With Love, from Brooklyn - Sharing APOTHEKE's Story

At APOTHEKE, we believe that building great things comes with small and hard steps. In honor of Small Business Day we reminisce about the defining moments that have brought us to where we are today. From humble beginnings in BedStuy to our 16,000 square foot factory that we reside in today, join us as we look back at how far we have come.

Our first factory

APOTHEKE found its first home in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, in a building that was formerly a notebook factory. At the time, the 400 square foot space felt massive but within a year the number of orders had surpassed the space's abilities and it was time to move. Craving an escape from the hustle and bustle of BedStuy, Chrissy began looking for a space in Red Hook, a sleepier corner of Brooklyn that she and her husband, Sebastian frequented often on weekends.

Moving to Coffey Street

By 2014, Chrissy and Sebastian moved the business to Coffey Street, a quiet cobblestone street in Red Hook. Craving a slower pace of life they eventually found an apartment there too. It was conveniently located just around the corner and helped them balance the new factory location with the newest addition to their family, their daughter Penny. The Coffey Street factory gave them the space to really grow the business and they began expanding the team. Sebastian came on full time to manage production where he maintained the philosophy that high-quality and luxury goods can still be made just steps from home and by real people.

The space had a beautiful outdoor space including a garden, chicken coop, and above ground pool for Penny to enjoy on hot summer days. The space felt perfect but after five years and countless product launches later the space could no longer keep up with the output. Chrissy was back on the market for a larger factory and business was booming.

16,000 square feet later…

Knowing she wanted to stay in Red Hook, Chrissy went on the hunt for a larger space. After countless failed tours, Chrissy landed on our latest factory, a 16,000 square foot space on Van Brunt Street, Red Hook's main strip. With more square feet than she’d ever dreamed of, Chrissy envisioned the company growing and expanding beyond what she ever imagined. She certainly didn’t see this big of a space holding APOTHEKE goods when she was selling at the Brooklyn Flea.

Within a year, the space was transformed into the headquarters of the business where production, shipping, and main offices could all be housed under one roof.

Our first flag ship

Just when she thought she was done, Chrissy opened her first retail location in the front of the factory. With floor to ceiling windows and endless sunlight, the space was a fantastic place to open a retail location and passing customers loved that they could catch a glimpse at the production process taking place just inside. Soon the store became a one stop shop for all gifting and home needs, even offering in store pick up.

Uptown We Went

In 2022, we opened our second retail store in the heart of Manhattan, within the infamous 30 Rockefeller Center. The space is open seven days a week and is located on the lower ice skating rink level by shops and dining. The store is frequented by tourists and locals alike and offers customers the opportunity to ship orders directly to their home so customers can purchase without needing to carry products with them throughout the rest of their day.

Where will we go next? We think the sky's the limit. More importantly, we’re so honored to have created such an amazing community of supporters throughout our journey. To keep up to date on all things APOTHEKE, sign up for our newsletter and never miss a thing.