ROLO STORE

A Voodoo Knife Rack; A bottle of Mullet Shampoo; A "Hello Kitty" toaster; A t-shirt that reads: I Eat Vegans; Never before have everyday items been so much fun.

Inside Rolo Store, located at 24 Bellair Street in Yorkville, is everything you never knew you wanted. Rolo boasts an astounding range of designer-quality, everyday useful items, “all with a Rolo twist,” says owner Rowley Ocampo. The store sells everything from chewing gum to chandeliers, but all of the items have one thing in common. “It has to make me laugh,” Ocampo says. “Everyday items should make you smile.”

 Ocampo’s vibrant personality and sense of humour match the “eccentric eclectic” shop to a tee. Born in the Philippines in 1967, Ocampo first moved to Toronto when he was very young. Before opening Rolo in September of 2004, he spent 16 years working at Hazelton Lanes General Store in Yorkville. The General Store was well known for its wide range of different items, and was Ocampo’s inspiration for the idea behind Rolo. “We decided that we should go a little bit more insane,” Ocampo says.

Today, the 705-square-foot store is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The shelves are packed full of countless different items, all handpicked by Ocampo and co-owner Blake Ellies. “It’s a small space, but it has a big impact,” Ocampo says. “Walking in here is a full assault on the senses.”

The multi-genre establishment also makes for a great gift shop, since -in a store as diverse as the city it belongs to- there is literally something for everyone. “It’s nice to see whole families, and different age groups, and different genres of people go into a store and find something that they can all relate to,” Ocampo says.

After two years in business with a constantly changing stock, Ocampo finds it difficult to define his operation. “We’ve been called a toy store, a design store, a novelty store; all depending on what we throw in the front window,” he says. But whatever you decide to call it, the bottom line is this: “It’s all good quality, and it will bring a smile to your face.”