Vintage Clothing and Coffee Shop Opened in Iowa City
Owners transitioned from an Etsy storefront and warehouse model to a permanent brick-and-mortar location downtown.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Openings & Closings
Live Poll
Do you believe new independent shops help your downtown area thrive?
Odd Luck has opened a permanent storefront at 112 E. Washington St. in Iowa City. The business combines a vintage clothing retail operation with a café serving espresso, chai, and matcha.
Why it matters
The venture marks a strategic evolution for the founders who grew their brand through online sales and pop-up events. By integrating retail and food service, the owners aim to broaden the storefront's appeal as a community gathering space.
The business grew from an Etsy start in 2020 to a permanent physical presence in 2026. The store operates Tuesday through Sunday with coffee service restricted to the Friday-to-Sunday window.
The players
Courtney Davidhizar
Co-owner who transitioned the business from online retail to a physical storefront.
Kaitlyn Amborn
Co-owner who successfully scaled the business model from a warehouse operation to downtown retail.
Mercado Sin Nombre
An Austin-based coffee roaster that serves as the primary beverage supplier for the shop.
The details
The owners, Courtney Davidhizar and Kaitlyn Amborn, secured the lease in September 2026 after previously operating a warehouse space alongside Thrift Bandit. The storefront model follows the founders' participation in the 2024 In the Meantime pilot program, which helped test the market. Coffee is sourced from Mercado Sin Nombre, an Austin-based roaster, to complement the vintage clothing inventory.
Timeline
2020: The business began selling vintage clothing on Etsy.
2024: The business joined the In the Meantime pilot program.
May 2026: The owners secured a coffee cart.
September 2026: The owners secured the lease for the storefront.
October 10, 2026: The permanent downtown storefront opened.
Market Landscape
The business's transition to a permanent lease follows its earlier participation in the In the Meantime pilot program. This move highlights a growing trend of utilizing city-led initiatives to convert experimental retail pop-ups into established downtown storefronts.
Operators looking to scale should evaluate the effectiveness of pilot programs in de-risking the move to long-term commercial leases. Consider how integrating service-oriented offerings like coffee can extend dwell time and foot traffic in specialized retail environments.
The takeaway
The evolution of this store demonstrates how blending distinct customer experiences can create a more resilient retail footprint. Owners should evaluate whether their existing product mix could benefit from a secondary service category to better compete for physical store traffic.
Further reading
Explore more local business developments in the Iowa City Openings & Closings section.
Live Poll
Do you believe new independent shops help your downtown area thrive?
