Shine a Light

MOM, POPS AND WHISKEY TO BOOT

By Michelle Loeb

Paul Tobias was in high school business model,” said Tobias. “I in October 1978 when his parents absorbed a lot just hanging out in — Margaret, a guitar teacher at the shop.” the local high school, and Ken, a It also doesn’t hurt that his mainstay of the Chicago coffeeparents still maintain a presence house circuit to complement his at the store. Margaret comes in career at a scientific company — on Saturdays and Ken still works opened up a 600-square-foot music every day. “Our shop started with shop four blocks from the home Mom and Pops, and now it’s just he shared with his five siblings. Pops and I,” said Tobias, who

All six Tobias children grew up added that he and his father are hanging around Tobias Music, the store’s only full-time employand a few even worked in the ees. “Though I own the business, store over the years, but it was far you can probably guess who still from assumed that one of them runs the show,” he joked. would take over the store when Tobias works hard to maintain “Mom” and “Pops,” as Tobias the “living-room atmosphere” affectionately calls them, were that has defined Tobias Music for ready to call it a day. In fact, Tobimore than 40 years. That deas was in the midst of a successful scription is not only apt because multi-decade career at Campbell’s everyone who has come into Soup and Pepperidge Farm when Tobias Music is treated like famthe succession conversation ily, but also because the business began in 2005. literally began in the Tobias family

“I certainly wasn’t the ‘chosen living room. one’ to carry on with the family “The shop was a few weeks business,” said Tobias, “But none away from being ready for busiof the other siblings had an opporness when the delivery of the first tunity to switch healthcare covergroup of Martin guitars came, age for their families if they were and my parents had all the guitar to take over at the shop, while my boxes in their living room waiting wife, Pat, was having a successful for the shop to be ready,” recalled career in healthcare and also had Tobias. “A family friend came by access to some great benefits. the house to look at all the MarSince I was able to have our family tins. He ended up falling in love healthcare covered through my with a Martin D28, and he bought wife’s company, I decided to take a it right there in the living room. stab at a new career.” That was the first official sale of

While his years spent writing Tobias Music and a great start to procedure, preventative mainour family business.” tenance and training manuals Tobias Music remains a C.F. hardly prepared him for the ins Martin dealer to this day, in addiand outs of running a music tion to carrying brands such as store, Tobias was able to lean Santa Cruz, Eastman and Taylor, on his memories of watching which the store has carried for his parents run Tobias Music in more than 35 years. those early years. “My parents met Bob Taylor

“Since it was a relatively small and Kurt Listug of Taylor Guitars shop, I had a chance to see how very early in their careers, and Mom and Pops formed their they brought Taylor Guitars in

Tobias Music 5013 Fairview Ave. Downers Grove, IL 60515 (630) 960-2455 www.tobiasmusic.com Mon., Tues., Thurs. Noon – 8 p.m. Wed., Fri. Noon – 6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Paul Tobias, Owner/President

our shop at a very early stage,” said Tobias. “We now have a large Taylor Guitars boutique showroom in front with more than 60 Taylor Guitars on display, and we are one of their top dealers in the country.”

Over the years, Tobias has expanded the shop as adjacent space became available, with the sales area now comprising upwards of 2,000 square feet of inviting space that includes couches, comfy chairs and a flatscreen TV. “Not bragging,” said Tobias, “but it’s a cool shop. Everyone wants to hang out here.”

One of the most popular aspects of the shop is the whiskey bar, which currently contains 10 to 12 whiskey bottles that have been donated by regular customers over the years.

“Honestly, we don’t drink all the time here,” Tobias joked, “but if I see a customer getting ready to pull the trigger on a high-end guitar, I offer them a little taste of a high-end scotch. Then, bam, the charge card comes flying out of their wallet!”

The store has also grown to include an 80-seat live music/ events room where it hosts live music, open mics, workshops and vendor events, in addition to renting out the space for private events. “The events room brings in large crowds, creating a sense of community while exposing our cool guitar shop to many new faces,” explained Tobias.

“Twenty years ago, our No. 1 goal was to sell the guitar hanging on the wall, but in this internet age, the No. 1 goal for brick-and-mortar shops is to get people into your store, while the No. 2 goal is to sell them the guitar on the wall,” Tobias continued. “So we have to be creative in getting people in the

door, and the three areas that we have concentrated on have been the live music/events room, our lessons program and our repair service. We figure that the inter- net doesn’t create much competi- tion in these areas.”

Of course, everything changed with the onset of coronavirus, but Tobias isn’t going to let that get in the way of four decades of multigenerational success.

“I will not let 42 years of our family business go down the drain because of the pandemic. Whatever it takes, we will get through this,” said Tobias. “With help from some of our suppliers, especially Taylor Guitars, we have seen a nice boost in online sales. Our online traffic, as well as our curbside service and home deliveries, have been just enough to pay the bills. We have been blessed. Fingers are crossed that it continues.”