What's Happening in Evanston, IL…

At the end of last month, Hewn Bakery held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the city’s first parklet, which the bakery spearheaded.

Hewn launched a successful Kickstarter Campaign to fund The Parklet located in front of its bakery at 810 Dempster Street here in Evanston.

The Parklet is a small oasis for sitting, eating, and relaxing with friends during the summer months. Reclaimed and corrugated wood formed the structure's foundation, while oak tree stumps were used for the benches and tables. A bike rack is incorporated into The Parklet, which is wheelchair accessible.

The Kickstarter campaign’s goal was $14,000, but resulted in 159 donors contributing a total of $15,426. Donations paid the bulk of the expenses while the Hewn Bakery contributed the rest. A nearby business, Four Finches, provided native plants and herbs to fill planters used to screen occupants from the street.

When businesses initiate or support projects such as this one, they can change the nature of foot traffic in their area. By consulting with their local printing company, they can identify ways to fine tune their marketing strategy.

The structure occupies the 20-minute parking area in front of the bakery and will continue to do so for part of the year. The Parklet is scheduled to be deconstructed the first of November and put into storage until April 1, 2015, when it will return to its place in front of Hewn’s.