Jackie and Rodger Chieffalo started Chieffalo Americana in 2020 and now have two locations, including a semi-permanent pop-up at the Bowie House Hotel.
Chieffalo Americana Revives Vintage Pieces from Decades Past
By Tori Couch
Photography by Crystal Wise
Whether it’s a refurbished, vintage item from the 1950s, 60s or 70s or an item made of upcycled/recycled material, Chieffalo Americana’s carefully curated offerings provide something for every generation.
“It’s like a revival,” says Jackie Chieffalo, who owns Chieffalo Americana with her husband Rodger. “And there’s nothing wrong with pre-loved hand-me-downs. Like the hats, for example, I always feel like someone has worn this hat for 50 years and we are sort of preparing it to enter its next 50 years of a life with a new person as its author.”
Vintage and upcycled/recycled items make up about half the store’s inventory while items constructed from deadstock fabric account for another 25% as do manufactured goods.
Because of this varied approach, no two items are exactly the same. Shirts might be a similar style and fit an urban Western vibe, but the fabric and color differ. The belt buckles gleaming in their case offer a variety of designs and the refurbished short brim, beaver felt hats on the wall above each carry a unique back story.
The Chieffalos opened the store in December 2020 on Camp Bowie Boulevard, selling cufflinks, belt buckles, hats and vintage scarves. Fast forward four years, the inventory now includes clothing, necklaces, belts and household items like mugs and throw pillows.
Chieffalo Americana has remained true to its roots during that time as well, selling American-made products at both the flagship store and a semi-permanent pop-up at the Bowie House Hotel.
“We’re seeing a really powerful response to that ‘cause our customers want to support small American makers,” says Rodger, who also runs a real estate company. “And this is a mega trend all across the country. Everybody’s trying to see things get made in America again.”
Chieffalo Americana carries items with an urban Western flair.
Over the years, the Chieffalos have worked with small businesses across the country and accrued enough inventory for two stores. This made accepting the Bowie House opportunity easier. A three-month lease starting in March 2024 quickly blossomed into six months and then a year-and-a-half following what Rodger calls “gangbuster” activity.
The pop-up offers similar items to the flagship store, but a few hotel-focused items, like lip balm, hand cream and other sundries, have been added. When hotel guests requested playing cards, the Chieffalos immediately supplied Western-themed ones.
Out-of-town visitors might need a shirt for a night out at Billy Bob’s, too, or something else to just feel a little more at home in Cowtown.
“I liken it to ‘Welcome to Fort Worth, you packed wrong,’” Jackie says.
Jackie’s background as a stylist and handbag designer gives her an eye for clothes and accessories that fit Chieffalo Americana’s style and approach. Potential new vendors or designers have pop-ups so Jackie can gauge customer interest. Rodger oversees items undergoing renovations and repairs, including hats like the one that ultimately started Chieffalo Americana.
Rodger inherited an original, well-worn Amon Carter Shady Oak hat, named after the Star-Telegram publisher, in 2005 when a family member passed away. He had Peter Bros. Hats in Fort Worth restore the hat and received countless compliments when wearing it. (Rodger now uses Capital Hatters in Stephenville, which has restored over 4,000 hats.)
Rodger continued restoring old hats, giving them as thank-you gifts to his real estate investors and tenants. Eventually, he sold the hats in addition to refurbished cufflinks and Western belt buckles. Social media posts featured hashtags like #madeinusa and #handmade to promote the small businesses Rodger worked with while also helping him engage with other small businesses.
Jackie, then living in Los Angeles, was one of the business owners Rodger met through social media. An initial dialogue evolved into six months of daily messaging and, finally, an in-person meeting.
“For me, it was love at first sight,” Rodger says.
A long-distance relationship spanned the next four years. Around the start of 2020, they decided to get married and Jackie moved to the Lone Star state. The ensuing COVID-19 pandemic could not slow down a wedding or Chieffalo Americana.
They have learned a lot running two stores, chief among them is that location matters. Driving down Camp Bowie, it’s easy to overlook Chieffalo Americana. The store is almost tucked away on the side of the road in a strip mall between Reads Jewelers and Jessica McIntyre Interiors.
Bowie House, on the other hand, picks up constant traffic from hotel visitors. As a result, the Chieffalos have started thinking about whether a location change for the flagship store makes sense.
“We want to stay on Camp Bowie or in the neighborhood,” Rodger says. “But we have learned the value of foot traffic.”
Over the years, the Chieffalos have added clothing and home decor to the store’s offerings.
Once customers find Chieffalo Americana, they are in for that truly unique experience. The Chieffalos discovered just how different while mentoring fashion merchandising students taking a product development class at TCU.
As part of a class assignment, students created products that could be sold at Chieffalo Americana. This required researching comparable businesses, which were few and far between.
“When we started thinking about it, there wasn’t anybody,” Rodger says. “Now that’s not bragging, that’s just saying we are such a unique operation that there really isn’t anybody like us.”
Rodger and Jackie have shared a lot of advice with the fashion merchandising students over the last two fall semesters and have found the experience equally as valuable. They hired a couple of students to help manage the store after being the only employees for nearly three years.
The Chieffalos brought on a marketing director, too.
“It’s fun for them and they learn a lot,” Jackie says. “We rely on them a lot. I never like to be in a position where I can’t live without them or we can’t run the store without them, but I think it’s been good. I think we have a good team.”
Lucci and Chevy, the Chieffalos’ dogs are part of that team as well, greeting everyone who stops by the flagship location.
Rodger and Jackie remain heavily involved in the daily operations. They recently launched a website and are constantly evaluating inventory, filling gaps as needed. Clothing is a current focus, with the goal of offering a full line of men’s and women’s clothing, Rodger says.
No matter what is brought in, it will certainly be unique, trendy, high-quality and perhaps provide nostalgic moments for older generations.
And, of course, it must originate in America.
“The items we sell here we’re proud of because they’re just quality made,” Rodger says. “And they’re made from Americans [who] are getting back into the whole effort.”