The Small Shoppe is now open in downtown Sioux Falls. Things to know:

Hidden away on 6th Street and Main Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls is a charming and unique speakeasy, but perhaps not the one you’d expect.

The Small Shoppe, a store filled with treasures and wardrobes from the past, is located in the southeast part of the Gourley Building in downtown. The only way to enter is by using the code, which opens a speakeasy-style clothing and second-hand shop.

Owner Jenny Putzke, a part-time nurse at Avera Health and mother of two, opened the unique boutique earlier this year, combining her passion for vintage finds with her desire to create a space where the community can connect and appreciate the charm of secondhand items. In the coming weeks, however, Putzke will also be hosting an end-of-summer sale to make room for fall and winter items.

“I always look forward to Christmas decor and vintage staples like coats, jackets, jeans, sweaters and crewnecks,” Putzke said. “The change of seasons always brings a new energy into the space.”

These pieces stand the test of time

To begin the scavenger hunt, customers simply need to send a message to The Small Shoppe’s Instagram page, where Putzke will respond with a code to his secret stash.

Collectors can head downtown for a few hours most Friday and Saturday afternoons to browse and hoard vintage housewares, jewelry, clothing and shoes in an even more historic space.

She posts her hours each week on The Small Shoppe Instagram page.

For those who can’t visit the speakeasy during the day, Putzke occasionally hosts a social hour with light snacks and drinks from 4 to 8 p.m., usually coinciding with Fresh Produce’s Ipso Gallery exhibits.

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“The pieces featured here, like true vintage pieces, are of exceptional quality and stand the test of time,” Putzke said. “The feel of the cotton or wool is incomparable to some of the items you buy at stores like Target.”

A trip to the (vintage) past

A Yankton native, Putzke became interested in thrifting and vintage items in middle school as a way to make her money last. What she saw as a cost-effective and sustainable method turned into a lifelong passion.

“Even though I got a job and grew up, I found myself shopping thriftily, wanting to find something that everybody else didn’t have,” Putzke said. “And then I think that became who I am.”

Once Putzke began her career as a traveling nurse, she was able to expand her thrifting business and find new items in many stores. Some of her favorite finds, she says, come from her travels.

She also found the crown jewel in her husband Barry Putzke in Portland, Oregon. A Sioux Falls native, Barry had a dream of opening a sandwich shop. At the time, the couple had a young daughter, so a move back home would bring them closer to family and allow Barry to live out his dream of opening Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen with one of his longtime friends.

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Six years ago, after collecting and storing items in the basement of their tiny home, Jenny launched The Small Shoppe on Instagram. But after about nine months, she put the business on hold to focus on her growing family.

But last August, she rekindled her passion and began hoarding items from their now-larger home to sell on Instagram and at various pop-up events. Eventually, though, Jenny grew tired of the time and effort it took to put together pop-up events that only lasted about four hours.

In February, she was able to find a small space inside the Gourley Building on 6th Street and Main Avenue downtown, next to Fresh Produce, which Jenny says is eventually expanding into that same space by the end of this year.

For now, though, the physical storefront has given Jenny the breathing room she needs to be creative and connect with customers face-to-face.

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“My Instagram followers already knew about it, but like every weekend I see a new face,” Jenny said. “My followers have also increased… and it’s great. There are also people who come by often and they’re great. They’re practically like my friends now.”

As for the speakeasy aspect, Jenny said she wasn’t too keen on the idea of people having to use a code at first.

“Then my husband said, ‘You know, there’s something in there, Jenny, it’s like it’s some kind of secret place,’” Jenny said.

From then on, she fully embraced the idea, which became the unique element of her customers’ shopping experience. It’s as if they too were in on the secret, which gives them a sense of belonging to the community.

Looking to the future

As for the future, Jenny said she wants to keep things small, wherever they are after her monthly lease expires. For now, she wants to have fun without the stress of a larger business and spend time with her family.

In addition to Bread & Circus, Jenny’s husband now co-owns a catering company, En Place, as well as Pizza Cheeks, a slice-and-pie pizzeria behind the Hello Hi tiki bar, and Perch, a new breakfast/lunch spot in the Cathedral Quarter.

Jenny’s daughters, Ruby and Coco, help her maintain the store and enjoy the perks of a room full of vintage clothing by playing dress-up.

Now that her kids are a little older, Jenny says she feels she has more time to focus on herself and rediscover herself and her passion for creativity and vintage with The Small Shoppe.

“Every child changes a little bit,” Jenny said. “And that’s how you end up. I feel like I’m ending up with this store. It’s cathartic for me.”

Jenny said she hopes to continue inspiring others to explore the world of second-hand shopping.

“I would just encourage people to explore it. It can be a great way to express yourself and not take yourself too seriously,” she said.