Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Gray.
Hi Kathy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Ron and I raised our three children in the Twin Cities but fell in love with Southeastern Minnesota when our daughter attended college in Winona. We had become acquainted with an interesting and unusual store called LARK Toys as we traveled by. Miranda found a terrific life partner and got married and then pregnant with their first child nineteen years ago. During the birth, she suffered a rare, life-threatening Amniotic Fluid Embolism, and for a couple of weeks, we did not know whether she would live, and then when she did, whether she would have a lifetime of damage. Near-death experiences are always life-changing, I think, and this one taught us how precious life is. Once Miranda had recovered, we decided that we wanted to find a business to do together to celebrate life and use our best skills to contribute to them. Between us, we had experience in manufacturing, office work, camp counseling, youth ministry, psychology, hypnotherapy, art, music, and more. We looked at various options, but when we learned that LARK Toys was for sale and the owners were wanting to sell it to another family, it seemed just right. We weren’t wealthy, but we were fortunate to win the support of a rural bank. We are now in our fifteenth year. That first baby, who is now 19, is beginning her second year of college and making fudge at LARK this summer. Miranda and her husband Scott had another baby, Murdock, who is now 9 years old and adding to the pleasure of our days. We feel profoundly blessed that LARK attracts visitors from across the country and around the world—sometimes people who are awaiting challenging procedures at Mayo. It is our intention to be a place that provides a lift, a respite, and some moments of pleasure in the midst of whatever difficulties folks are carrying. We continue to manufacture wooden toys in our workshop; we make our own fudge; and we are working on a wonderful project that mixes the fascinating history of the Driftless Region in which we live with a story about Blufflings, a group of creatures who have emerged from the underground caves in our Bluffs to tell their stories. We welcome visitors every day who enjoy our Memory Lane Antique Toy Museum, our toy rooms, our large book store, the game and puzzle room, the Curiosity Shoppe, our beautiful hand-carved wooden carousel (that runs every half hour), and our miniature golf course. The candy store, café ice cream and fudge counters provide treats sandwiches, snacks, and treats. It’s a lot of work to manage such a multi-faceted enterprise, but we experience it as a celebration of play and life and we hope that our visitors do too.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No story is without its challenges. Sometimes staffing is hard; sometimes getting products is challenging; sometimes there are issues with furnaces, air conditioners, refrigeration, and plumbing. At the beginning of COVID, we closed for 2 months. Opening up again requiring masks was interesting. But it’s amazing how many good people help us address the problems and keep it all going.
As you know, we’re big fans of LARK Toys. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
It is our privilege to carry forward a unique and remarkable business. We are proud to continue making heirloom wooden toys, to maintain and operate the beautiful LARK Carousel, to offer happy nostalgia in our Memory Lane Antique Toy Museum, to make delicious and creative fudge, to offer terrific books that keep kids and grownups reading, to select excellent developmental toys and games, to maintain a sensory-tactile section, and to do our best to welcome all sorts of people. Our store complex is 21,000 square feet, and we added an event center that offers many more options: a jigsaw puzzle competition, Yoga, Nia Dance classes, concerts, business meetings, showers, and even a wedding. We call it “The Happiness,” since a group of larks may be known as a happiness of larks.
Arms of our business: LARK-made wooden toys, game and puzzle room, main toy store, developmental store, book store, art and science room, the happiness, candy store, café, fudge counter, carousel, Curiosity Shoppe, golf course.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
We are members of ASTRA, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. We listen to customers’ ideas and requests. We ask the opinion, toy testing, of kids we know. Certain excellent sales reps are helpful in understanding the industry. And in general, we read a lot.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.larktoys.com
- Instagram: larktoys
- Facebook: larktoys
