![]() Silvius-Gits attributes it to the fact that she was a woman trying to make it in a man's business, at a time when women held "pink collar" positions such as secretarial jobs. Many tobacco distributors were skeptical and didn't want to provide products for the fledgling store owner. The 1,650-square-foot store, with its five large walk-in humidors and 13-foot-high ceilings, has been there ever since and is a popular destination for area smokers.īut it wasn't always so. She hired an architect to build a multilevel store at 1550 North Wells, just down the street from the old location. In 1977, Silvius-Gits decided to make the business entirely tobacco-related. It had a 12-year incarnation as a variety store that sold tobacco products, televisions, paper dresses and magic paraphernalia. In 1965, she relocated the business to the corner of Wells and Burton in Chicago. "I think that anybody that runs a successful tobacco store lives, breathes and sleeps the business. "What I like about the business is that I just can't wait to get up every morning and participate in all the different functions and parties and visit the people and talk to customers," she says. It wasn't long before tobacco became an obsession for Silvius-Gits. ![]() In 1963, she decided to incorporate tobacco into the gallery makeup. She bought the Gerald Bernard Art Gallery, which exhibited work from up-and-coming local artists. She moved to Chicago after she married Gerald Gits, a native of the Windy City (they have since divorced). But she had a long road to travel before she achieved success.īorn and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Silvius-Gits taught art at Grosse Pointe University-Liggett, a top prep school in suburban Detroit. Renowned throughout the industry for her boisterous spirit and tobacco knowledge, Silvius-Gits is the true trailblazer. The story begins with Diana Silvius-Gits of Up Down Tobacco in Chicago. But through it all, they all had the ambition and the belief to prevail in an industry known for its "old men's club" mentality. They all have dealt with some form of prejudice in a retailing segment dominated by male purveyors and customers, as well as faced the rising tide of antismoking sentiments. All established tobacco stores when tobacco wasn't king. This is the life, she thinks.įor eight women in various parts of the country, this, in fact, is the life: Diana Silvius-Gits, Louise Hood-Lipoff, Ruth Gorman, Joan Cvar, Linda Squires, Donna Brown, Brenda Roberts and Sherrin Willis are anomalies in the tobacco retailing industry. ![]() As the customer leaves, the retailer reaches with her long tapered fingers for her double corona and takes a puff. Only time will tell, the retailer says, ringing up his purchases. The client wonders if his favorite cigar will be affected. El Niño has wreaked havoc on the tobacco crops in Nicaragua and Honduras, the store owner says. Soon, the pair are talking about the big tobacco news of the week. The customer responds with a smile, regaling the retailer with anecdotes about how his son is tearing up the local Little League. Setting aside a box of cigars, the tobacco store owner greets the customer effusively and asks him how the family is doing. The glass doors open to admit a middle-aged man in a business suit.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |