Lock & Key Boutique

Local Shop Offers Trendy Options in Downtown Plymouth

Writer / Lois Tomaszewski
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell

Lock & Key Boutique is more than just another fun place to shop in downtown Plymouth. It is a place built on friendship and a passion for what’s trendy.

Owners Amy Berry and Tori Brown met eight years ago through their daughters, who were on the same cheer team. Now, they are co-owners of Lock & Key Boutique in Plymouth, sharing their fashion sense with the community.

“I was a stay-at-home mom who was ready to get back to work now that my children are all in school,” Berry says. “So, one day my husband saw the building up for sale and thought it’d make a perfect location for a boutique.”

After all, Berry says, downtown Plymouth is the right place to be.

“Who doesn’t love downtown Plymouth?” she asks. “The real quick answer is why not! My children attend school in Plymouth and the building was stunning.”

Berry says the business combines her love of little boutiques and old buildings. After discussing it with Brown, the business partnership was launched.

“From that moment on, Tori and I got to work planning, ordering and creating the business,” Berry says.

Berry and Brown had support and help from many people in bringing the boutique to life. The list includes their husbands, parents, siblings, friends and many more, they say.

One of those supporters, Berry’s niece Audrey helped come up with the name for the boutique. She suggested Lock & Key which suited the fact that there were vaults in the building which had once been a bank.

In designing the space, Berry and Brown used some of the original details. Original brick is exposed on one wall, the only remaining remnants of a fireplace that was used in the early 1900s. One of the vaults is used as open office space and historic photos are used in the décor.

The store features the type of clothing and accessories that are favorites of Berry and Brown.  MudPie, Simply Southern, RuffleButts, RuggedButts, Swan Creek, Duke Cannon, Ambre Blends, Natural Life, Charlie’s Project and more are examples of brands the boutique carries.

“We specialize in trendy women’s and children’s clothing, toys, accessories, candles and some home decor pieces,” says Berry. “We also have Kenzie, our amazing family friend running her own lash business inside the store…Lashed by Kenz.”

Berry and Brown want their boutique to be inclusive. They stock sizes from newborn to plus sizes.

“We welcome all into our store,” Berry says. “We have a variety of styles that we stock for all ages and sizes.  I want them to feel like it’s a warm and inviting boutique where they know they can always find something great and they want to tell all their friends about.”

In addition to the selection of styles offered in the boutique, customers can also order from the online store. Berry and Brown set up the online store about a month after opening the doors to Lock & Key.

“Unfortunately, not all of our merchandise is online,” Berry says. “There are some items we feel that need to be hand-picked and we just aren’t comfortable shipping those items because it can jeopardize the overall product.

“We also feel that being a small business it’s important to allow our community to shop certain products in-person before it’s available for our online community,” she says.

Community is an important part of Berry and Brown’s motivation.

“My children all go to school in Plymouth and the community has been a great support to us this first year,” Berry says. “We want to continue to give back to the community too. The other downtown businesses and our customers have made it possible for this business to exist and we hope to keep growing and serving the community for many years.”

While the business partnership is still new, Berry and Brown have a history of working together, thanks to their daughters who remain best friends. Over the past seven years, the moms have run North Central Elite, an all-star cheer gym in Kewanna.

“It was a no-brainer that we decided to run the boutique together,” Berry says.

Lock & Key Boutique is located at 201 N. Michigan Street, Plymouth. The store is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays are open for pop up events only. Private shopping is also an option. For more information, call 574-400-5102 or visit lockandkeyboutique.com.