By Shayna Mace | Photography by Shanna Wolf
When Kenzie Beam cheekily named her business Every Bitch Needs a Scrunchie (EBNS) during her senior year of high school, she started out small and made and sold — you guessed it — scrunchies. In the ensuing years, she added stickers, shirts and cups to her offerings. Beam also worked her way from pop-up events at her home to vending at events and craft shows.
In 2024, Beam opened The Shop by EBNS on the ground floor of The Roundhouse apartments on Langdon Street — the perfect stop for UW students and anyone else strolling downtown. In addition to selling her own wares, Beam serves iced drinks (chai, matcha, cold brew, fruit teas), bakery items (from Stella’s Bakery, Madison Sourdough and Miggy’s Bakes), paninis and burritos.
“Although I originally envisioned iced drinks to be a small portion of sales, it has quickly [become] many [of our customers’] daily routines,” says Beam.
Though this is Beam’s first foray into a brick-and-mortar retail shop (she graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work), she’s already racked up an impressive array of retail items from women-owned businesses.
Find Pandanas’ T-shirts and sweatshirts, Golden Hour Knots’ macramé pieces, Bold Blossom Shop’s earrings and bag charms, and suncatchers by Ten by Ten. The merchandise, similar to the shop’s aesthetic, is all upbeat, stylish and cheery with a Gen-Z bent — though anyone will enjoy a stop here. The friendly vibe is reflective of the business Beam has built.
“I believe my business has been successful thus far because of my passion, which is creating community. Connection is at the root of my small business because I don’t think I would have gotten this far without the support of those around me and the Madison community,” says Beam. “I knew I wanted this to be a space that would feel comfortable and inspiring — a place where people want to spend time with their loved ones or to meet someone new.”
626 Langdon St., shopebns.com/the-shop-by-ebns
