The O’Briens
The Monkey’s Family
story by ERIN WALLACE photos by SUSAN DELOACH
Many have heard the phrase “support small businesses,” especially during the annual gift-giving seasons. A term that in our consumer-driven world is often lost in the daily clicks of confirming a purchase on Amazon or strolling up to Walmart’s grocery pick-up station, no matter what time of the year it is. I get it, and I do the same thing, and it is often far easier to choose convenience over substance. What if we were to tweak the phrase to say “support the families behind small businesses?” A small business hits the ground running and truly never stops, and when you add raising a young family into that picture, you can imagine the commitment required to compete with the Big Tech and Big-Box giants. The O’Brien family embodies this lifestyle and has been running their local business for almost ten years right in Beaufort’s historic downtown.
Though you may know them for the tantalizing toy store on Bay Street, Monkey’s Uncle, Joe O’Brien is the main man you will see at the counter who’s been faithfully serving Beaufort all these years with unique and fun entertainment for children of all ages. His wife, Liz, who serves as operations manager at Riverview Charter School, and their two children, Emmett and Nora, have pitched in from the beginning, and the family feel is palpable when you’re shopping there. In fact, the kids’ contribution can be seen in the sign out front: the letters in the “Monkey’s Uncle” logo are a combination of Emmett and Nora’s (circa 2013) handwriting!
With all the joy Monkey’s Uncle has brought to Lowcountry children and visitors through the years, you would think the proprietor was a Beaufort native. However, Joe hails from a suburban town near Kansas City. Liz is the one who was born and raised in Beaufort. The couple met in Chicago when they were living their post-college years in that blizzard-ridden land. Liz was surprised to discover that Joe was familiar with our small town. As it turns out, Joe went to school for journalism within the news/editorial track. His first job out of college was as a copy editor for The Island Packet on Hilton Head before moving to Chicago, where he also was doing newspaper work. Joe stated with a chuckle, “I got into the newspaper business right at the dawn of the internet. That was brilliant timing on my part.”
Still living in Chicago, the couple married in Beaufort in 2001 (the reception was at Liz’s childhood home on Lady’s Island.) More change came in 2004 when Joe began law school at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana after the publication he worked at in Chicago folded. It was during this time that their penmanship prodigies were born. With Joe’s legal studies complete and a family of four to look after, the O’Briens decided to move close to family in 2007, and this is where our beloved town comes into play. Joe landed a job as a solicitor prosecuting crime in Beaufort and Jasper Counties, and then took a job in Bluffton, where he practiced corporate healthcare law to support his family. After yet another job change, Joe came to the difficult conclusion that practicing law was not a good fit for him, but the O’Briens remained committed to raising their family in Beaufort.
It was at this uncertain time that Joe stumbled upon an ad seeking car salesmen, and after three years of law, it was time for another change. As it turned out, Joe enjoyed the car business and had success as he began to feel more and more like himself again. However, with this refreshing turn of events came yet another challenge for the family. To make money in the car business, you have to clock in some serious hours. As Joe provided for his family, the hours were brutal, and he and Liz began to look for an opportunity to take more control over their future. Yet no one could have ever predicted their next adaptation!
The O’Briens began simultaneously dreaming and brainstorming ways to start their own business so Joe could be closer to home and hopefully create a more family-friendly schedule. It began with the hope of getting the bowling alley on Ribaut Road up and running again — as Joe and Liz were big bowling fans (they were even in a bowling league during their time in the Windy City). Things quickly changed course as the O’Briens realized it wouldn’t be possible to turn their bowling alley dreams into a reality. However, their inquiry into commercial real estate and their focus on a family-oriented business led them to Bay Street, where a local merchant was looking to return to teaching after several years in retail. Events moved quickly at that point, and within months, the O’Briens had leased a space that became the original Monkey’s Uncle.
When Joe thinks back to almost ten years ago, he says: “I had never owned my own business before, I had never run a retail operation before, and I just kind of figured it out.” Figure it out he did! Joe had learned through experience to take life’s twists and turns as they come, but starting a new business was a learning curve nonetheless. Fortunately, everything in his life had truly prepared him for the job: a supportive family, raising children, dealing with people from all walks of life, working a wide range of employment — the list goes on. For those new to Beaufort, Monkey’s Uncle was located at 808 Bay Street (now Kilwins) for the first five years of its existence before moving across the street and down the block in 2018. The shop has thrived in its current home at 909 Bay Street, still sporting a name that dares to be different. Why Monkey’s Uncle? I’m glad you asked.
It all began on an evening during the eventful time before opening the store. Liz and Joe were hanging out with Jim and Weezie Gibson, Liz’s parents, brainstorming with a glass of wine or two under their belt. One of their favorite places in Chicago was called Uncle Fun, a novelty store with a very distinctive personality. Then there was the fact that Joe is the youngest of four kids in his family; he has three older sisters, and so he was always known as the young and fun uncle. As they started piecing these motifs together, Weezie blurted out, “What about monkey’s uncle?”
This was the eureka moment they had been waiting for, and Joe and Liz knew that was the name. A name that locals and tourists alike have grown to adore. Just like the O’Briens’ favorite old place in Chi-Town, this is a store vibrant with personality that Beaufort couldn’t imagine downtown without.
Despite all the unexpected events that led the O’Briens to start their own business, the family has truly poured their heart and soul into this store that is open seven days a week. Emmett and Nora were ages six and eight when the journey of Monkey’s Uncle began, and now Emmett is going off to college! I asked Joe what the most challenging part of owning a toy store is, and for him, it’s the paperwork. Other than that, it is a joy for him to be out-front with the wonderful variety of customers the store brings in, whether it’s tourists that come into town once a year that have made Monkey’s Uncle a traditional part of their visit, military families new to the area, or the Beaufortonians, who love their downtown and always make it a point to ch
eck out the newest stock on the shelf.
All in all, this business has allowed him to be home for dinner and not miss out on his kids’ hobbies for the past nine years and counting. It has undoubtedly suited Joe’s life, but there’s no avoiding the fact that owning a small business demands a lot of time. Joe assured me that when he’s out-front with the customers and his staff, he never leaves in a bad mood. What a testament to the kind of environment the O’Briens have created in the heart of Beaufort. A store that thrives from the inside out.
Lastly, what is it about the toys that Monkey’s Uncle sells compared to, let’s say, Target’s toy section? Joe has always made it a point to do business with like-minded independent companies and find products that you wouldn’t necessarily see at the big-box stores. There is bound to be some overlap, but for the most part, this approach of being set apart from a chain of stores is appreciated by customers of all sizes. Add to this, employees who make everyone feel welcome, and you have the recipe for a unique retail experience. Next time you’re downtown look for the monkey and get lost browsing through their countless toys. You’ll most likely find your inner child coming out and, in the same breath, you will want to meet the family behind the business that’s been thriving for nearly a decade.
