Kansas City plant shop opens its second location in Lawrence
A Kansas City-based plant shop has opened a second location in Lawrence.
West Bottoms Plant Company had a soft opening Saturday for their sister shop, Mass Street Plant Co., in what was formerly the locally beloved Jungle House. The shop, located at 6 E. Seventh St. just off Massachusetts Street, which had been open since 2018, closed at the end of March.
Co-owner of West Bottoms Plant Company, Austin Mosier, said they had been eyeing a second location in Lawrence for some time.
“We’ve just always thought that area was incredible,” he said. “It’s just this hub of art and creativity where we see ourselves thriving. It’s just far enough away to have a different market, but close enough for us to manage it.”
A reason for the closure wasn’t available, but in a Facebook post March 31, Jungle House said they had been open for almost 10 years and lived the dream.
“Social media is one of those tricky things because you, our pals, don’t get to see the full story behind this decision. The truth is, we have been fighting to keep this dream alive for quite some time. Unfortunately we know now is the time to say goodbye,” the post said.
Owners of West Bottoms Plant Company, Mosier and Tristan Carlson, said in another Facebook post they worked closely with the Jungle House owners to preserve jobs and the community Jungle House built. They also took over Jungle House’s Facebook account.
West Bottoms Plant Company opened in 2022 at 1501 W. 12th St. What was originally a plant store quickly expanded as a place to promote local artists. At any given time, the shop carries between 150 and 180 local artists that make items like ceramics, bath and body, textiles, illustrations/prints, candles, jewelry and stained glass.
“Being this interesting tie between a plant store with the plant community, but also stacking the shop floor to ceiling with local goods is kind of our vision,” Mosier said.
Saturday’s soft opening in Lawrence was a success, according to Mosier. They were able to get 30 artists in the store within their tight turn around and hope to grow that number like they did at their first location.
“It was only like a month or two in totality,” he said about opening the new location since they tried to open in time for Mother’s Day and graduation. “We pushed really hard and reached out to all of our local artists and got new artists and probably about a month and got it open.”
The second location will also include an ADHDiy Craft Cafe, where customers can select from a menu of 10 to 15 available crafts. It’s meant to be an inclusive space for exploring new hobbies.
West Bottoms Plant Company will have a grand opening celebration in June. It is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
