Scoop: Chicago's punk rock institution The Alley for sale
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The Alley owner Mark Thomas in his Avondale store. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
The Alley owner Mark Thomas has spent almost 50 years running Chicago's most famous head shop and clothing store. Now he's ready to call it quits.
Why it matters: Thomas has been at the helm of The Alley and several other alternative punk rock boutiques that celebrated and amplified Chicago's independent spirit.
Context: The Alley ruled the corner of Belmont and Clark for decades, selling leather jackets, combat boots and other counterculture paraphernalia. In 2016, Thomas was pushed out of Lakeview. The famed corner is now anchored by a massive Target.
- The Alley relocated to Fletcher Street in Avondale, where it found a resurgence through social media.
What they're saying: "He has built this community that is so deep, and it's built on freedom, acceptance, and a great pair of boots," Brian Dema, a filmmaker who produced a documentary short on The Alley, tells Axios.
Flashback: Thomas started working in retail on Wells Street during the 1960s counterculture movement in Old Town. After that stint, he did merchandising deals with The Alley, which was a head shop inside Woodfield Mall.
- He acquired The Alley in the early 1970s and a few years later expanded it into Chicago. "We went from peace signs to roach clips," Thomas tells Axios.
Zoom out: Thomas was a big part of bringing punk rock culture to Lakeview, setting up shop at Broadway and Surf in 1976. A decade later, he moved to the Belmont location.
- "In the old days, I'd go walk Melrose in L.A., or the Village in New York," Thomas says. "I'd go to Camden Locks and see what the stores were selling, what the kids were wearing."
- His businesses like The Alley, Taboo Tabou and Architectural Revolution ended up attracting young crowds attending the all-ages dance club Medusas nearby.
- Teens started to loiter outside the Dunkin' Donuts on Belmont, hence giving it the iconic nickname "Punkin' Donuts."
Reality check: Thomas will tell you he wasn't a saint either. The raconteur ruffled feathers running the store, attracting unsavory and unruly crowds while constantly fighting with alders, community leaders and police. He ran for alderman in 2015 in part to protest the gentrification in Lakeview and his rising tax bill.
- "My wife just said to me, 'How did it happen that everyone hated you and now everybody loves you?' Easy. I'm the last person standing. There's nobody like me left."
Zoom in: Thomas is now 69 years old and in pain from a lifetime of standing behind counters. He has had 15 surgeries on his back in the last seven years. He has resigned himself to walking with a cane and a future of using a walker.
- He realizes it's about time to call it quits.
Yes, but: He doesn't want to take The Alley with him. He's looking for someone to come in and take over the store and hopefully keep him around in some capacity. Until then, there is no retirement date planned.
- "I'm looking for somebody to carry on my legacy," Thomas says. "Nobody's immortal. Whether I pass in a year or five years, I don't want this to die."
What's next: Cannabis, naturally. Thomas wants to partner with dispensaries and cannabis businesses, bringing The Alley full circle from its early head shop days at Woodfield Mall.
- "It really is a no-brainer."