A popular storefront in Waterloo will soon be closing its doors and moving fully online after nearly a decade as one of the many businesses that have blossomed downtown.

Philomena + Ruth owner Elizabeth Hahn made the announcement last Wednesday, explaining the decision was made largely due to a personal shift in focus spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hahn also spoke with the Republic-Times to offer additional insight into the decision, also discussing how Philomena + Ruth came to be and what it’s meant to her over the last few years.

Hahn grew up in the countryside of Randolph County near Modoc. She attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Red Bud as well as Red Bud High School.

Upon graduating, she furthered her education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, focusing on fashion design and advertising.

After achieving her degree as well as getting married, she found herself moving to Pittsburgh, Pa., to work at the corporate offices of retailer rue21 – a move that came rather quickly following her initial interview.

“Within I think three weeks I was living in Pittsburgh and working at the corporate headquarters,” Hahn said. “That was really cool because that was kind of always what I thought was my dream when I went to school for fashion design. I always wanted to work a corporate job. It just seemed like putting my suit on every day and going to work was the thing I wanted to do.”

Around a year later, Hahn came back home thanks in part to her grandmother’s health, her brothers’ children and her husband’s expected promotion where he had been working prior to their Pittsburgh relocation.

Hahn began working at Life Uniform – a retailer for nursing uniforms and medical scrubs – and later retailer Glik’s, with her and her husband landing in Waterloo as a mid-point between both of their jobs.

She later stepped away from Glik’s, explaining she’d taken to working on her own products.

“I kinda had these different experiences at the corporate level for fashion and buying, which is what I thought I wanted, and it just didn’t feel right,” Hahn said. “It kind of was sucking the creativity out of my process. I had started doing my own handcrafted line of accessories and clothing in 2007 just to get that outlet.”

Hahn went all-in on her personal work, approaching St. Louis retailers to sell her jewelry, getting an online Etsy shop going and starting out on the craft show circuit.

She later entered a relatively brief partnership with a friend as they found a spot for themselves at the mall in Chesterfield, though they later parted ways.

Hahn was then set on finding a place for her own store in Waterloo. Though she was originally set on another building, a fortuitous “For Sale” sign at 118 W. Mill Street in downtown Waterloo lead to her inquiring and later purchasing the property both as a home and store.

After some development, Philomena + Ruth – named after Hahn’s grandmothers – opened in 2015.

Hahn spoke with great enthusiasm for those early months and years, noting how the community seemed to be anticipating a major boom in activity downtown.

“It was so exciting,” Hahn said. “Stubborn German and Hopskeller were also both kind of in the process of opening up, figuring stuff out then, so there was a lot of buzz going on. It was a really exciting time, and there was that connection there. People craving something more in Waterloo.”

For the last decade, Philomena + Ruth has played a big role in the makeup of downtown Waterloo.

Hahn described her personal relationship to the store, saying the interior of the shop is basically a look inside her brain, with a focus on structure and beauty but still a sort of chaos to it all. T-shirts line the walls and various accessories and other pieces fill the tables.

Another key feature of the shop worth mentioning are Pancho and Lefty, Hahn’s cats who have welcomed countless guests into the store.

Though it’s been a major source of expression for herself, Hahn also acknowledged that managing a storefront prompted some substantial changes in her creative lifestyle as she severely cut down on her craft show participation as well as her personal craft work.

While Philomena + Ruth has naturally had a major personal impact, Hahn also spoke about how she feels the store has further affected the community, serving as a welcoming space for Waterloo residents.

Hahn recalled when she first started selling items with feminist-themed designs which prompted discussions about feminism with several customers.

She further described how she felt a need to be more open and vocal about her activism, particularly in the past few years amid the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests – especially the Waterloo Speaks protest in 2020.

Hahn summarized her intentions for this aspect of the shop.

“It was just everything I wanted to create this space and this vibe and also knowing that I was bringing a different vibe and attitude than what was stereotypical for small towns,” Hahn said. “For me, I grew up in the country, but I always identified with small towns. The coolest, smartest, most creative, most open-minded people I knew were from small towns. And I wanted to create a space that made people feel like you didn’t have to leave your amazing small town to feel like you have that like-mindedness around you… I want to show people that small towns are this, too. Those people live here and those people want this here.”

Hahn explained she has several reasons for deciding to close her downtown storefront – all of which tie back to the pandemic.

She noted that the recovery process for businesses is still ongoing but has seen substantial progress. However, there is still a stark difference between business before and after the pandemic. People’s habits, Hahn said, have simply changed.

Her habits have changed as well. Amid the 2020 lockdown and masking protocols, Hahn turned to her website as the biggest source of business, additionally being able to throw herself into the crafting and design process once again.

“I finally got the ball rolling and was investing in my website, and then I was able to start making my own clothing again which is… I went to school for fashion design, I’ve been sewing my whole life,” Hahn said. “That’s my first love. I really just fell back in love with that whole lifestyle.”

As restrictions lifted, she also returned to the craft show circuit she’d gotten away from, taking quite easily to the creative lifestyle she’d enjoyed prior to Philomena + Ruth.

Ultimately, Hahn said the move away from the storefront and onto her website – as well as local events – is the best move for both her and the community, as she will be able to pursue what seems to be more personally fulfilling and beneficial while also serving her community as she’s come to do.

“I’m 40 now,” Hahn said. “I just have different ideas of happiness and fulfillment, and I’m grateful to be able to have the opportunity to make those shifts when necessary.”

While Hahn didn’t give any specifics, she said the Philomena + Ruth shop will soon be occupied by a friend of hers, and she’s very hopeful about this new business finding a place in the community.

Hahn also said she will continue to own the Mill Street building, using the storage and studio in the back to continue her artistic and crafting pursuits while potentially opening it up for craft nights and other events.

As for the current Philomena + Ruth shop, the store is currently closed but will open for a big farewell on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday later in November.

For more information on Philomena + Ruth, visit philomenaandruth.com.