Celebrating Three Decades of Penny Mustard: A Journey of Growth, Transformation, & Gratitude
Sep 20th 2023
Did you know that Penny Mustard Furnishings used to have a different name and only sold bedroom furniture? It’s true! Our company’s evolution over the past three decades has been astounding.
As Penny Mustard marks its 30th anniversary, we can't help but feel a profound sense of pride and gratitude for the remarkable journey we've undertaken. Over these three decades, our company has evolved from a small bedroom furniture store into a thriving chain of home furnishings showrooms. Let's take a stroll down memory lane, recounting some of the pivotal moments that have shaped our history.
Ben's Visionary Beginning
In 1993, the seeds of Penny Mustard were sown when Arvid, then working for the PM Sleep Center in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, contemplated the idea of opening his own store. A conversation with the owner, Mike Bloss, set the wheels in motion. By July of the same year, Arvid and Ben were in Greenfield, WI, launching their first store at 7455 West Layton Avenue.
“It was a very small showroom, but we were determined to maximize its size and make a go of things,” Ben Huth, Owner of Penny Mustard Furnishings remembers.
The initial showroom might have been modest in size, but it was brimming with determination. Over the next few years, they leased and opened two larger stores in Milwaukee. In 1999, they achieved a significant milestone by moving their tiny showroom to a brand-new facility at 8380 West Layton Avenue. Ben notes that, “This was the first piece of property that we paid mortgage on versus paying rent on, and for us, that was a big stepping stone.”
The early 2000s saw Penny Mustard expanding into Chicagoland, with the courageous effort of Mark Simon, a store manager. By 2005, a new showroom was built in Naperville, further solidifying their presence in the Chicagoland market. The vision and hard work of the team had set the stage for remarkable growth.
The evolving retail landscape prompted changes in the company's identity. Starting as PM Sleep Center, they soon added "Bedroom Gallery" to their name, reflecting their expertise in crafting and selling high-quality bedroom furniture. By 1998, the name "Sleep Center" no longer resonated with their evolving identity, and they rebranded to PM Bedroom Gallery.
“We made the decision that we should no longer just be bedroom-focused but rather all things home furniture. For 17 years, we were only selling bedroom furniture and accessories. Our customers really drove this decision – they kept asking if we had other things for other rooms. We started by selling a few dining room tables sight unseen, and it was a success.”
The most significant transformation occurred in 2008 when the housing market faced a downturn. “The largest change to our business came when the housing market kind of crashed in 2008. Sales dropped tremendously in a very short period of time. We were scared. However, we decided that the best move was to continue to try to grow,” Arvid Huth, Owner of Penny Mustard Furnishings, recalls. Rather than retreating, they chose to expand their offerings to include sofas, recliners, leather, entertainment centers, and dining room furniture.
The quality that we were delivering to these loyal customers that trusted buying these items without even seeing them way surpassed their expectations, and we finally said to ourselves, ‘we need to offer all of these other categories.’ So, we changed our name to Penny Mustard Furnishings and offered all categories for the home. - Ben
The shift was so substantial that they decided to rebrand entirely, changing from PM Bedroom Gallery to Penny Mustard Furnishings. This marked a bold transition to becoming a "full line" furniture store, able to furnish every room in a home.
It was a nail-biting time to say the least. We had taken seventeen years of building a name and a brand and had a great following. Then, we just dumped it over a cliff and turned around to face what would happen. When we took down the PM Bedroom Gallery signs and hung up the Penny Mustard signs, the customers just flooded in to see the new offerings. - Ben
Arvid's Perspective
For years, we had considered adding sofas, recliners, leather, entertainment centers, dining room, and other furniture to our selection. Basically, we had wanted to become a “full line” furniture store so we could furnish the whole home. The downturn in the economy gave us a reason to do this immediately, and we dove in head first. Even though most people thought we were crazy, we completely dumped the name PM Bedroom Gallery and branded ourselves as Penny Mustard Furnishings based on our roots. We felt strongly that the risk had to be taken to change because customers would not go to a store named PM Bedroom Gallery to purchase fine leather, sectionals, and dining furniture. The ten year period that followed gave us good, solid growth, and by 2020, we had five Chicago stores, one in Indiana, and three in Milwaukee. Living room, dining room, and leather furniture now made up over 50% of our sales.
Fast forward to the present, as I write this, the retail furniture industry is again in a slump. I call it a post-Covid hangover. Again, we are using this as an opportunity to change. We recently opened stores in Madison and Appleton, Wisconsin and are soon opening a new showroom in Skokie, Illinois. Making changes and growing even in times of uncertainty have worked out for us in the past, and with hard work and great team members, I expect to look back at this current time as another defining moment in our story.”
Nicole’s View
Nicole, who has been part of Penny Mustard for over 27 of its 30 years, likens the company's journey to the changing cast of "Saturday Night Live." Over the years, individuals joined the team, each playing a unique role in the company's growth. Some have moved on, but they all left their mark. The company evolved, learned, grew, and forged lifelong friendships, all while building an incredible brand.
I look back on our journey to get here, and as we grew from three stores to twelve stores in that time, there was always a group of people who, almost as fate would have it, were paired together at that specific time to accomplish a mission while having a blast doing it. - Nicole
Although it's sad that not everyone who started the journey has remained on this path, I also believe there was a reason they were meant to cross our path when they did. We all learned, and grew, and made lifelong friendships while building this incredible brand into what it is today – and will be in the future.” - Nicole
Thirty years can really change a person… or a company. Today, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we look back with gratitude for every moment that has brought us here. We've weathered challenges and embraced change, all while staying true to our roots. The next thirty years hold promise and potential, and we're excited to create new memories as we continue our journey.
From all of us at Penny Mustard, thank you for being a part of our story. We look forward to making more memories together in the years to come. Cheers to the next chapter!
For more Penny Mustard origin stories, check out: Starting Penny Mustard, Your name is…Penny? Mustard?, and Penny Mustard – American Made.
To read more tales about us and our sophisticrafted furniture or to learn more about better versions of what people want, sign up for our newsletter.