FRANKLIN, Wis. — A newly opened shop dedicated to all things Lego is quickly becoming a hot spot in Franklin.
Bricks & Minifigs’ owner, Jessica Vandeleest, said customers have been eager to explore their selection since they opened their doors last Saturday.
“I knew I wanted this, this area. What I didn’t realize is how much the community had a demand for it,” Vandeleest said. “I’m filling a need that I didn’t realize fully that I was filling.”
Vandeleest said, that after visiting a Bricks & Minifigs, which buys, sells and trades Legos, in Madison a few years back with her kids, she was intrigued.
She already had a background in online Lego sales but when she learned the Madison shop was a part of a franchise she decided to open her own physical location.
“Hit the ground running throughout the entire summer, was acquiring and sorting everything,” she said. "My poor husband had to deal with an entire living room of bins of Legos, and boxes and partially built things.”
At the store’s grand opening last Saturday, Vandeleest said about 160 people lined up outside to check out the new location.
She also said once inside, some customers will spend hours searching through thousands of pieces to find one just right.
“I usually have two or three builds going on in my head while I’m digging through here, that I’m getting parts for,” customer Dave Lunz said. “It’s just the thrill of the hunt.”
Lunz said he used to play with Legos all the time when he was a kid but recently got back into it about five years ago.
He isn’t the only one.
Vandeleest said right now, the demand for Legos is surging, as the company moves its way into pop culture, especially around movies and TV.
Plus the pandemic left many people who were stuck at home looking for something to do and they landed on Legos as their hobby of choice.
“It hasn't slowed down,” she said.
Overall, the franchise will mark the opening of its 100th location Saturday. Two more shops in Brookfield and Fox Point are set to open this spring.
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