Since Labor Day weekend, the Cheeky Owl has been selling a little bit of everything, from Peace Frog stickers, to essential oil candles, to tie-dye leggings.
When customers walk in, co-owner Ross Benson said the first thing they usually say is how good the shop smells. “Then, they walk around, and the last thing they say as they walk out: ‘What a cute shop.’ We’ve hit a vibe,” he said.
Still, the shop continues to evolve, said co-owner Shelly Benson. “We didn’t realize when we opened with a name like ‘Cheeky Owl’ that people we’re going to come in here seeking owl things. Since we’ve opened we made that somewhat of a focus, because there’s definitely the clientele that comes in looking for owls,” she said.
The shop now sells owl backpacks, owl hats, owl necklaces, owl warmers for scented candles, a sterling owl pendant and little owls that Ross Benson ordered from Uruguay for sale.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Ross and Shelly Benson moved to Brown County a year ago from Chicago. At first, they looked at Nashville, Tennessee, but the growing city meant more congestion and a higher cost of living.
Back to Google Maps they went. Ross Benson said he was looking at Indiana and noticed a large green area. He checked out Martinsville first, but after visiting, they realized it wasn’t a fit for them.
“Everybody said, ‘You guys need to go to down to Brown County and into Nashville.’ We came down here and we decided immediately that’s where we’re going to go,” Ross Benson said.
“I always finish that story with we found in Nashville, Indiana, what we were looking for in Nashville, Tennessee.”
Shelly Benson grew up in southern Indiana but didn’t remember ever visiting Brown County. “I don’t think that I would ever forget it. We just came here and we’re like, ‘This is it,’” she said.
“All of the people we’ve met, our neighbors, friends, everybody that we have met has been so supportive. It’s really nice to come down and have your local friends support what you’re doing.”
The couple had talked about opening a shop or restaurant. Ross Benson has owned his own business for 30 years, but the couple wanted something they could do together in Ross’ spare time from his other work.
“It’s one of those things you always kind of fantasize about it that would be cool to do,” Shelly Benson said.
“I really don’t think, the way things have gone, it could really be any better. Then when people come in and they tell you it’s cute, it kind of confirms that.”
The couple decided to name the shop The Cheeky Owl because they have owls living behind their home in the woods.
“I’m thinking of some kind of descriptive thing for an owl and it became cheeky owl. She (Shelly) didn’t hate it, so I said, ‘This is going to work.’”
It was a month from the time the Bensons found available shop space to when they opened their doors, so they had to find merchandise to sell quickly.
Before opening, Shelly Benson went around Nashville to see what every other shop was doing to help the shop be different.
One of the first lines they picked to sell was Peace Frog, a line of stickers and clothing featuring a tree frog putting up a peace sign.
“People walk in here and they say, ‘Oh my God, I sold my car last year. I used to have a Peace Frog sticker on it and now I need to add another sticker to our new car,’” Shelly Benson said.
“A lady came in with her worn-out shirt. The fans for Peace Frog are, like, die-hard fans,” Ross Benson added. “… There had been a presence of Peace Frog before, and we get a lot of people who come in here (and say) ‘I’m so happy to see Peace Frog back here,’ which is nice. … The thing about Peace Frogs is they are all about peace and happiness, so it’s a great message.”
Some of the top sellers in the shop include Bridgewater Candle Company candles. The company partners with RiceBowls.org to donate three meals to orphans around the world with every purchase of a jar candle, holiday candle or Sweet Grace Collection candle. All are made from essential oils.
The Cheeky Owl also sells some spices and popular turmeric teas.
They also sell seasonal decorative items, too.
The back half of the Cheeky Owl is the “man cave,” featuring tie-dye clothing, and the front half is Shelly Benson’s “she shed,” where the candles, jewelry and other decorative items are sold.
“They walk in and there’s a little something for the guys, little something for the kids and something for the ladies,” Ross Benson said.
He also keeps a guitar hanging that he welcomes anyone to play.
“He has videos of people playing it, so he wants to get a shirt like, ‘I played the Cheeky Owl.’ It’s fun,” Shelly Benson said.
“Kids come in and their parents are like, ‘Don’t touch.’ He’s like ‘Oh no, that’s just fine.’”
The couple continues to get involved with the community, including joining the Chamber of Commerce and Ross Benson playing music at Chateau Thomas Winery.
“We moved down here because we wanted to become part of a community. … We wanted a beautiful place to live and we wanted to be in a place where we could become part of and ingrained in a small community,” Ross Benson said.
“We didn’t come here to retire, but we came here to live the rest of our days.”
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Location: 71 W. Franklin St.
Hours: Currently 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; the shop will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this winter.
Online: TheCheekyOwl on Instagram, CheekyOwlNashville on Facebook.
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