Fashion Stores
Jinks Art Factory
Jinks Art Factory totes creativity in a plethora of forms. It offers one-of-a-kind art pieces, handmade jewellery, independent clothing lines, and — the most permanent among its creative offerings — tattoos. And for those who consider a supremely crafted latte a work of art; well, it does those two.
Jinks opened last month in Parkdale, right by beside the new Pinball Cafe. (And keeping in theme, Jinks has one of Pinball's vintage arcade games sitting in its new shop.) Identical twin sisters Sarah and Jen Wetmore are the duo behind the new tattoo/coffee/clothing/art shop, deciding to move Jen's tattooing business out of their hope and into a bona fide retail spot.
"It was time," Sarah says as we chat at the front counter. Jen is busy tattooing a client in the retro-themed inking area in the back. "It was time to have people not coming in and out of our house all of the time."
So Sarah and Jen went looking around Toronto for a space in which to set up shop, settling on this former architect's office on Queen at the foot of Roncesvalles. The sisters did the reno themselves, converting an old door into a table for the front "cafe" area and building the bar and additional fixtures. "We can be pretty handy at time," Sarah says. "Give us a drill, and we'll know what to do with it."
Jen also, obviously, knows what to do with a tattoo machine, but she also offers less permanent forms of art with her 3D canvases displayed around (and for sale in) the store. Sarah comes from a service background, having worked as a bartender for 20 years. Both women contribute to Jinks own line of salvage accessories, which include bracelets and cuffs made from vintage denim and leather.
Sarah tours me around the shop, pointing out some of the other brands and lines they've chosen to carry. They include natural soaps and beauty items (for both men and women) by Rocky Mountain Soap Company based out of Alberta, handmade cards ($5.95) by local artist Kat Roy, and tees ($26) by Tresnormal from Quebec, some of which feature notable Toronto intersections including Queen and Roncesvalles.
"We've picked things that are local and organic as much as possible," Sarah says. The coffee, too, falls in that line, sourced from Birds & Beans in Etobicoke. Though the menu offers all the expected coffee drinks — espresso ($1.95+), Americano ($2.25+), cappuccino ($3.15+), etc. — the idea is more grab-and-go with no Wifi is available. There are a couple of Dufflet pastries waiting at the counter, however, perhaps as a treat for after a little shading.
Sarah says there are no plans as of yet to add baked goods to the sisters' creative list, but they may explore that option once they get a little more settled in. For now, Jinks is open daily for ink and drinks from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Additional Photos
Photos by Jesse Milns
Discussion
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It puzzles me how businesses with multiple points of focus can remain operating in a way that is fiscally efficient and profitable. I find it hard to believe that someone who knows how to run a tattoo shop is competent in selling apparrel and knows how to manage food safety in an economical way. Is this place just a store with three separate businesses under it?
If they only sold one gear bikes too!
Should that not have been ...of their home and into a...
Also, another error that should've been caught before posting: "We can be pretty handy at time," ... "should be at times".
Can't wait to find a minute to pop in!
It irritates me that people assume because there is tattooing & food service are in the same building it must be unsanitary. Have you ever been down to this store? For all you know they are in completely different sections of the shop handled and run by two different people. The tattoo artist isn't serving the food with the same gloves they're tattooing with.
Nothing to me really seems to be odd or out of place.There are many tattoo shops or cafes that sell independent clothing, as well as jewllery.
I say more power to the Jink Art Factory. I hope your doors stay open for a long time. :)
May I also dare to ask why someone couldn't know how to safely tattoo, handle
food properly & safely, while being happy selling clothing/jewllery? Just wondering??
Let's be positive people. Support your comunity & young generation.
Why Torontonians (in this particular comments section) aren't fostering a supportive attitude is beyond me. Hater gon' hate I guess.
Idea: Go buy you coffee at Starbucks, get your crafts at Michaels, and get your tats at Tattoo Rock Parlour then. You aren't their clientele anyway by the looks of it. Enjoy your Venti.
It actually amazes how few tattoo parlous there are in Toronto, especially when compared to a city like Winnipeg.
I'm guessing 10 years ago it was very different? Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, etc, must all be behind.
Also the fee Jinks has listed for touch ups on the chalk board is for within the first year. If you need a touch up in the first year, the tattoo wasn't properly done in the first place and the artist should correct it at no charge.
Looks reeeeeeally amateurish.
Because i dont even know what adrenaline is??
While I have a few tattoos, I was just clearly giving my opinion on the basic portfolio pieces.
I am obviously not an expert in it!
You only reveal yourself to be poorly informed and make no valid points about quality professional tattoo work nor do you intelligently defend the work of Jen Wetmore.
The business model itself seems to have potential but the quality, in the tattoo department, needs improvement. I agree with MrsP. There are too many excellent highly professional, skilled artists in the city to settle for beginners.
I was fortunet to get a firtst hand look at Jens work and was impressed.
Iv been to many tattoo studios in the GTA and was not impressed with that whole "who the f**k are you" attitude!
For the ones who have put the place down you should maybe check it out first hand and then comment..
Plus Jen being a female artist you know she'll give that extra bit of detail and profesnsionalism to the trade... NO attitude...
Stop the "it won't work, it's never worked," and if you can't prove you've got a better idea AND put it into practice to show it ACTUALLY works, shut the hell up.