As a child, Michelle Kwan said she was told she could grow up to run her family’s bakery, but that her brother would have to own it because he’s a man. Despite that, in 2017, Kwan assumed ownership of Keefer Court, the business she was raised in.
Growing into Keefer Court
Keefer Court, a Chinese bakery in Cedar-Riverside, has served the neighborhood for almost 40 years. However, despite being raised in the family business, Kwan said she feared her womanhood would hinder her candidacy to be Keefer Court’s next owner.
Kwan began working in Keefer Court when she was 5 years old and began running it during high school. Despite that, she was told by extended family members the ownership would be passed on to her brother. As time went on, Kwan’s family realized that she was the one who did the most work within Keefer Court and decided to give the business to her.
“Being a woman, I’m expected to do the work, but not all the time do I get the reward that comes from doing the work,” Kwan said. “Sometimes you don’t get that recognition, a man will get the recognition for the work that you did.”
Honoring women became integral to Kwan’s management after taking ownership of the bakery, she said. Kwan said she “would love” to employ an all-women staff and makes a point to hire women.
That mission is reflected in the bakery, which is now decorated with various posters of women throughout history as a constant reminder of women’s achievements for the Cedar-Riverside community.
“It’s not very often you walk into spaces that highlight women,” Kwan said. “I want to create a space where women feel empowered. It shows them there is a place for them in this society.”
Steyaert makes antiques her own
For 12 years, Claire Steyaert has owned the cozy Prospect Park antique store, Claire Steyaert Antiques and Design, a place where Steyaert said she hopes people can sit down to chat before making a purchase.
Originally from Belgium, Steyaert said she tries to speak with every guest and give detailed explanations of each antique. She’ll even offer customers candy. However, explanations often turn into unrelated, friendly conversation, Steyaert said.
“Having the rapport with customers to me makes all the difference,” Steyaert said. “It makes it more exciting, because it’s not only the selling, it’s meeting new people and making friends.”
Steyaert had spent years developing a reputation for quality, which she said she believes differentiated her from similar businesses she’d seen “disappear” in recent years. Steyaert said she also sees herself as a representation of each item and takes pride in being knowledgeable on each piece she sells.
“Male or female, to me, doesn’t make a difference,” Steyaert said. “If they know the subject, if they know what they’re doing, their gender doesn’t matter. As long as the person has sensitivity and knowledge, that’s what counts.”
Steyaert said she hopes to be a role model, especially to younger women who may be unsure of stepping into a field they’re passionate about.
Al’s Breakfast passes on to female leadership
In 2020, Alison Kirwin became the first female owner of Al’s Breakfast, a 72-year-old restaurant.
Kirwin began working at Al’s in 1996 and became a partial owner in 2016. Four years later, she assumed complete ownership. Kirwin said she felt lucky to be a part of an institution that has been a part of Dinkytown for generations.
“Al’s really runs itself,” Kirwin said. “It’s just its own entity. I consider myself less of someone who owns it and more as someone that is a steward of this place until the next person comes one day.”
Al’s, opened in 1950, became a meeting place for different communities in Dinkytown across generations, according to Kirwin. Throughout the decades, part of Al’s local charm has been its consistency and lack of change over time.
One of the few changes visible to customers is a sign in the restaurant’s window that reads: Women Owned. Kirwin said the sign serves to “remind people as often as possible that women are just as valuable in this space as anybody else.”