By Douglas M. Campbell
Something is brewing on the corner of 2000 Canfield Road as a new coffee shop with a twist, Common Goods Studio, finished construction.
Sheri Bodo, the owner of Common Goods Studio, is an entrepreneur who works as an ecommerce specialist at DICK’S Sporting Goods and co-owns two local businesses, The Back Rack and Back Home, with her sister Glenniece Bodo. She credits her mother as an inspiration for her career as an entrepreneur.
“My mom is not only an inspiration, but she is my number one fan. She kind of always let me try new things and see what I was interested in,” Bodo said.
Sheri Bodo gained experience by starting her own business at 14 years old, selling T-shirts with graphics on them through Etsy. While gaining corporate experience at American Eagle and Hot Topic, she quit selling shirts online and co-opened The Back Rack in 2018 and Back Home in 2020, which would serve as a foundation for Common Goods Studio.
“My sister and I kind of sat down and we were working in retail at the time [in 2018]. We were just seeing the detriments that fast fashion has on to not only … human beings but the Earth itself,” Sheri Bodo said.
The Back Rack is a shop that specializes in fashion from locally sourced thrift stores. The store also buys clothes from people through an online program called “Sell to the Back Rack” where clothes are exchanged for cash or store credit.
“We were two people who loved thrifting. We did it forever and we just wanted people to know that you can go to a thrift store and find up-to-date clothing and up-to-date trends without having to buy something at a fast-fashion retailer,” Sheri Bodo said.
Bodo is opening Common Goods Studio with two of her friends, Anna Fischer and Kara Detoro, both co-managers.
“I have known Sheri for a while through The Back Rack, and I’ve been a fan of her company and shopping sustainably and everything, so we became Instagram buddies, and she knew I was a barista at a different coffee shop at the time and it was one of those situations that worked out,” Detoro said.
Detoro informed Fischer of the opportunity to run the store and joined their crew.
“I was really excited. Kara and I have worked together for about two years and we became really close friends over that time. It sounded like a really cool opportunity because I did know Sheri in an acquaintance capacity from The Back Rack and I always thought she was super cool,” Fischer said.
Common Goods Studio sells vegan products and specialty coffee, including a flash brew, which is a rapidly chilled coffee served over ice.
Another section of the store is dedicated to items sold by local vendors, collaborating with 45 local businesses including MandaBees Headbands.
Amanda Chine, the owner of MandaBees Headbands, thinks the Common Goods Studio co-op with vendors is a brilliant move from Sheri Bodo.
“Youngstown is like … nobody really sees it like this … a mecca for small businesses and handmade items. There are so many cool things here, so to have them showcased in one spot — is so ahead of Youngstown’s time,” Chine said.
Bodo is inviting Youngstown State University students to a soft grand opening today from 12-8 p.m. The store will officially open Feb. 1.
More information on Common Goods Studio is available on its website.