeled space at 6659A W. Archer (at Normandy).
The bright, colorful look of Broke Bestie is designed to spread good cheer and offer a friendly, welcoming experience for children—primarily ages 1-5, says Garfield Ridge native Jessica Ramirez, who plans a formal grand opening in June, when Broke Bestie will be feted as the Midway Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Month.
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| Broke Bestie, family owned, locally owned. |
Her goals are for Broke Bestie “to provide and support community engagement…to provide mental stimulation for the children while simultaneously minimizing the mental load for the parents/guardians,” she wrote in a social media post. “Also, to provide a safe and genuine experience for everyone who walks through our door.”
Parents in the area are responding to that experience.
“Broke Bestie is amazing,” says Clearing resident Christine Otruba, who takes her young son and daughter there. “It’s so clean, so bright, so welcoming for the kids.”
She adds that Ramirez’s fun, upbeat personality, combined with the “free play” aspect of the facility “encourages shy kids to come out of their shells, to explore, to make friends, to develop social skills in a healthy way.”
In fact, she recently used Broke Bestie as the site of her daughter’s third birthday party, and it was a success.
Garfield Ridge resident Kristina Blum wishes a place like Broke Bestie “had been around when my girls were little.” Her younger daughter, Marissa, a junior at St. Laurence High School, works at Broke Bestie as an assistant.
“My daughters were involved in sports from an early age, and that was great for them,” she says. “But there are always some kids who aren’t, and who maybe aren’t that connected to other kids. Broke Bestie offers a way for all kids to make connections, make friendships that maybe they would not otherwise make.”
Broke Bestie is open from noon to 3 p.m. Sundays and Mondays; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays. Daily admission is $11 per child. Adults are admitted at no charge, and all outside food/drink are welcome always.
Children and parents are welcome to drop in at any time, but parents must stay while their children are there. Broke Bestie is not a daycare center.
“I love children, and I love seeing parents bonding with their sons and daughters in a fun, relaxed atmosphere,” Ramirez says, adding that even in Broke Bestie’s first months, moms and dads who had never met each other already made friendships, just as their children did.
Saturdays are reserved for rentals like birthday parties, baby showers, gender reveal parties and more. Capacity is 40 guests.
Ramirez grew up in the neighborhood, graduating from St. Joseph School in 2010 and Mount Assisi Academy in 2014. She continued her education at Western Illinois University.
These days she lives in Clearing with her husband, Alan, a city employee, and their two-year-old daughter, Adeline.
For more information, call/text (312) 315-3365 or visit Broke Bestie’s pages on Facebook or Instagram.
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