SPACE 519

What SPACE 519 does

SPACE 519 is a privately held, founder-operated lifestyle retailer and hospitality business founded in 2010 by Lance Lawson and Jim Wetzel. The company operates two multi-concept destinations in the Chicago metropolitan area — a Gold Coast store at 200 E Chestnut St. and a North Shore store in Plaza del Lago, Wilmette — combining a curated department-store assortment (women's designer ready-to-wear and accessories, fine jewelry, apothecary, home goods, fancy foods, and gifts) with three food concepts: The Lunchroom (California-inspired sit-down breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch with full bar and barista service), The Lunchbox (gourmet grab-and-go at the entrance of both stores), and The Lago Room (a 36-seat European-style cafe at the North Shore location). Merchandising is highly manual: the founders personally travel globally to source each item, and the assortment is positioned as a globally curated alternative to chain retail.

The business generates revenue through one-time retail SKU sales (with unit pricing visible on space519.com), food and beverage sales across dine-in and grab-and-go formats, digital gift cards in $10-$500 denominations, and private events and catering. Distribution is direct-to-consumer, with ~80% of physical presence anchored in two Chicago-area locations and a supporting e-commerce storefront. Marketing is built on editorial content (style guides, travel guides authored by the founders), organic social (Instagram, Facebook), email newsletter, and experiential events (designer appearances, pop-ups, seasonal programs such as Summer Club). The company has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, WWD, Architectural Digest, InStyle, Eater, and Crain's Chicago Business, and The Lunchroom has received multiple diner's choice awards.

SPACE 519 was previously preceded by the founders' highly regarded independent retailer Jake (2004-2010) and was extended in 2016 via Madison Hall, a retail concept within the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. The company has 11-50 employees, no disclosed institutional capital, no parent company, and no M&A history. It is a lifestyle brand business at its core, differentiated by founder curation, integrated retail-and-dining format, and editorial brand equity rather than by technology, scale, or data assets.

Name

SPACE 519

Legal name

SPACE 519

Website

https://space519.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SPACE 519 is a privately held, founder-operated lifestyle retailer and hospitality business operating two Chicago-area destinations that combine a curated global assortment of women's designer apparel, accessories, home goods, and gifts with three integrated food concepts (The Lunchroom, The Lunchbox, The Lago Room).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Lifestyle Retail

NAICS

Department Stores (45511), Home Furnishings Retailers (44912), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)

SIC

Retail-Women's Clothing Stores (5621), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Home & Lifestyle Department Stores (CRAGADAG)

Keywords

• Curated designer clothing
• Specialty retail store
• Fine jewelry accessories
• Home goods apothecary
• Restaurant cafe hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail merchandise sales: SPACE 519 generates the majority of its revenue from selling curated women's designer clothing, accessories, fine jewelry, apothecary products, home goods, fancy foods, and unique gift items across its two retail locations and e-commerce storefront.
2. Foodservice and hospitality: The company operates three food concepts across its two locations: The Lunchroom (sit-down California-inspired breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch), The Lunchbox (gourmet grab-and-go with barista drinks and baked goods), and The Lago Room (a 36-seat European-style cafe at the North Shore location). Revenue is generated through dine-in service and grab-and-go sales.
3. Gift cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations from $10 to $500, providing a pre-paid revenue stream and customer retention mechanism.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SPACE 519 operates a high-touch curated department store offering women's designer clothing, accessories, fine jewelry, apothecary, home goods, fancy foods, and unique gift items across two Chicago-area retail locations (Gold Coast and North Shore) and an e-commerce storefront. The retail assortment is complemented by three on-site food concepts — The Lunchroom (sit-down California-inspired breakfast, lunch, and brunch), The Lunchbox (grab-and-go with barista service), and The Lago Room (36-seat European-style cafe) — plus personal styling services and private event hosting.

Product overview

SPACE 519 is a multi-location lifestyle destination combining high-touch retail with dining experiences. The retail component is a curated department store offering women's designer clothing, accessories, fine jewelry, apothecary, home goods, and unique gift items sourced globally. The dining portfolio includes three distinct concepts: The Lunchroom (California-inspired sit-down dining with breakfast, lunch, and brunch), The Lunchbox (gourmet grab-and-go), and The Lago Room (European-style cafe). Supporting offerings include gift cards, personal shopping services, and experiential events programming. The business operates two locations: Gold Coast (Chicago) and North Shore (Wilmette, Plaza del Lago).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lunchroom: Sit-down California-inspired dining experience offering breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch with full bar and barista service.
• The Lunchbox
• The Lago Room

Products and services

• The Lunchroom California-inspired sit-down restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch made from scratch daily from locally sourced ingredients, with full bar and barista service. Available at both SPACE 519 locations for dine-in guests.
• The Lunchbox Gourmet grab-and-go counter at the entrance of both SPACE 519 locations, offering barista drinks, baked goods, sandwiches, side salads, quiches, tarts, and take-and-bake casseroles.
• The Lago Room 36-seat European-style cafe at the North Shore (Plaza del Lago) location, designed to evoke French cafes and Italian hotel bars; serves morning coffee and pastries, afternoon cocktails, and wine with a limited food menu.
• SPACE 519 Store — Curated Designer Assortment Curated department store assortment at space519.com and both physical locations featuring women's designer ready-to-wear, accessories, fine jewelry, apothecary, home goods, fancy foods, and unique gift items sourced globally by founders Lance Lawson and Jim Wetzel.
• SPACE 519 Gift Card Digital gift cards available in fixed denominations of $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, and $500, redeemable across SPACE 519 retail and dining purchases.
• Private Events & Catering Turnkey private event hosting and catering for corporate events, bridal and baby showers, luncheons, and mahjong gatherings, leveraging SPACE 519's hospitality venues and food concepts.
• Personal Styling Services One-on-one personal styling assistance and private styling appointments offered by tenured SPACE 519 staff across both Gold Coast and North Shore locations; booked by contacting the store directly.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/space519
• Instagraminstagram.com/space_519
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/space519

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SPACE 519