Chicken Poop founder Jamie Tabor Schmidt (right) is moving her business to a new 7,000-square-foot building at 611 S. St. Francis that she also plans to use for events and as gallery space. At left is Schmidt’s brother-in-law and director of operations, Michael Schmidt. Also pictured is Jamie Tabor Schmidt’s 4-year-old son, West.
UPDATED — Chicken Poop lip balm founder Jamie Tabor Schmidt is moving her business from the Fisch Haus to a 7,000-square-foot building that she and her husband, Eric Schmidt, bought at 611 S. St. Francis.
“It’s just a really great space,” Jamie Tabor Schmidt says. “We’re renovating it right now. … It’s a big project – bigger than I imagined.”
In addition to being what Schmidt calls the Chicken Poop World Headquarters, the new building will house an art gallery and event space that she is calling Ffarquhar.
“It was Eric’s grandma’s dog,” she says. Schmidt chose the spelling.
“I had to make it as weird as possible, you know.”
Schmidt says the new building offers several advantages over the Fisch Haus space on Commerce Street. Her business is on the second floor there, so she says the new space will be easier logistically.
“It’ll just be easier to ship stuff.”
Also, Schmidt says a lot of people want to rent event space at the Fisch Haus, but since there are several owners, there are more layers to go through for scheduling. That will change with Ffarquhar.
Eric Schmidt, an artist and inventor, also will use the space for his work.
In addition to the main building, there’s an 800-square-foot building on the property where Jamie Tabor Schmidt is opening a second business.
“I’m ready to open up a salon again,” she says.
WICHITA —