About the Shop

The shop began as Lolipop’s Gift Shop and was first located at 408 Broadway Avenue in Lorain. The ribbon cutting took place on November 11, 2015 and the shop officially opened for business on November 12th. The original merchandise was souvenirs, scarves and crazy socks.  A lot happened on Broadway during the first 4 years; The Big Dig, the restructure of the road itself, new sidewalks, and the arches. At times, it made for limited shop opening, but they managed to survive the hard times.

When owner, Lollie Bansek, heard that the Ariel Hotel would be renovated, her interest was peaked. Through her son, Stephen, who was then a member on the Port Board, she made contact with Radhika Ready, the main person working with the Port to get financial and grant assistance. She was thrilled when Radhika personally invited her to move her little shop into the hotel. There were a few delays, but on January 31, 2020, Lolipop’s Gift Shop moved out of 408 Broadway and into Unit 106 in the newly renovated Ariel Hotel, located at 301 Broadway in Lorain.

Lolipop’s Gift Shop at Ariel Hotel opened February 1, 2020 and the hotel’s official grand opening was March 1. Little by little the other tenants of the hotel opened, as well. Then, on March 15, 2020, everything was shut down for COVID-19. Mid-May, Lollie was given the ok to open back up. Business was actually brisk, as people were leery of going out into busy public places. At that time, small businesses actually had the advantage.

In summer of 2022, Lollie decided to start adding women’s clothing, starting with beach/lingerie coverups, and then in the fall, ponchos and ruanas. In summer of 2023, she added some additional clothing and then in winter of 2023, she added sweaters and jackets. In spring of 2024, the shop went fully into women’s clothing including “curvy” which is plus sizes in other retail stores.

With the addition of a full line of women’s clothing, The shop was renamed Lolipop’s Boutique and Gifts. It is the only retail store of its kind in downtown Lorain, and it’s a great place for the locals to find something unique!