Raven's Store Will Be Explored On 'The Bachelor'

Raven Gates has been one of the most upfront, likable, and unproblematic contestants of the season. I would say, along with Rachel Lindsay and Kristina Schulman, she was one of the most popular picks to be the next Bachelorette — a position that eventually went to Rachel — if she didn't walk away with Nick Viall's final rose. But she's still in the running and may very well be the winner of Season 21. Despite having multiple private moments with Nick, we still don't know very much about the boutique shop owner — like why Raven's store is called Grey Suede, for instance.

Raven and Nick have had a connection right from the start, and Raven was the first contestant to admit to the Bachelor star that she's falling in love with him. Despite that, she's only had a single one-on-one date with Nick (compared with Rachel's and Vanessa Grimaldi's two each). Up against Corinne's scene-stealing antics, we haven't gotten to know a ton about the Hoxie, Arkansas native so far. But having secured the only rose handed out in Bimini – thus guaranteeing herself a spot in the hometown date line-up on Monday's episode — viewers are likely to find out much more about the 25-year-old entrepreneur.

Since Nick is going back to Hoxie to meet Raven's family, it's all but guaranteed that they'll be making a stop in her store. As Raven explained to Nick during their brief private time on the show (and as is detailed on her store's website), she was originally a law student but decided to return to her hometown after her father was diagnosed with cancer. At that point, Raven turned her dream of owning a store into a reality. Now, Grey Suede — a boutique that sells casual and formal clothing as well as shoes and accessories — is an established brick-and-mortar store. Grey Suede's physical store had its grand opening in Jonesboro back in May 2016.

Having perused the shop's Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts, as well as its official website, it doesn't seem that there's a big story or deeper meaning behind its name. At the very least, the meaning behind the name apparently isn't important enough to have gotten a mention on the store's page. In all likelihood, the color and material combo from which the store gets its name just struck Raven's fancy.

But in any case, fans will almost certainly learn more about the history of the final four contestant's store during her hometown trip Monday night.