Downtown Sparta is just the place for Aspen 78

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Many of us have heard the quote “what’s in a name?” While this famous line gave the indication that a name did not actually matter, for Jordan Williams it meant everything when starting her first business. 

For her, she could not justify moving forward with her dream without establishing a moniker for her online boutique. After a break on the couch with her notebook and thoughts of what mattered most, she came up with Aspen 78. 

The name, Aspen 78 was inspired by the name of the road that her grandma and grandpa Williams live on. The 78 in Aspen 78 is pronounced seven eight, which represents July 8, her mother’s birthday. 

Williams did not imagine that in a year she would be opening a storefront. 

Her love of comfortable casual clothes adapted from a hobby site to a full business when she signed the lease and opened up at 102 N. Water St. in downtown Sparta in December 2021. 

When asked why the Cashton native wanted to open in Sparta, she was quick to commend how community oriented this small town is. She always loved shopping downtown, eating at the local diners and the annual events. Inspired by her experience, she could not think of another place to start out. When she first opened she was amazed at the outpouring of patrons to peruse her shelves, almost clearing them in the first weeks.

The store offers clothing that can go from work to play without having to change. She describes her style as comfortable and casual while this writer would say it is much more stylish than it sounds. 

Additionally, she prides herself in stocking her shelves with quality items and local finds, such items from Bella Botanicals and Purple Thumb, keeping to the idea of supporting local. 

At 23 years old with a full-time job and new baby, one might wonder how she does it. Luckily, she has had the support of other local business, her family and friends. Specifically when walking into her shop you might find her mother behind the counter. She credits her mother for a lot of her success as she is not only instrumental in keeping the shop going, chatting with the customers, she also helps in every way. This is the definition of a family-owned business as her nearest and dearest all have chipped in. 

There are sure to be some people who are surprised to know that they have opened up their doors downtown, but that is only temporary. The awning reads Janine’s Antiques for the simple reason of it being cold in Wisconsin and they are waiting for better weather to put up the Aspen 78 sign. This should happen just in time for an expansion of the products that will be available for purchase. 

Williams would like to offer a larger selection including men’s and unisex clothing and a children’s section.

Her hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Many of her items can also be found on www.shopaspen78.com. Check her out at Aspen 78 on Instagram @shopaspen 78 or Facebook @shopaspen78.

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