Having enjoyable on Illinois 1 | Westville’s Latoz Hardware stands check of time | Retail

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is eighth in our 12-story road-trip sequence wanting on the individuals and locations alongside Illinois 1 — from Watseka to Paris.

WESTVILLE — Latoz Hardware might be celebrating its eightieth 12 months in operation in 2026, and visiting the old school, retro retailer is like taking a step again in time.

“It’s a good store,” stated buyer David Harden of Fairmount, who was searching for a drain-out that co-owner Dee Latoz had advised.

Harden stated the shop has objects others don’t, and you may get a lot of objects immediately.

Latoz, 82, who owns the enterprise along with her brother, Vic, stated that’s why they’ve been profitable — having good customer support and assembly the purchasers’ wants.

“We try to treat people like we would like to be treated. So, that’s pretty much our model,” Dee stated. “We stock things that normally you wouldn’t find somewhere else. So, we’ve kind of found our niche.”

At the enterprise at 147 N. State St., proper alongside Illinois 1, you’ll find pizzelle cookie irons; all types of nuts, bolts and screws; some electrical components, comparable to for an adapter for a classic lamp; a well-stocked plumbing division and tap stems; and pressure-cooker components and distinctive kitchen devices, which Dee loves having readily available.

Plumbing is their greatest division. When winter climate arrives, ice soften and different related objects go quick.

The old school ironmongery shop has cycled round and stays a busy place in Westville.

Dee and Vic’s dad and mom — Tony, born in Oklahoma, and Mollie, born in Westville — began the enterprise in August 1946. Tony’s dad and mom immigrated from Lithuania and Mollie’s from Italy. Tony’s household got here to Westville after a relative knowledgeable his father of a better-paying job working in a mine.

After graduating from Westville High School, Tony began working on the Trucano ironmongery shop in Westville. During World War II, he was a civilian teacher in refrigeration for the army. After the battle, he returned to the ironmongery shop and in addition labored on the Somers and McArdle {hardware} shops throughout the road, in line with Vic.

Tony needed to have his personal ironmongery shop someday, and dealing alongside an uncle, they constructed a brand new constructing to make it occur.

“We actually lived in the back of the first building that was built,” Dee stated. “It was built from the ground up. There was nothing there.

“They found out that they were going to have to live in it. It wasn’t really built for an apartment. So, they made an apartment back there. So, I can literally say that I was raised in the business.”

Dee stated she and her brother have been 4 and three, respectively, after they moved into the enterprise.

“It was a lot of fun back then,” Dee stated.

She stated her mom might converse fluent Italian and her father might converse fluent Lithuanian, they usually might talk with overseas clients who weren’t fluent in English.

Mollie labored on the retailer till she was 96. She died at age 102 in 2015. Tony died at age 75 in 1988.

The retailer initially bought fundamental {hardware} objects and instruments. At the tip of the battle, within the restoration stage, it was actually onerous to get merchandise. Dee stated the elder Latozes would go to Chicago to get a truckload of merchandise that would value round $2,000 — about $35,000 in immediately’s {dollars}.

Dee stated that sum of money solely covers about one division immediately.

The enterprise additionally expanded by way of the years. In 1954, a storage and top-floor house have been added; in the summertime of 1957 a brand new entrance addition was constructed. entrance a part of the constructing. In the Nineteen Seventies, a 3rd constructing was constructed to the south, they usually purchased the previous library constructing.

The enterprise has additionally survived a pair fires alongside the road.

Today, Latoz Hardware is a part of the Do It Best co-op. Each retailer is independently owned however they band collectively for higher pricing and several types of merchandise.

Dee stated about 95 % of their merchandise comes from Do It Best, with the remainder of the objects sourced on their very own.

Among the adjustments over time has been expertise.

Their mom stored the books, Dee stated, and did all the pieces by hand with a calculator. Eventually, they purchased a bookkeeping machine that used playing cards so as to add all the pieces up.

“We held off getting electronic cash registers for a long time,” Dee stated, lastly relenting within the Nineteen Seventies.

The retailer solely switched to a point-of-sale system this 12 months. Dee stated they’re nonetheless figuring out all of the kinks.

Shelving within the retailer has additionally modified over time. It nonetheless has an previous nail bin, pipe threader and paint shaker. At one level, they bought main home equipment and furnaces and did installations, however are actually principally a retail operation.

Dee stated Illinois 1 has been a “really good location for us.”

An challenge arose when the street was widened, which took away some on-street parking and narrowed the sidewalks. The entrance of the constructing is near the busy roadway.

People used to stroll throughout city, Dee stated, however after driving turned the norm, clients have principally used the enterprise’s rear entrance.

Another celeb of the enterprise is Fifi the cat, who roams across the retailer.

“She has a little bit of a following,” Dee stated.

Fifi additionally stars within the enterprise’s social-media posts, which additionally embrace new merchandise and different bulletins.

Dee stated she sees herself being with the shop so long as she will be able to.

“I enjoy and like it. As long as I’m having fun and enjoying it, I’ll be here,” she stated.

She stated she hopes the enterprise will keep within the household, but when not, they might need to promote it.

Dee stated adjustments all the time happen, pointing to the COVID-19 pandemic, which stored individuals at house and led to a rise in on-line purchasing.

That harm their enterprise, which was constructed round individuals coming into the shop and bringing a component with them to search out precisely what they want, she stated.

The retailer is open from 7:30 a.m. to five:30 p.m. Monday by way of Friday and seven:30 a.m. to three p.m. on Saturdays. It’s closed on Sundays and main holidays.