If there is one word to describe the first impression of Paper & Pencil, it would be this: Chicago.
It’s not just because this specialty stationery shop calls the city home, but because the Chicago’s spirit seems to run through everything. You can see traces of it in the wide array of products inspired by the bits and pieces of the city, often created in collaborations with local artists. You can also feel it in the shop’s strong bond to the community, perhaps most notably through its role as the organiser of Chicago’s Stationery Fest.
Strong Local Connections
Paper & Pencil was established in 2023 by Eric Campbell and Tyler McCall, an LGBTQ+ couple who share a love of paper goods. McCall, an entrepreneur, and Campbell, a service worker, moved to Chicago from North Carolina in 2017. They chose Andersonville, one of the city’s most tight-knit neighbourhoods.
In 2022, the pair began discussing what it might look like to put down deeper roots in the community. Opening an independent, old school local paper shop seemed like a natural next step.
“We care so much about this neighborhood and love it so much that opening a business in this neighborhood just feels like the next step to further invest in this community,” McCall told Block Club Chicago.
Niche Focus
The 400-square-foot shop is small in size but full of character. Inside the store, you will find a colourful selection of writing tools, journals, notebooks, planners, home office and school supplies, washi tapes, and more.
The shop’s sticker selections often feature Chicago’s favourite things, such as deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, and Chicago ephemera. By leaning into local identity, Paper & Pencil managed to stand out against a backdrop of mass-produced office goods.
McCall and Campbell are strategic in their business positioning. Rather than trying to compete with big-box retailers like Target or Amazon, Paper & Pencil focuses on specialty products that are hard to find elsewhere. Examples include Blackwing Volume pencils, Kaweco Collection fountain pens, Leuchtturm notebooks, and J. Herbin inks.
Their timing feels right: Handwritten letters and snail mail club are becoming the latest trend, as Gen Z seeks to form real, genuine connections.
“There’s something so special about taking the time to write [things] down, and we want to give people lots of cute and beautiful tools and supplies to do that,” McCall said.
At the same time, the owners have made it a point to stock mainly American-made items, with an emphasis on women-owned or LGBTQ+-owned brands.
“Most of the brands are women-owned. We’re excited to carry those brands, but we’re also thinking to the future about what we can do at Paper & Pencil to be a part of that community as queer men, and to have some of those stories and ideas represented,” McCall said.
Paper & Pencil does not currently have an online shop or offer shipping, so you will have to stop by in person. That makes sense, though: Some places are better discovered the old-fashioned way.
Contact
Website: https://paperandpencilchicago.com/
Address: 1480 West Berwyn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640, USA
Photos: Paper & Pencil
Words by: Nina Nguyen
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