In Franklin Grove, shopping is as easy as 1, 2, 3

FRANKLIN GROVE – Looking to get your hair done? There’s a place in Franklin Grove for that.

How about some new clothes? There’s a place in town for that as well.

A healthy shake? That, too, can be found in town.

In fact, all three are under one roof, and they’re all run by one family.

3rd and Elle Boutique, Roots Salon and Roots Nutrition, 225 E. Lincoln Highway, opened their doors on Sept. 12, and behind those doors customers will find sisters Schonnie Gross, 28, and Jovanna Delatorre, 21, and their mother, Devona Harms, 47, all of Rochelle.

Gross runs the boutique department, Delatorre runs the salon, and Harms is the one with a healthy interest in nutritious foods and drinks. Most days it’s like a second home for the family.

“This is a great opportunity to do something with my girls,” Harms said. “They grow up so fast, and have gone and spread their wings and have their own things going on. This is just an opportunity for us to do something fun together.”

The trio knows firsthand how nice it is to have a one-stop shop in a small town like Franklin Grove. Like other shoppers in the area, their own hunt for stylish clothes and healthy foods used to involve a family trip out of town, but now people don’t have to make a long road trip to do some shopping, thanks to their shop, which brings a bit of the big city to the town of just over 1,000 people.

Gross isn’t a big fan of the hustle and bustle of big-city shopping. By creating a place to shop locally, she hopes people don’t have to spend too much of their time traveling for quality women’s clothing.

“I’ve always told myself I absolutely hate Rockford, and I love being somewhere so local and safe to be able to shop,” Gross said. “I feel like our options are so limited now. Unless you want to go to Rockford or DeKalb, I love being close and being an option where we have jeans for all sizes and shirts for all sizes. It’s just really convenient.”

The boutique has women’s shirts and sweaters from extra-small to 3XL, jeans from sizes 0 to 15, and a collection of shoes, sandals, leggings, flannels and stocking caps. The stock is rotated often, and sometimes will include stuff for the kids. Every item at the store also is available online at 3rdandelle.com with pick-up in store, shipping, or delivery within 20 miles of the store for a nominal fee.

If they want their hair done, or a sip of a healthy shake, they can do that at the same time.

“People come in for the salon, and they’re like, ‘I had no idea you had clothes,’” Delatorre said. “You can wait and look at clothes, or vice versa where someone says, ‘Hey, can you do my eyebrows?’ It works out so well.”

Gross started 3rd and Elle Boutique from her basement a few years ago, and eventually outgrew the space. Meanwhile, Delatorre was starting to cut and style hair along with Harms, who’s been handling hair throughout much of her adult life.

When she started to work on finding a place of her own, the idea of an all-in-one concept with her family started to come together.

“It just grew, and everyone just kept asking if we would have a storefront,” Gross said. “We were like, ‘Let’s do it! Let’s do that whole concept,’ and then we found this place and we could throw it all together.”

Gross came up with the name for her boutique from a family of three and with the names of her children and two dogs starting with the letter L.

In the short time they’ve had their own store,they’re already attracting repeat customers.

“We’ve had people show up and shop more than I could ever imagine,” Gross said. “Our opening day was just insane, and we couldn’t have imagined that in a million years! We have a lot of people that love us and give us the support to help us push through everything that’s going on.”

Delatorre does women’s and men’s cuts, colors, waxings, and even the occasional extension. She’s learned a lot from her mother, and enjoys having her mother and her sister around.

Harms added the Herbal Life business to the store after the salon and boutique. Shakes, boosted teas and iced coffees have a healthy dose of vitamins that can fulfill the recommended daily allowance worth of nutrients. Harms has been working with the drinks for a few years, and her children love them, too.

The building used to be an ice cream parlor, and the walk-up window still can be utilized for the occasional drink.

“All of us love the Herbal Life products,” Harms said. “They give you healthy energy and vitamins in just one small drink. You get your whole vitamins for the day. We have just always loved the drinks.”

The three aspects of the business unite every Wednesday evening for a Facebook Live video, on the 3rd and Elle Facebook page, where each family member shows off their latest products and styles. The Facebook Live sessions are how Rylee Jackson became familiar with the family. The 15-year-old Rochelle High School student joined the team and helps Gross and Harms with their work at the front counter. Delatorre also does her hair.

Jackson has even helped get some customers through the doors, attracting several of her classmates to the shop.

“It’s kind of different than your average teenager job,” Jackson said. “Not many people work at a boutique, and it’s different than working at Subway or something. It’s a cool job.”

Even though they’ve just begun their brick-and-mortar adventure, the thought of expansion has already crossed their minds – but if they do grow, they don’t want to outgrow what makes them special: being the place that people think of when they’re in need of something special and don’t want to make a trip to a big city to find it.

The boutique, salon and drink bar are open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; other times by appointment.

Find 3rd and Elle on Facebook, @thirdandelle on Instagram, or go to 3rdandelle.com to shop for products or for more information.