Say hello to Bandito, a new vintage shop on Scott

What was once a parking garage in an old funeral home is now a vintage store adorned with colorful textiles, handwoven Turkish robes, vintage Levi's and elegant kimonos.

The newest addition to the former Bring Funeral Home at 236 S. Scott Ave. is a vintage store called Bandito, owned by 28-year-old Katie Petersen.

Petersen opened Bandito in May, but opening a vintage store wasn't actually in her plans yet. Moving to Tucson wasn't either, actually.

She spent much of her adult life in the retail industry, starting at Buffalo Exchange in the Bay Area and making her way up to selling designer clothes at Barneys.

She got tired of the housing market in Oakland, got rid of everything she owned and headed cross country. She found herself in Arizona where she started working on farms, restaurants and dive bars near the Grand Canyon, in Sedona, in Benson and then Tucson.

She moved to Tucson last April when she decided it was time for her to live in a city again.

"I was so intoxicated by the energy of this community that I wanted to be a part of it," she says.

Katie found the store space five months later in October, around the time Peach Properties opened Owl's Club.

"I followed this crazy momentum that I didn’t even know where it came from now that I’m on the other side of it. So I saw the space in October after having moved here in April and by May, I opened. It was a whirlwind of an experience but I’m really happy with the way it turned out," she says.

Katie opened the store with the goal of creating a dynamic, community-oriented space. She wanted to provide things that she thought weren't currently available in Tucson. She thought she could bring something interesting and engaging to the already interesting and engaging community.

That's part of the reason she has a huge, yellow couch in the middle of the store. Even if you're not coming in to shop, Katie wants her customers to feel comfortable and welcomed.

"I wanted it to be a place where people could have lunch or listen to a record or have a conversation and I’m really happy about that," she says.

A model and photographer traveling from Texas to California stopped in Bandito in search of coffee.
Photo by Alexis Dimmer

Recently, a model and a photographer walked into her store. Madison Johnston and Alexis Dimmer came into the shop on their way to California from Texas in search of coffee but were so enamored by Bandito and Tucson, they made a trip back to Tucson to do a photoshoot in the store.

"I liked how it was tucked back from the road and it was styled cheerful and distinctive. It felt more like walking into a well-designed home with a sweet couch, rug, etc.," Dimmer says. "Plus, Katie was super warm and we really loved her aura!"

The cheerful and distinctive style of the shop was inspired by era when the modernism of the 60s met the earthiness of the 70s, Katie says.

A post shared by Bandito (@shopbandito) on May 27, 2017 at 11:50am PDT

"There was this idea that the things that we have and the things that we build should be beautiful but should also be functional and utilitarian and should exist within the ecological sphere," she says.

Right now she’s running the show on her own — with some help and support from friends, but she hopes to hire people to work in the store in the future.

"I would like to eventually get different people in here that bring their own perspective to the table and also just to be able to put more into it," she says.

You will most likely find Katie at Bandito Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can also order from her online shop at shopbandito.com.

"Ultimately, I feel like this store is positively anchoring me and teaching me about the value of staying in a place and cultivating something long lasting," Katie says.