Boutique helps fill Main Street gap

Cecile Smith-Kuehn opened Broken Arrow Boutique, offering casual, casual business and athletic wear to women of all ages in a quaint setting on Main Street in Ekalaka back in October of 2018.

The 2007 CCHS graduate said that one main reason she opened the boutique was to help breath some life back into Main Street.

"It's sad to see the empty buildings," she said. "I want this to be good for the community."

Though her shop might be small, it has made a positive impact in its short time open and she hopes that it will encourage others to follow suit. Plus, she said, she wanted something to keep her busy.

A goal of Smith-Kuehn's is to provide a unique shopping experience to women in Ekalaka. Broken Arrow Boutique has clothing for women of all shapes and sizes, ranging from small sizes to 3XL. The boutique has jeans, jewelry, tops, accessories, shoes, hats, bags and even sunglasses in store.

"I own all of my own inventory, too," she said. "It comes from multiple vendors." Some of the top brands, she said, are Myra Bags, KanCan jeans and Made in Montana goods.

Besides being able to provide a personal shopping experience where she can interact with her customers and having somewhere to store and display her inventory, the brick-and-mortar location on main also gives Smith-Kuehn the ability to hold small gatherings and functions for her customers. A few weeks ago, she held a Ladies' Night where customer's played bingo and won prizes. She said that she holds some sort of fun event every six to eight weeks.

With a full-time job at Carter County Courthouse, she is only at the store for special hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hair by Becky, though, is in the same location and Smith-Kuehn said that owner Becky Erickson sells items for her throughout the week while her salon is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"Becky is appreciated. She helps me a lot," she said.

Additionally, Smith-Kuehn uses social media in an effort to make people aware of the boutique. She can also ship items that are purchased online or over the phone and can do special orders. The boutique accepts cash, checks, paypal and credit cards.

See Broken Arrow Boutique on Facebook for more information about Smith-Kuehn's inventory and special events.

Broken Arrow Boutique is located between Outlaw Leathers and Ekalaka Public Library on Main Street in Ekalaka.