A proposed smoke shop at 1201 N. Wells St. in Old Town has run into a wall of neighborhood opposition, with nearly 600 community survey responses landing almost unanimously against it and the local alderman now asking the city to deny the business its licenses. Exotic Corner is seeking tobacco and retail food licenses to open in the space, but residents say the project has broken basic rules of how things get done on Wells Street.
According to Block Club Chicago, Exotic Corner plans a 1,247-square-foot shop selling perishable and nonperishable food, tobacco products and vaping products, though it would not serve hot food. The business has proposed operating hours of 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. A City of Chicago retail food business-license listing confirms Exotic Corner Inc., doing business as Exotic Corner, is tied to the 1201 N. Wells St. address, according to a City of Chicago business-license database.
Storefront Changes Appeared Without Warning
Large, brightly lit signs, vape and smoke product displays, and metal security gates appeared at the storefront in October without any notice to the neighborhood, the outlet reports. Pam Farley noticed the changes while driving down Wells Street around Oct. 26 and said the project had never been presented to the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association, per the same report.
The association typically reviews significant signage and exterior changes before aldermanic and city review takes place, the station's report notes. That review process is part of a broader effort by the group to preserve Old Town's historic character, including its traditional archway signage, older storefronts and established Wells Street businesses, the outlet notes.
Nearly Unanimous Opposition From Neighbors
The Old Town Merchants and Residents Association has formally opposed Exotic Corner's applications as proposed. An association survey found that about 98 percent of nearly 100 members opposed the business, the report states.
The pushback didn't stop there. Ald. Brian Hopkins's office said it received 588 community survey responses as of 4 p.m. Monday, and 584 of those responses — 99.3 percent — opposed the applications, per the same account. For comparison, the article notes that a proposed dispensary across Wells Street received a far more welcoming response from neighbors after sharing storefront plans and following city approval procedures; Farley said that project had shown renderings of its planned exterior ahead of time.
Alderman Cites Permit and Signage Violations
Hopkins wrote a Nov. 2 letter to Tiffany Brooks asking the city to deny both applications. In the letter, he said the business performed interior and exterior work without required permits and installed signs extending over the public way without the required grants of privilege.
“These are basic obligations expected of every Chicago business,” Hopkins wrote, per the letter. He also reported that three existing tobacco licenses already operate within 150 feet of the proposed shop. The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection issued a stop-work order on Nov. 2, the outlet reports, and Hopkins requested that BACP review permitting and public-way compliance, deny the licenses, and provide his office a written response before any final decision is made.
Who's Behind Exotic Corner
State incorporation records show Asad Yawari filed to establish Exotic Corner Inc. in May, according to the report. Yakub Chaus is listed as the company's registered agent, based in Skokie, but Block Club Chicago said it was unable to reach him for comment.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the city had not decided on the applications, the outlet reports, and Exotic Corner has not received approval for either the tobacco or retail food license. Separately, a City notice on tobacco license applications states that objections to a tobacco retailer license should be directed to the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection at City Hall, Room 805, 121 North LaSalle Street, according to a City of Chicago licensing portal.
