Midori Market of Ravenswood, formerly Frank’s Jewelry of Lake View, closed forever over the Labor Day weekend.
The one-of-a-kind shop, wedged into a Methodist church in Ravenswood, overflowed with character and history.
It’s a reminder of the fleeting tradition of irreplaceable family businesses that treat its customers like family.
Midori was the beloved descendant of Frank’s Jewelry, a Lake View establishment of nearly 66 years.
It’s fitting the final hurrah came on Labor Day. The store’s hardworking laborers were also the hardworking, dedicated owners, representing two generations of a Japanese American family.
A friend recommended Frank’s 15 years ago. I wanted a prized vintage brooch converted to a pendant.
Jewelry is serious business. You don’t drop it off just anywhere. It could get mangled, lost or “disappear.”
Frank’s crickety storefront had a 1970s feel. Lined with glass cases equipped with ancient, revolving trays, it offered a vast selection of alluring jewels, from proper Victorian pendants to swinging 60s chains.
Ring the doorbell. Hard. It might take awhile for them to get to the door. Often, there was a line.
But the proprietors, B.J. Fukawa and her cousin Cheryl Kato, were always there, taking utmost care to add a loop to your pendant, resize your ring, recharge your watches.
They could repair, restore and find anything. “Yes,” they said. Always, “yes.”
They took over from B.J.’s parents, Frank and Irene Noda, who “first opened Frank’s in a ‘pantry-sized storefront’ in the Gold Coast in 1948, despite resistance to renting or loaning to Japanese Americans after World War II,” DNAInfo reported in 2014.
The shop moved to Lake View in 1957.
Frank’s never advertised. Generations of customers came in droves to bring “their precious family jewelry to the shop — from confirmation gifts to engagement rings to subsequent anniversary rings.” The store suffered a costly robbery in 2007, the same year Frank Noda died. Irene Noda died in 2009.
B.J and Cheryl carried on, handling repairs and sales with infinite care. Ten bucks to change a watch battery. They refused payment for small repairs, despite my futile protests.
Friends encouraged them to raise prices, but, Fukawa told DNAInfo, she “felt it wasn’t ‘moral’ when the amount of work was the same.”
In 2014, the cousins decided to close Frank’s and reopen as Midori Market. “Midori” is the Japanese word for “green.”
The Ravenswood shop still served up repairs and trinkets, with an artsy twist. Midori stocked handmade items from local artisans, and fair trade and environmentally conscious merchandise.
It was a wonderland of kitschy displays that burst with color and charm. Resin bracelets adorned with psychedelic swirls. Wooden serving spoons handcrafted in Kenya. “Mia’s” natural bug repellent, fueled by lemon eucalyptus oil.
Oh, and plenty of baubles, like, alas, the luscious coral cameo pendant that I let get away.
Cheryl and B.J are retiring. I doubt they ever made a lucrative living. Their living was pleasing the customer.
The Targets, Walmarts and Amazons give us the ultimate in cheap goods and digital convenience. But they will never replace the trusted neighborhood merchant.
Last week, I had one final treasure to retrieve.
I had lost the stone in my engagement ring. The ladies of Midori found a perfect replacement, restored with tender care.
A woman sat perched at the counter, fondly reminiscing. She has been patronizing Frank’s and Midori for 50 years, she said.
You can never replace that.
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