SPRINGFIELD – A popular hat burning business is closing their studio doors to the public, but the business isn’t going anywhere.
Wildflowers and Barley, a niche apparel-burning business co-owned by Katelyn Klos and Grace Kennedy, has been bringing southern charm to Springfield since 2023.
The business moved into 924 Clocktower Drive in the E Suite in July of 2024, but now owners Klos and Kennedy say the need for the studio is no longer warranted due to decreasing foot traffic.
The business held a blow-out closing sale on Feb. 21, with one more closing sale in early March before permanently closing. The final closing date for the shop is March 28.
“We have so many events that keeping up with the studio has become difficult,” Klos said. “We don’t bring in enough foot traffic to warrant keeping the space open, so we opted to close it down.”
The hat bar, which started as a mobile service bringing southern charm to Springfield started in October of 2023 started out offering ticketed parties at event spaces like The Wakery or Danenberg Vineyards.
The art of hat burning is a process in which a felt or faux-suede hat is lined with a pen or pencil and then traced with a professional wood burning tool, which produces heat to make darker etching lines. The hat doesn’t fully burn through but instead just the outermost layer, so a gentle hand and pre-planned pattern can make any design a reality. Customers can then pick from a variety of hats like the classic wide brim cowboy hat to fedoras and baseball caps to then decorate at the party using stencils provided or just whatever guests want to free-hand.
The business owners plan on returning to this style of events on the road, while expanding on their wholesale venture of the company.
“In addition to our events, the wholesale side of our business is growing exponentially,” Klos said. “We opted to close the studio down to give us greater flexibility in our schedules, especially with our toddlers starting school.”
Events will still be available to the public and can be found on the Wildflowers and Barley Facebook page.
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@usatodayco.com; and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield business hitting the road, closing brick-and-mortar site
Reporting by Claire Grant, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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