March 22, 2019

The Paisley Pod is going from a mobile boutique to a physical storefront.

Owner Chrystal Rothenberger founded the business with her sisters out of a truck in 2015 and became the sole owner in 2016.

“I always kind of wanted to open a store, and we did a pop-up shop for the holiday season, and it was really nice to have everything there, and my customers were asking for a store so they would know where we were all the time,” she said.

“The time was right, the place was perfect, and I decided to go for it.”

She’s taking over the former Marco’s Pizza space in the Holly Crossing retail center in Brandon, which is at the corner of Holly and Sioux boulevards.

“Brandon’s my place,” she said. “I’m from Brandon and wanted to be part of this community, and we have a lot of support. It’s a really good community to have a business in.”

Other tenants in the building include Scooter’s Coffee, Brandon Pharmacy and Edward Jones.

“We’re really excited to have ‘The Pod’ as a new neighbor,” said Tom Wullstein, who own Brandon Pharmacy as well as the Holly Crossing building. “There is a strong support for local business in Brandon – it’s great to see another successful business like The Paisley Pod thriving.”

The building is fully leased.

“This particular retail center has been a hot spot in Brandon since it was built a few years ago,” said Ryan Tysdal of Van Buskirk Cos., who put the deal together.

“Tom took a risk when he decided to build Holly Crossing, but it has definitely paid off and been a great addition to the Brandon community.”

The economics of retail projects such as this in smaller communities can be challenging, Tysdal added.

“This project received a lot of support from the Minnehaha County Economic Development Association. Nick Fosheim and his team were incredibly helpful in getting this development off the ground,” he said.

The Paisley Pod will occupy about 1,500 square feet. The additional space will allow for considering more inventory, including more shoes and expanded lines that were carried in the truck.

“I’m excited to just have more of everything, an entire selection, so you can come in and get a whole outfit, plus gift items,” Rothenberger said.

She hopes to open the store in late May or early June.

The truck, dubbed “Betty,” will remain operational for now, too, “until she decides she doesn’t want to work anymore,” Rothenberger said, and will make an appearance at several summer events.

The Paisley Pod also will hold a pop-up shop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at 1324 E. Cedar St. in Brandon.