The Pieceful Project-McHenry and Bumble Bread Co. opened next door to each other a year ago in Green Street storefronts under the River Place Apartments.

Saturday will be the last day for The Pieceful Project in McHenry, owner Jessica Stetson announced this week.

Stetson wants to make sure, however, that customers know she will continue to operate her Lego-centric store in Cary.

“I need to consolidate and focus my energy,” Stetson said. “I am going to put my focus and energy into Cary while still being a part of the McHenry community.”

Next door is Danny Springer and Bumble Bread Co. Over the past year, he has added new products to his bread-centric bakery, including more pastries and now, sandwiches.

The two retailers started out in McHenry’s Riverwalk Shoppes business incubator, and both found permanent locations on Green Street. Both also celebrated the grand opening of permanent storefronts during McHenry’s annual ShamROCKS the Fox St. Patrick’s Day festival in 2025.

It has been a tough year for her, Stetson said – both personally and to be in the Lego businesses. Tariffs also “cut into margins on Lego,” with her profitability dropping from 24% to 18% on the bricks, she said. Similarly, her profit on board games also were cut back.

She also was never able to get the same foot traffic in McHenry as her Cary store, which is adjacent to the Cary Metro station at 27 Jandus Road, Stetson said.

On Tuesday, store manager Talulah Heath was working with movers to pack up the McHenry location.

“We are definitely focus on on Cary now – come see what we have there," Heath said.

They’ll officially close on Saturday, Feb. 28 – after celebrating Pokemon Day. Saturday is the 30th anniversary of the Pokemon card game’s release.

“We are going to do trade and play – even as the movers are there. We will have a ton of stuff to raffle,” Stetson said.

Foot traffic is a problem for him too, said Springer at Bumble Bread Co.

The issue, he said, is the curve in Green Street between the Fox River and Waukegan Road. Coming from the north, the street curves away, and drivers or pedestrians can’t see Bumble Bread’s and The Pieceful Project’s section of storefronts. Coming from the south – and parking in the city lot on Green Street - it also becomes nearly impossible to see the storefronts, he said.

“The last year, it has been tough to get people to even know we were here,” Springer said. Some people who finally did find the bakery were surprised that he was not at the Riverwalk Shoppes, he said.

The Riverwalk Shoppes, which first opened in 2023, are designed as retail incubators, helping entrepreneurs work the kinks out of business plans and learn the ins and outs of running a small business.

Springer’s Bumble Bread Co. had two seasons in the shops as he looked for a permanent location.

Stetson had a Riverwalk Shoppe in the 2024 season, while also opening the Cary store.

The first summer in his own shop was tough as he worked to build the business, Springer said. But he’s been able to bake in that customer base, add more products and fine tune his recipes and financials.

He also knows that in the last few weeks, he’s seen some new faces after the Jan. 18 fire that closed – at least temporarily – The Riverside Bake Shop.

“We do different things than them,” Springer said of Riverside’s offerings. “They do donuts and cakes. We focus on bread.”

To help fill the hole left by Riverside’s closure, Springer made Pączkis for Fat Tuesday.

“We were not sure if we could do it ... but we ended up baking them anyway,” Springer said.

He’s also taken on clients who were getting their sandwich breads or rolls from Riverside.

“Not that we are trying to steal [customers] from them. Once they reopen, they will go back to them,” Springer said.