Ally's, Ritter Lane Soap Company closing stores in downtown Bemidji

Dennis Doeden, The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
Updated ·2 min read
1

Mar. 2—BEMIDJI — Two downtown Bemidji stores recently announced that they are closing.

Ally's, which features clothing, gifts and hand-dyed yarns, plans to close its store at 405 Beltrami Ave. NW. Ritter Lane Soap Company also announced it is closing its store at 320 Beltrami Ave. NW.

"We're sad to announce that Ally's is closing," said a post on Facebook. "Thank you for your support."

The store takes its name from letters in the names of owners Angie Behr and Kelly Speck. Each started her own store before combining forces.

Speck had operated her Junkin' Treasures business on the corner of Fourth Street and Minnesota Avenue for nearly four years, and Behr ran her Twine and Gable shop at 209 Beltrami one year before they merged to form Ally's Corner.

They dropped "Corner" from the name after the move to Beltrami, two doors north of Tara Bemidji in September 2023.

The announcement stated that Behr will continue to dye yarn with pop-up hours, with details coming at a later time. Meanwhile, the store will offer discounted prices on its inventory.

Evelyn Lane-Ritter opened her Ritter Lane Soap Company store on Aug. 1, 2023.

"We have decided to close this brick-and-mortar location and get back to our roots," she posted on Facebook. "We love our customers and feel that we will better serve them when I am able to be at home, using and including produce from my own gardens to create the products our customers have grown to love. The reality is that this has been a great learning opportunity, both good and bad."

She intends to continue the business by running a farm stand and a mobile Soap Shack.

"At this time, it has become apparent that I need to be home to tend to my health, my family, gardens, critters and creations for customers," the post reads. "We look forward to continuing to create products and serve our customers, as we will be attending several vendor events throughout the year, and both our stand and shack will be set up at a location to be shared in a future update."