Stores and Shops

Cheap Thrills costume shop to reopen

2011-07-07T01:28:17Z

Longtime Midtown costume shop Cheap Thrills will be reopened this month by its original owner, Linda McNally, with help from her grandson, his wife and former employees who have become like family.

McNally’s grandson, Todd Gockley, and his wife, Sondra, said the family hopes to reopen the store at 1712 L St. July 16 – about three months after its then-owner, "Uncle" Fred Smith, closed the business in May so he could retire.

McNally's father was a Sacramento tailor. She’s a costume and vintage clothing collector who opened the shop with costumes and formalwear in about 1969. McNally operated it for at least 25 years before Smith, an employee, bought the business in the mid-1990s.

Cheap Thrills operated at two other locations just a few blocks away over its 42-year history.

Gockley grew up in the historic Victorian house at 1217 21st St., where the shop was located most of that time. The Gockleys said they decided they wanted to reopen Cheap Thrills as soon as they heard it was closing.

"We couldn't let it just go away," Sondra Gockley said.

Cheap Thrills rents costumes and buys, sells and trades vintage clothing from the 1900s through the 1980s and resale clothing through the present. Costumes rent for $25 to about $140.

The couple, which also operates a sexier sister shop called Prevues - A Fashion Fetish at 2417 K St., is overseeing the reopening and expansion of the shop.

Two former employees have come back to help. Leendah Muñoz worked for McNally at the original Cheap Thrills for 25 years. Noelle Castro said she started working for Smith in 1998 or 1999 at Zoots Tux & Suits Etc., which he opened a few doors down from Cheap Thrills at 1209 21st St. Smith later moved Cheap Thrills there.

A lot of "blood, sweat and tears" and even a couple of twisted ankles have gone into the reopening, according to Castro and the Gockleys. The space was recently vacated by the vintage clothing store Bows & Arrow s.

They're currently filling out custom-made racks with inventory, Todd Gockley said.

McNally always owned the theatrical costume inventory, which was rented to Smith. The inventory includes thousands of costumes and accessories.

Cheap Thrills carries authentic flappers' costumes, Southern belle dresses, gangster and Zoot suits, disco wear and outfits for mascots ranging from chickens to gorillas.

The Gockleys and their staff can create costumes from any period or place, from medieval to extraterrestrial, as well as traditional horror figures and zombies, Castro said.

"You can do zombie pirates. You can zombie anything out," she said.

They're bringing back more goth costumes, a huge corset collection and new inventory such as steampunk costumes, which the Gockleys and Castro described as a futuristic cross between Victorian and Wild West with ray guns thrown in.

They also plan to display museum-quality pieces, such as steel corset cages that have sold on eBay for $5,000 and Victorian silk dresses, Todd Gockley said.

The inventory is catalogued in their heads – primarily Castro's, who worked at Cheap Thrills until Smith closed the store.

The Gockleys and their employees dress up every day for the entire month of October, until Halloween. They all help piece together costumes that customers are looking for.

Hours will be 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The family wanted to reopen the store in a space that's much more open and with more storage. The Gockleys said they want the new store to capture some of the character of its original location in a purple Victorian with orange, red and yellow accents.

The exterior storefront has been painted purple with orange and green trim. The interior floor, ceiling and walls have been painted in many bright colors as well. They're adding five to six new dressing rooms.

"We wanted to start fresh," Todd Gockley said. "We're making it newer but trying to keep the old feel."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Z Gallerie closes at Downtown Plaza

2011-01-28T03:04:02Z

Struggling Westfield Downtown Plaza lost another key tenant Wednesday when Z Gallerie closed its furniture and home accessories store after nearly 20 years of business.

On Thursday, the store at 545 L St. was empty of everything except wooden shelving units, the sales counter and light fixtures as District Manager Mike Jaeger and staff took care of remaining details.

The Southern California-based company decided to close the store when its lease ended because the store wasn't making enough money at that location, Z Gallerie Public Relations Manager Gordon Andahl said.

"The decline in sales no longer supported the cost of operating the store," Andahl said, adding that Z Gallerie had "proudly" served Sacramento's downtown for 17 years.

A women’s clothing store called Citywear closed about a month ago across from the plaza’s children’s play area.

The Z Gallerie company, owned by siblings Mike Zeiden, Joe Zeiden and Carole Malfatti, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in April 2009.

Andahl couldn't comment on whether the company would open a store in the 800 block of K Street when the block is redeveloped in the next few years.

In March 2010, Z Gallerie President and CEO Joe Zeiden told the Sacramento City Council that he planned to move his store out of the plaza and onto K Street Mall in an effort to help revitalize the troubled section of K Street. Zeiden was a member of the development team, led by Sacramento developer David Taylor, that won the opportunity to develop the 800 block.

The Z Gallerie in Roseville will remain open as one of 55 Z Gallerie stores operating throughout the country, Andahl said.

Last August, the company closed a store in Long Beach – Andahl's home town. He could not provide information on how many other Z Gallerie stores have closed in the last year. However, the company is opening a store in Hollandale, Fla., next week and re-opening a store in Redmond, Wash., he said.

Westfield Group bought Downtown Plaza in 1998 – six years after an I. Magnin department store closed there. City officials have been pressing Westfield to invest in the plaza ever since.

Westfield had proposed a $120 million plaza overhaul in 2006. But the company stalled on those plans. In May 2009, Westfield postponed the plans for at least the rest of the year, yet completed a $120 million reinvestment at Westfield Santa Anita in Southern California's Arcadia.

Mayor Kevin Johnson and others have been searching for someone to buy the plaza since at least December 2009, after the mayor persuaded Westfield to sell the plaza if a buyer could be found.

In the meantime, Westfield has begun a series of projects to remodel the plaza. Fountains were removed, while a new children's play area, tiled planter boxes, plants, faux turf and new lighting have been added.

Z Gallerie's departure follows other major closures in recent years.

Two quality clothing stores, Ann Taylor and Banana Republic, left in January 2009. The Hard Rock Cafe closed in March 2010 after 13 years at the plaza's main entrance at Seventh and K streets – taking its landmark 36-foot neon guitar with it.

However, Downtown Plaza's 24 Hour Fitness club has plans to nearly double in size. The 30,000-square-foot club expects to begin an expansion to 50,000 square feet in April, with an expected completion next fall.

Representatives of Westfield Downtown Plaza could not be reached for comment.

Z Gallerie’s closure is “disappointing” and indicates that the Downtown Plaza has continuing challenges, Downtown Sacramento Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault said.

“It continues to make clear that something needs to be done quickly to strengthen that center,” he said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Corsetiere tightens corner on market

2010-12-22T01:39:54Z

Corset maker Erin Bray lives life surrounded by silk, satin, velvet and lace.

Most corsets are made to order. Her Isabella Corsetry shop in Midtown is stocked with corsets in nearly 20 styles and dozens of fabric combinations, from cranberry-colored satin with black lace trim or a brown and cream-colored faux fur leopard print with red trim to red or black vinyl.

The sight of such luxuriously romantic garments are enough to cause swoons, long before a corset's back laces are pulled tight. More than 10 years ago, Bray turned sewing skills, an interest in history and a few period costuming classes at American River College into a full-time occupation at what was then a disappearing craft.

"I love period architecture, furniture and clothing," said Bray, a Midtown resident. "I feel like I kind of happened into corsets by accident and it just fit with my love of antiquities."

Five days before Christmas, the corsetiere and her 21-year-old daughter Mekaela worked in a chilly Midtown warehouse making a few last corsets that had to be shipped off before the holiday. Mekaela ironed pieces for a lime-green brocade corset a man ordered as a present for his wife, a Nebraska pinup model.

Bray made her first corset for a friend to wear as a bridesmaid in a wedding in 1998. Few people were making corsets at the time.

A self-taught corset maker, Bray has developed patterns for 19 different corsets by hand. The garments come in two basic configurations: overbust, which covers the bust, and underbust, which stops beneath the bust. Underbust corsets can be worn over dresses, shirts and slips, as well as under clothes.

Corsets typically reduce waist sizes by three to five inches. Her shop carries corsets in standard corset sizes ranging from 18 inches to 38 inches – the measurement of the reduced waist size after a corset is put on. Most people can wear standard corset sizes, Bray said.

She also makes fully custom, one-of-a-kind corsets for customers who visit her shop or order through her website. All the corsets are put together by hand and sewn with machines.

Bray enjoys the variety of fabrics and colors she gets to work with.

"I like the idea of being able to do a bunch of unique garments," Bray said. "I can't imagine having a clothing line and picking just a few fabrics to work with. I have over 200 fabrics in stock, and I'm constantly hunting for new fabrics."

She now sells 700 to 800 corsets a year. About 90 to 95 percent of her corsets are sold wholesale to retail shops in Portland, Seattle, Denver, Canada, Miami, New Orleans, Hawaii and the Bay Area. The Denver store is her biggest customer, selling at least half her corsets each year. She also shows her corsets at apparel trade shows and Goth events.

Customers include romantic couples, the rockabilly crowd, burlesque dancers and people going to costume parties at Halloween.

Her corsets have gained a spotlight on HBO's vampire series, True Blood. She made a burgundy velvet corset for a nasty vampire known as Lorena and a leather corset for Pam, who's just as evil. The corsets were worn on episodes last summer.

Sales have jumped after corsets appeared in movies such as "Underworld" and "Moulin Rouge," Bray said.

Her biggest seller is the Edwardian overbust, which works well on a variety of body shapes. Corsets start at $99 for basic "cinchers," or shorter, simpler underbust corsets that are sewn for her. Corsets made in-house start at $200 for underbusts and go up to $350 for overbusts. Fully custom corsets cost $300 to $450.

Bray makes corsets at least five days a week. Summer is the busiest season as Halloween orders come in from stores. There's enough work that Mekaela, her oldest daughter, works at the shop part-time doing most of the cutting, and her youngest, 18-year-old Cassaundra, works a couple times a week adding grommets and laces to corsets.

She estimates 50 to 100 people are making corsets in this country now. Bray said she's happy to have found her niche making unique garments that add romance to people's lives.

"They're really fun because they're beautiful," she said. "And they make anybody look beautiful."

Appointments are necessary to visit Isabella Corsetry, at 2311 S St. The shop can be reached at 612-4075.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Bows & Arrows move adds gallery, cafe, bar

2010-12-01T04:31:53Z

The duo behind Bows & Arrows is reinventing the business in a new space devoted to nurturing local artists.

In spring, artists Olivia Coelho and Trisha Rhomberg plan to open a new concept rooted in the vintage clothing store they've operated in Midtown for three years.

Coelho and Rhomberg, who are both clothing designers, will continue to sell vintage and repurposed clothing at the new space at 1815 19th St. But Bows & Arrows' new location will also be a place for the creative class to eat, drink, sell art and be exposed to other talent.

"We're the poorest philanthropists you'll ever meet," Coelho said.

Coelho's parents bought the building in June. Coelho and Rhomberg will lease it back. The business partners estimate they'll save $2,500 a month by moving out of their current space at 1712 L St.

They said they're spending every cent they've earned, inherited, borrowed or saved to gut and renovate the interior, which includes building a kitchen and adding skylights. The interior will feature earth tones, vintage furniture, colorful hanging lamps and Mason jar glasses. The vine-covered exterior will be repainted.

The women are as much into nature as clothing and art. If they're not combing through estate sales and flea markets, they're camping and hiking in the mountains or on the coast.

Their love of the environment helped inspire the clothes they make for their own clothing line, Miss Chief of California. They recycle vintage fabric or garments by altering hems, creating modern fits or designing new pieces. Rhomberg compared the process to remixing music.

"We're using what is already there and just putting creativity into making them different," Rhomberg said. "What's rad about them is every one is unique."

The store carries their clothing, jewelry and purses, as well as handmade fashion from other designers. But the clothes and jewelry will be pared down at the new location to make way for an art gallery, cafe and beer/wine bar that will occupy at least half of the 3,300-square-foot space, formerly home to Retrofit Recording Studios. Bows & Arrows will also feature a 1,600-square-foot back patio.

Coelho and Rhomberg, who both majored in fine arts in college, said they wanted to create a special place to showcase emerging artists and musicians of all kinds, while offering an atmosphere that's unpretentious.

"We feel there's a community of people who are under-served – our creative class," Coelho said. "But they are not pretentious, and they don't want to be served or talked to in a pretentious way."

The menu, which is still being developed, will emphasize pairings of food with wine and craft beer from California and Europe. Cheeses, meats, seasonal produce and local baked goods will take center stage. They're in negotiations to hire or partner with a chef.

"There are a lot of nice, high-end restaurants and bars here," she added. "But we end up migrating to the dive bars because we feel more comfortable there."

Rhomberg met Coelho at a fashion/art bazaar called Sellout Buyout in 2004. At that time, Coelho operated her first store, Olipom. Sellout Buyout gave Rhomberg, a Missouri native, her first opportunity to sell the clothes she was designing. Coelho also started carrying Rhomberg's clothes at the store. Rhomberg's line, Pretty Trashy, was later sold online and in 18 stores nationally and in London.

Olipom was destroyed in a fire in 2006. Coelho relocated but closed the store after they teamed up to open Bows & Arrows in 2007. But the 6,600-square-foot space they're currently renting is far too big.

The warehouse holds thousands and thousands of clothes the pair hopes to sell before the move. They plan to hold a huge sale Dec. 18 and won't be buying any more vintage clothing until after they relocate, Rhomberg said.

Sacramento has few galleries for emerging artists to show their work. The closure of their friend's gallery, Fools Foundation, a few years ago has left artists in their circle without enough representation, they said.

Coelho and Rhomberg hope to build a space that will push new artists to the forefront. Many of them are friends of Coelho and Romberg. The women are even partnering with a skater/musician, Sean Stout, to start a local recording label that will put out vinyl records and cassettes.

Hours at the new location will be 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily, but may expand to midnight on weekends.

They plan to host events, from fashion shows and bazaars to art receptions, tastings and video screenings – all with the goal of helping artists make a living from their art, the way Rhomberg and Coelho have.

"We want to help support the growth of this artistic community," Rhomberg said. "That can be inspiring to other people."

Photo of Trisha Rhomberg and Olivia Coelho celebrating in front of their new building provided by Bows & Arrows. Other photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

William Glen 'kids' to open stores

2010-09-10T02:53:43Z

The children of one of William Glen's founders will soon open housewares and holiday stores in Old Sacramento.

Less than a year after William "Bill" Snyder died, Mark Snyder and Amy Guthrie are putting everything he taught them into their newest ventures: Chef’s Mercantile and Christmas & Co.

The stores will split the 5,200-square-foot ground floor of the newly reconstructed Ebner Hotel/Empire House on K Street. The city's final inspection of the exterior was Thursday.

The stores are expected to open by early October or sooner. Late Thursday afternoon, Snyder and Guthrie were caught off guard by the news that the William Glen store will close after Christmas.

"The kids," as they've come to be known, will operate their boutiques under the corporation name of C and C Merchants.

"That stands for Christmas and cooking," said Mark Snyder, 38. "We came up with that name because it was our dad’s two big loves – aside from his kids and his granddaughter."

The siblings left William Glen in May. The store is now owned by their stepmother, Terry Snyder. The William Glen store is expected to close by year’s end, its owners announced Thursday afternoon before closing the store earlier than usual.

Snyder confirmed that, saying they were “surprised and saddened” to hear about the closure from store employees after the announcement.

“There's really no reason for it to close,” he said. “It's so sad.”

Bill Snyder and his college friend, Glen Forbes, opened William Glen as a decorating studio just off Edison Avenue behind Town and Country Village in 1963 with $500 and two Chevys for collateral. The Snyder kids grew up working at the store. They polished crystal, put price tags on Christmas ornaments and worked in the coffee department.

Mark Snyder returned to work at the store in 1997, a year before Forbes retired. Guthrie worked at the store for eight years. They created the store's website and online business. Guthrie left for a few years to operate a clothing store and have her first child, Gianna Rose, who turns one next week. Guthrie, 36, returned last fall after their dad got sick.

The siblings were William Glen employees, but not store owners. Most people would only know their connection to the store through word of mouth.

But retail is in their blood. Their father taught them his business knowledge and philosophy and much more, Guthrie said.

"We couldn't have done any of this without having grown up being his children," said Guthrie, taking a break from checking in shipments.

Signmaker Jim Ingram installed the stores’ bright red signs Thursday.

Brother and sister hope to fill their stores with a little of the fantasy and magic they've found on trips taken to Disneyland every year since they were 15 and 17.

"We want people to come in and have an experience," Guthrie said. "Whether they buy something or not, we want them to walk away feeling it was worth their time."

Christmas & Co. will be a year-round, story-like holiday and Christmas store with a grand fireplace and 7-foot Christmas clock tower display on the Ebner Hotel side of the building, 116 K St. The interior will attempt to recapture historic hotel ambiance by dividing the room into themed parlors or galleries each holding a Christmas tree. The store will sell home decor for all major holidays, starting with Halloween.

Chef's Mercantile, a home chef boutique at 118 K St., will sport an industrial look with exposed ceilings, industrial walls and crystal chandeliers. A full-service coffee bar will be installed in front about a month after opening. A demo area in back will be used for cooking classes starting next year.

The two spaces will open into each other. The stores will operate daily from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

The upper two floors will be leased as office space. The people behind the reconstruction — Steve Ayers, chief executive officer of Armour Steel Co., Dave Scurfield of Scurfield Co., Ray Enos of Downtown Ford, Ben Mortel and Johan Otto of Otto Construction -- put $2.8 million into the project. The city kicked in $3.3 million in local funds.

The siblings had originally planned to operate a temporary Christmas store that would move around Old Sacramento and downtown as spaces became empty or got leased. But the deal at the Ebner/Empire was too good to pass up, Snyder said.

They've already been getting calls from customers wondering what they'll be doing next, he said.

"What we see before us is a bright, simple future where we can enjoy the business and enjoy our customers and bring something to Old Sacramento and the downtown area," he said.

Skaters jam Thursday nights

2010-09-09T02:02:55Z

Word is growing about free weekly skate jams at Surf & Skate's Sacramento headquarters.

At least 20 skateboarders have been showing up each week since the Citrus Heights shop's custom-built Skatelite bowl and street course opened a year and a half ago. The skate sessions changed this week from Wednesday to Thursday nights.

Most skaters are locals. But up to 60 people from as far as San Francisco and Truckee have dropped in to carve the bowl, practice tricks and learn from each other on any given evening, said Surf & Skate owner Bob Mitchell.

"You'll see some of the best skateboarders in the country show up here," he said. "(These) nights are pretty off the hook."

Mitchell was a record-breaking pro water skier at Redwood City's Marine World in the 1970s. By 1981, he was snowboarding in the Sierra Nevada and working as a carpenter in Sacramento. After breaking his leg for the third time, he gave up snowboarding and carpentry.

He opened Surf & Skate beneath a brothel at Del Paso Boulevard and El Camino Avenue in 1984. He now operates three stores in Sacramento, Citrus Heights and Elk Grove. He closed a struggling Roseville store and one in Fair Oaks replaced by the newest store.

Mitchell bought an old bank for his newest store at 7411 Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights. Mitchell sells high-end swimsuits and sunglasses in the old bank vault. The store carries lots of bikinis and equipment, clothing and accessories for skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding and surfing.

The $200,000 bowl and street course were designed by 49-year-old Nevada City pro skater Steve-O Brockway, who's built "tons" of skateboarding ramps for World Cup Skateboarding competitions throughout the world.

"It's all about creating a scene," Brockway said. "For us, the scene has to happen first. Everything else will follow."

For Surf & Skate, he designed a roughly 35-foot by 30-foot, one-of-a-kind bowl shaped like a square-jawed Mickey Mouse head. Using nearly 2,000 custom-cut plasticized wood pieces, the bowl took nearly four months and four carpenters to build. The bowl surface can give skaters a lot of speed because it was made with a material that doesn't change in the rain or in cold or hot temperatures, Mitchell said.

Brockway also turned the bank's old drive-through into a 120-foot-long street course featuring a mini half-pipe, ramps, rails, curbs, a pole jam and other obstacles. The course includes a replica of a famous San Francisco skate spot known as China Banks.

In the 1970s and 1980s, skating was a more isolated sport. Skateboarders had to be in a group to be at the right sessions, Brockway said. Surf & Skate jam sessions are open to everyone. The jams are held from 7-10 p.m.

Other pro skaters such as J.J. Rogers of Sacramento and "Noggin" of San Jose said the sessions give experienced skaters — including some who've skated together for 30 years — a chance to teach the sport. Three generations skated together last week.

"It's not about who's skating the sickest lines," Noggin said. "You watch them progress and you get stoked, too."

Many cities like Sacramento have built state-of-the-art skate parks that can be used for free. But skateboarders like skating at Surf & Skate because the bowl and street course are maintained and free of debris. The sessions are monitored, so no one's ever skating alone. Previously, there was a $5 charge to skate for four hours.

But possibly most important is that the area is open only to skateboards. BMX bikes and scooters aren't allowed, so there's less wear and tear on the facilities and less chance for collisions.

At some skate parks, there are ongoing wars between different types of riders, said Placerville photographer Michael Chantry, a snowboarding pioneer and former pro skateboarder also known as Master Blaster. He's traveled the planet to capture skateboarders and snowboarders on film and video.

"This is a labor of love," Chantry said last week as he stood on the platform built around the edge of the bowl. "It's built entirely by skateboarders for skateboarders."

Brockway has been skating 36 years. He's now teaching his 11-year-old son, Ezra, to skate at the skate jams.

"This session is about being able to bring all the skaters together in a nice local setting," Brockway said. "It's like keeping our skate family together."

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Hybrid skate shop rolls into Sac

2010-09-06T23:14:27Z

Sacramento will soon become home to a new kind of skate shop, born out of the love between a derby girl and a skater boy.

Sandy "Motley" Cruz and Gordon "Gordo" Eckler, both 31, said they expect to open Cruz Skate Shop, a hybrid rollerskating and skateboarding shop, at 16th and U streets on Sept. 15.

Cruz got into roller derby in 2005. She opened the first location in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood in March 2008. Cruz Skate Shop was originally a skate shop for roller girls, focusing on the exploding sport of flat track roller derby.

She hadn't skated since she was 10, but was so intrigued with the sport that she helped start a new league in San Francisco called the Bay Area Derby Girls.

"I thought, 'That sounds kinda rad," she said. "I didn't know anything about it except you were on roller skates and you were hitting into people.

"Now I'm pretty much obsessed," she said.

Soon after opening the first shop, she convinced boyfriend Eckler to sell skateboarding products to meet the demand of skaters coming into the shop. He became a partner.

But it was their mutual love of skating — although in different forms — that led them to each other and to create the business.

"She understood 100 percent how I felt about skateboarding," said Eckler, an amateur skater who moved to California for skateboarding at age 25. "No girlfriend ever understood that."

Most skateboarding shops would never sell roller skates, he said.

They're confident no other stores like them exist in California, the skateboarding capital of the world. The San Francisco shop has already created a buzz. Thrasher magazine just named it "Shop of the Month" for November 2010.

"In California, it's insane. So many people skate," said Eckler, who’s skated in 49 states.

The store will sell skating equipment, clothing, shoes and accessories from manufacturers like Riedell, Sure-Grip International, Atom Wheels, Creature, DLX and Blood Wizard. They sell what they know, which means quad roller skates rather than Rollerblades or inline skates, and wooden skateboards but not longboards. They'll also offer custom setups and repairs.

Flat track roller derby is so popular that Sacramento has two leagues: Sacred City Derby Girls, which will host the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Western Regional Tournament here next month, and Sac City Rollers.

Cruz and Eckler are opening a shop in Sacramento because at least a quarter of their business in San Francisco has been coming from this area.

And they've been getting custom skates made here by Donny "Dirty D" Welch, a Sacred City Derby Girls coach and metal fabricator who can turn any pair of shoes into skates by adding a plate and wheels. Experienced derby girls will shell out $600 to $700 for a pair of custom skates, Cruz said.

Cruz was working as a bartender and interning at a fire arts school when she got into the amateur, full-contact sport. She and the rest of the women who started the Bay Area Derby Girls had to relearn how to skate as adults.

Like her teammates, she got a nickname: Motley. That's the only name the rest of the skaters know her by. For most women who get into derby, the sport becomes a lifestyle.

"It's an amazing thing for a lot of girls who didn't play sports in school," said Cruz, a tatted-out girl with short blond hair and a nose ring. "It's the smokin' cigarettes and ditchin' school kind of girls — kind of outcasts. We found a place."

The couple is opening the business at 2030 16th St., an 81-year-old building repaired after a truck smashed into it in May 2009. Dave Herrera with Colliers International brokered the lease.

The couple has been busy painting the 760-foot retail space in front in candy colors, mint green and chocolate brown. Eckler, who's sponsored by Creature skateboards, has been using a wheelchair after spraining an ankle in "a kneeslide gone wrong."

They expect to split their time between the two shops, with help from their dog, Pork Chop. At the Sacramento store, they'll also get help from Welch and local derby girls "Shadow" and "Spiller."

The 2,890-square-foot space is big enough to expand their online business and have an office. A redesigned website is expected to be launched when the Sacramento store opens. Store hours are likely to be noon to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.

Cruz had known since she was a kid that she wanted to run her own business one day. She just didn't know what it would be until she discovered derby. She was surprised to find a family at the same time.

"You share the same passion, and it's a productive outlet," she said. "It's kept me out of trouble."

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Le Petit Paris to close

2010-09-02T01:56:00Z

An air of sadness hung about Le Petit Paris Wednesday after the owners announced they will close late this month.

The boutique and Parisian cafe has brought a bit of France to Midtown for the last five years, but it's been struggling for at least two. Owners Tassina Placencia and her husband Ruben plan to close the family business at 1221 19th St. on Sept. 26.

The economy and fewer customers — including state workers making less money because they're furloughed many Fridays — have contributed to the problem, Tassina Placencia said Wednesday afternoon.

"It's not what it was," she said during a break from serving customers who lined up at the counter. "No one's buying coffee anymore. You have furloughs two blocks away."

The couple has been running the business themselves for the last two years. They sold everything from French milled soaps, handbags and baby clothes to fresh-baked croissants, tartine sandwiches and macarons.

More than one set of eyes glistened with tears Wednesday inside the Euro shabby-chic space, where patrons sipped coffee or tea while sitting at metal bistro tables and on overstuffed Victorian furniture.

Regulars like Harv's Car Wash owner Aaron Zeff and real estate agent Bridget Davis said they were shocked to arrive there Wednesday, only to find the business is closing.

Now Midtown residents, the Placencias have been active supporters of the neighborhood and especially the Handle District where the shop is located. Last year, Tassina Placencia organized a night parade just before Christmas — the city’s first electric light parade in more than a century — to add some fun and draw holiday business.

Midtown resident Carole Arbuckle said she'll miss being able to just sit and relax at Le Petit Paris, the same way she did on a favorite trip to the French city.

"It's been such a nice place to come, especially if you've been to Paris," she said.

Even working seven days a week, the Placencias haven't been able to make enough money to continue with a lease that's ending this month. Two weeks ago, Ruben went back to a full-time job as a rocket tester at Aerojet.

“Her dream was Le Petit,” he said. “My dream was to make her happy.”

Their 8-year-old daughter, Bella, has spent many hours at the shop as well. They said they will miss their customers, but chose not to put any more money into the business, she said.

"There are so many times you think it's going to get better," Tassina Placencia said. "But you have to do the right thing for your business and your family."

"We're at peace with it," she said.

Hurting thrift store moves to survive

2010-08-26T01:44:05Z

Adjusting to new realities, This 'n' That Thrift & Gift is trading East Sacramento's Folsom Boulevard for a Curtis Park location next month.

Owner Lynda Tyler has operated the charitable thrift store at 3257 Folsom Blvd. for 10 years: first on behalf of California Hospice Foundation, then as the owner partnering with the community-based nonprofit People Reaching Out.

Tyler knows she's giving up a busy commercial section of Folsom Boulevard by choosing to move. Café Capricho opened next door in April, Krazy Mary's boutique moved in across the street in June and a cafe, wine bar and market called Good Eats held a soft opening down the street this week.

Fear can hold many small business owners back from making needed changes. But over the last 20 months, every aspect of the store’s business operations has been impacted by the economy.

Donations and volunteers are down, rent at her current location is going up and a large nonprofit, Goodwill Industries International, has opened two competing, express drop-off donation centers nearby, she said.

"With the economy, we've learned to take chances again," Tyler said.

She stayed despite a rent increase five years ago. But in this economy, instead of staying put and paying more rent, Tyler shopped around for a new location for her store.

By moving to 2590 21st St. in Curtis Park — home to Kushida TV for 35 years — Tyler said she'll save more than $4,000 a month in rent. The cost for her monthly lease on 3,000 square feet in Curtis Park is $2,200, compared to $6,400 for her current 4,800-square-foot location. The store is also gaining longer on-street parking and a customer bathroom it never had before.

The existing store, which sells recycled clothes, furniture, housewares and other goods, will continue to operate until Sept. 4. Current store hours are Sunday and Monday, noon - 4 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. The new store is expected to be up and running Sept. 10.

The belief that all thrift stores are thriving because of the recession is simply untrue, Tyler said.

Business at consignment resale shops, where people can trade or sell their old clothes and other stuff, is up. But in the last two years, the quality and quantity of donations at charitable thrift stores like Tyler's, where all merchandise is donated, are down, she said.

Donations at the store range in size from a bag's worth to a loaded-up pickup truck. Where an average of 30 people per day used to make donations, that number has dwindled to about 12. Customers have dropped from an average of 100 per day five days a week to 35 to 45 a day, which forced This ’n’ That to expand hours to seven days a week a year ago to make up for the difference.

This 'n' That is run as a for-profit and pays a percentage of gross sales that results in nearly all profits going to People Reaching Out, she said.

During the recession, people have been doing two things: holding onto clothes and other goods longer because they don't want to or can't afford to buy new merchandise, and selling those items to consignment shops, on eBay or at garage sales, Tyler said.

"The casualty is the thrift store," she said. "In a thrift store, I'm only as good as my donations."

Sales are down from an average $100 an hour to $60 an hour. Volunteers have dropped from 30 two years ago to 11.

"People can't volunteer — they're out there making a buck," said Tyler, who employs her son and daughter at the family business.

Tyler has substantial business experience. She worked previously as the business manager of the Sacramento News & Review and its two sister weeklies, Sacramento Cable and Sacramento Blood Bank.

Six months ago, her own demographic research showed that her donors and customers had largely shifted from East Sacramento to Curtis Park and Land Park. She determined that her rent savings would be substantial enough to offset her losses after the move, giving her enough time to build word about the relocation. She estimates the store will be able to survive even if only 20 percent of its donors and customers follow.

"Anytime you move a business, I think you're starting over," she said.

Her plan is to resume marketing strategies she used to first grow the business: printing regular sales fliers and buying ads. They're also actively seeking donations of unretrieved clothes from dry cleaners and unsold merchandise from consignment stores.

"We treat it like a start-up business, and not like it's just next year," she said.

She wouldn't have considered moving even a year ago and didn't "have the courage" then to look closely enough at her business. Now, she tells other business owners not to feel too stuck to re-examine every aspect of the business — including rent and location — to survive what's happening right now.

"I'd say: Don't be the slightest bit afraid of looking out there," she said.

New store hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, noon - 4 p.m. Donation hours will be extended from Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. to 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff writer covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

Soft opening for Good Eats

2010-08-24T01:50:32Z

Good Eats — a cafe, wine bar and market by Raley's heir Michael Teel and partners — held its soft opening Monday.

The gourmet takeout kitchen was a bit overwhelmed, serving 180 customers on the first day. Management asked prospective customers to be patient while any kinks are worked out at the market cafe, 3145 Folsom Blvd., throughout the rest of the week, said a manager.

The official opening will be held in September. Hours are expected to be 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturdays and 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sundays, said Julie Rollofson, Good Eats chief executive officer and Teel's wife.

The first Good Eats specialty grocery opened in Arizona but shut down in March.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Beyond Gotham shutting doors

2010-08-21T00:59:58Z

A trendy Midtown boutique called Beyond Gotham is expected to close in mid-September — another victim of the poor economy.

Signs advertising a closing sale have already been taped to the windows of the store, which sells women's clothing and accessories at 1215 18th St.

Located on a popular block in the Handle District, the boutique was going strong until about two years ago. Female customers who would buy new jewelry every time they had Christmas parties, weddings and other special occasions to go to aren't making those purchases now, said an employee.

"Women are the first ones to stop buying for themselves in bad times," she said.

Rebecca Polstra and the store's other owners had originally planned to close the store in mid-August. But the store will remain open longer so more inventory can be sold, said another employee.

Store hours, which have been cut back, are 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sundays.

The owners closed the Beyond Gotham in Citrus Heights in March. The Midtown store originally sold mostly jeans and other clothing. Beyond Gotham then changed the inventory to focus on accessories including glittery rhinestone jewelry, purses, belts and other items.

"She worked very hard to make this a successful boutique," said one employee.

Polstra could not be reached for comment.

Grocery Outlet opens after delay

2010-08-21T00:43:19Z

A new Grocery Outlet opened Friday morning in a century-old building across from the Capitol Area East End Complex after the owners got a temporary permit.

The market's opening at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue in Midtown was delayed by a day.

An electrical inspection was performed Thursday, and a temporary permit allowing occupancy was then issued by the city, said co-owner Mindi Admire.

"It was supposed to all be buttoned up Wednesday," she said while moving shopping carts outside the busy store at 1700 Capitol Avenue.

A grocery store or market has operated in the building for about 100 years, according to local historian Bill Burg, who wrote about the location in his book, "Sacramento: Then and Now." For more on the history of the building, click here.

The store's hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. A video interview with Grocery Outlet spokeswoman Melissa Porter can be found here.

East Sac poised for Good Eats

2010-08-20T01:05:07Z

Raley's heir Michael Teel and partners will open a new cafe, wine bar and market called Good Eats in East Sacramento Monday.

Similar to Selland's Market-Café and Corti Brothers, which operate on other end of East Sacramento, the kitchen will offer hot and cold takeout foods, wine and coffee. The specialty grocery will include wine, butchered meats, seafood, cheeses, bakery items and flowers.

On Thursday, Good Eats official Julie Rollofson led food and wine tastings to prepare for a soft opening set for 6 a.m. Monday. The opening follows a lengthy renovation of what used to be Andiamo restaurant and the Rosemont Grill at 3145 Folsom Blvd., near Alhambra Boulevard.

The establishment promises to be the flagship store for the Good Eats company founded by Teel and venture capitalist Michael Ashker, who partnered previously to run Prosper Media in Midtown. Ashker also founded Internet companies Healthaxis and Courtlink.

Teel — grandson of Raley's founder and son of its owner, Joyce Raley Teel — was named president and chief executive officer of the West Sacramento-based Raley's grocery chain last January after an eight-year absence. He'd also served as Raley's CEO between 1996 and 2002.

Teel's original plan to open his first Good Eats specialty market at 5810 Folsom Blvd. — a retail space long occupied by Corti Brothers — in 2008 met with stiff opposition from locals because it would have forced the Italian gourmet shop to move. Teel canceled those plans and opened several Good Eats markets in Arizona.

Good Eats was previously scheduled to open last December. The building's brick and brown adobe-style exterior is accented with an outdoor terrace, new landscaping and trellis work.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Market opens at 17th and Capitol

2010-08-19T03:15:08Z

A new Grocery Outlet is set to open Thursday in Midtown.

Local residents and state workers seemed not to recognize the place when owners Mindi and Ken Admire offered a sneak peak during a ribbon-cutting celebration late Wednesday afternoon.

A market-scene mural still marks the corner store at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue, where Rick's Uptown Market operated. But following a costly renovation, the 9,000-square-foot space is much more neighborhood market than convenience store.

The sidewalk in front is lined with wooden produce bins holding tomatoes, avocados, onions and fruit. Cheeses, meats and more produce line back walls. A grab-and-go section in front offers pasta salad, sandwiches and cut fruit. A small flower stand marks the entrance to the store.

"I can't believe it's the same store," said 28-year-old neighbor Heather Woodford, who checked out the store with Ryan Malhoski, 25.

Guests at the ribbon-cutting celebration included City Councilman Kevin McCarty and Grocery Outlet owners from Modesto, Folsom and West Sacramento.

The Admires, who relocated from Orange County, are opening a branch of the chain that calls itself the country's largest "extreme-value" grocery retailer. Their children, Kristina and Kenneth, will help manage the store. Ken Admire has worked in the grocery industry for 34 years and once managed a Wild Oats Market in Colorado.

The store will offer brand-name products at steep discounts, like others in the chain. Brands include Kellogg's, General Mills, Betty Crocker and a Texas brand from H-E-B Grocery Co. The store, open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., also sells Naturalist vitamins, beauty products, frozen foods and household goods.

The market is the type of thing the central city needs to be sustainable and less car-dependent, said Patty Kleinknecht, executive director of the River District.

As the celebration began, artist Michael Stanford continued his work to restore the mural he created 10 years ago for Rick's Uptown Market. He's replaced the name of the old store with "Midtown Grocery Outlet Bargain Market." Neighbors and Sacramento artists led by the Midtown Murals Project persuaded Grocery Outlet officials to keep the mural, said the chain's spokeswoman, Melissa Porter.

The exterior was painted and landscaped, the interior gutted and completely renovated. Betsy Barnhart, who works across the street at the California Department of Public Health, used to buy her lunch at Rick's market. Now she plans to do a lot of her grocery shopping there, she said.

"I like Grocery Outlet. I like the deals you get," she said. "This is a huge difference from what it was."

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Freestyle recycles fashion

2010-08-13T00:37:23Z

A recycled clothing maven has come full circle, opening a new Midtown store just steps away from her first job in the business.

After growing up in the central city, Elizabeth Kelley opened her second Freestyle Clothing Exchange Saturday at the corner of 21st and L streets — about half a block from where she got her first job as an ironer at Cheap Thrills costume shop.

Kelley opened Freestyle at 2101 L St. as a sister store to her first resale shop, which opened in Citrus Heights in 2007. The return to Midtown feels like a return to her roots, she said.

"I really have a lot of love for that area," she said. "It's like my home."

She was just 19 when she started working at Cheap Thrills. She was promoted to steamer before her uncle, Fred "Uncle Freddy" Smith, bought the store. Kelley actually lived on the second floor, behind front rooms used for the costume shop. She worked at Cheap Thrills for nearly a decade.

Freestyle opened in a corner spot filled for two decades by the owners of Postcards Etc. The roughly 2,000-square-foot store buys, sells and trades women's and men's clothing. The store carries mainly contemporary, trendy clothing and well-known labels that might be found in mall stores, with very little vintage, said Manager Meg Campoy.

"Whatever's in style and in good condition. Things people can wear every day," she said. "A lot of resale shops are costumey. We're into everyday wear."

On Thursday, customers brought in bags of clothing to sell or exchange. The store will pay cash on the spot (35 percent of the expected retail price) or allow customers to swap their old clothes for store merchandise (50 percent of the retail price).

Freestyle sells mostly women's tops, as well as jeans, shoes, other clothes and accessories. The store is open daily from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. The store closes at 6 p.m. Sundays.

Kelley and Campoy saw the vacancy and recognized the location was a good opportunity. The space needed a little work. A Sheetrock wall was knocked out to reveal an original brick wall. Layers of linoleum were scraped up, and black stain was added to the old red concrete floor. Columns and a ceiling beam were painted red or black.

Recycled clothing stores are growing in popularity as people try to save money during the recession and as many become more aware of the world's limited resources, Kelley said.

"It wasn't always as cool as it is now," she said. "We just have to be more conscientious of what we have. Reusing things is so wonderful. It just makes sense."

Krazy Mary's circles back to East Sac

2010-07-24T01:18:12Z

Krazy Mary's owner Mary Kawano said the store is thriving after its return to her home turf in East Sacramento.

The boutique moved out of Midtown earlier this summer to a store at 3230 Folsom Blvd. — almost right back to the same place where the business opened 10 years ago. The contemporary designer store opened at 3200 Folsom Blvd. in 2000.

The store was the first to carry premium denim and other fashions in the area, she said. The East Sacramento resident said she moved her first store out of her neighborhood and over to 2527 J St. in 2005 after competitors including Dara Denim and Barby K opened in Midtown.

"That's where our market was," Kawano said. "I've always missed East Sac, 'cause that's where I first started."

Kawano was just 26 when she opened her first clothing store in Sacramento. She had sold hair products for a company called Fashion Formulas and managed a hair salon before then. In 2003, Kawano opened a second store, Sugar Shack Boutique, carrying eclectic local designers and affordable, funky clothes targeted to Midtown women at 2425 J St.

Krazy Mary's original competitors, which were a block away on K Street, have since closed. Kawano considered moving back to East Sacramento a year ago, but was afraid to lose business by being closed for a move, she said.

With the current buyer's market, she felt the time was right to return to East Sacramento in early June. The new space is bigger than the last — about 2,250 square feet, while the J Street location was about 1,500 to 1,600.

The new space also gets a lot more natural light and has better parking, she said.

"Now I know why I wanted to move back to East Sac: It's convenient. The parking is great," she said. "We love the location."

A grand opening is expected to be held at the new store in September. The store's hours are Mondays 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesdays - Saturdays 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Dimple Records opens

2010-07-15T03:20:59Z

Dimple Records opened at Broadway and 16th Street Wednesday in the longtime home of Tower Records.

The Radakovitz family, which has officially operated Dimple Records since 1978, said they plan to dedicate the store to Tower Records founder Russ Solomon at his retirement party Saturday.

The location is nearly hallowed ground for local musicians and music lovers. Tower Records got its start nearby when Solomon began selling vinyl records in his father's drug store and soda fountain in 1941 in a building shared with Tower Theater.

The family recognizes Solomon as an icon in the music business.

"He's been here in this neighborhood since 1941," said Dilyn ("DYE lyn") Radakovitz, who started the small record store company with her husband, Johnny. "That was kind of crazy, trying to get your head around that. He's been here since before the war."

The first Tower Records store opened on Watt Avenue in 1960. Solomon ran the Tower Records store on Broadway for nearly 50 years until the business he'd turned into one of the country's biggest record store chains fell into bankruptcy in 2006. He operated an independent record store, R5 Records, there for two years until mid-June.

Dimple Records' roots stretch back to 1966, when patriarch Johnny Radakovitz became a "rack-jobber" delivering vinyl records to any business that would sell them to the public. Just out of the U.S. Navy, he was a 21-year-old guitarist with a passion for Spanish classical guitar and nylon-string classical.

He worked for Canterbury Records. Radakovitz drove from southern Oregon to as far south as Fresno and Bakersfield and into Nevada. He sold to pharmacies, supermarkets, truck stops and more.

"Anyone who would carry 45's," Dilyn Radakovitz said. "Then it was eight-tracks — whatever the music was in that day."

"He just went around and sold Monkees' albums out of the back of our station wagon," said son Andrew, who grew up in the record business.

On weekends, Johnny Radakovitz worked at Canterbury's record store at Arden Fair Mall — later home to Virgin Records. Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin and Grace Slick were some of the musicians who used to visit the store to sell their records on consignment.

Solomon also ran a rack-jobbing business, which was how some people got their start in the recording industry and how some music labels and record stores started.

Solomon was a mentor for Radakovitz. Although the two never worked together, Solomon taught him an important lesson about rack-jobbing: "Stack 'em high and sell 'em cheap," Radakovitz said.

Johnny and Dilyn, who worked for the phone company, married in 1967. He went on to work for Pic-a-Tune, Musical Isle of America and United Artists/TransAmerica. He went into business for himself as a rack-jobber with the same clients under the name River City Records Distributors.

They took over Cordova Records in Rancho Cordova in 1974 and The Record Shoppe in Roseville in 1975 before opening the first Dimple Records in 1978 at another Roseville location. Today, the family employs about 140 people and owns eight stores in Roseville, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Davis, Elk Grove and Sacramento. The headquarters is based at their store at 2433 Arden Way in Sacramento.

Their oldest son, 42-year-old Ollie, is the company's chief financial officer. Andrew, 41, is in charge of human resources.

Wednesday afternoon, the buy-back counter at the new Broadway store, 2500 16th St., was still being put together, and boxes of DVDs and other merchandise were being unpacked by the family and their employees. Dimple Records District Manager Jen McKee and Operations Manager Kyle Newton are overseeing the opening.

Dilyn was putting picture-hanging wire on the back of a painting of Solomon they'll unveil Saturday. Customers were already trawling through new and used music, movies and games. At least 10 people had already visited to sell or trade music for cash or store credit.

"We opened the door and they came. And they've just kept coming," she said.

Solomon turned the location into an "iconic sort of destination" in Sacramento, Johnny Radakovitz said.

Dimple Records still follows Solomon’s advice to sell as cheaply as they can. All the stores sell vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, and cassettes. They also sell local music left on consignment by musicians.

But the stores have changed with the times, expanding to include much more than just music. They carry movies, video games, posters and candy. At least 30 percent of the music, movies and games are used. The stores give out free T-shirts and other swag to customers and hold contests for people to win movie tickets or music.

Record stores that just sell music don't make it anymore, Dilyn Radakovitz said.

"The key to the independent record store of today is you have to think of your store as providing entertainment," she said. "There are too many choices."

The store is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The grand opening will be held in August.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

French Cuff: three's a charm

2010-07-10T04:03:35Z

Mother-daughter entrepreneurs Darcy McNie and Corey De Roo have their hands full this weekend with the grand opening of their newest French Cuff Consignment store in Davis.

The pair that opened a second-hand clothing store business by the same name in a Midtown Victorian four years ago is now operating three stores — two a block apart on J Street and a third in downtown Davis. They've built a list of clients with their girlfriend-next-door conversations and the cups of tea they hand out with clothing advice.

In early June, McNie, 55, and 35-year-old De Roo took over the storefront vacated by Krazy Mary's at 2527 J St. They've spent the last few weeks moving all of their designer clothing — half of their inventory — to the new store.

They're keeping the vintage collection and everyday wear in the house that's been converted to retail space at 2419 1/2 J St. until the lease ends in April or they find a replacement tenant, De Roo said.

"We've worked really hard to foster good relationships with our clients," she said. "I always tell people, 'You don't have to come buy something. You can just come visit.' "

All three stores are the same size, about 1,600 square feet. De Roo and McNie opened the new location in Midtown because the space is more visible and shopper-friendly.

There's a large space in front for merchandise, a back room for processing new consignments and storefront display windows. The old space was charming but cut up into five rooms, with no back room. They've already seen increased foot traffic at the new store, De Roo said.

They timed the Davis store's three-day grand opening celebration to coincide with the Downtown Davis Summer Sidewalk Sale hosted this weekend by the Davis Downtown Business Association. The new store at 130 G St. officially opened Friday with a pledge to donate 15 percent of the weekend's proceeds to the Yolo County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, she said.

The stores are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On second Saturdays, the Midtown stores usually stay open until 10 p.m.

The women decided to open the Davis store after sales grew 35 percent last year and they found many of their clients are from Davis.

In late June, they attended a National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores conference at which De Roo taught a social-media marketing class. She said most consignment store owners reported that their sales had grown significantly in the last year.

When Downtown Davis Business Association Co-President Michael Bisch heard about their search, the leasing agent encouraged them to open a store in Davis and helped them find the right space.

"We are trying to energize our downtown retail," he said. "We heard that French Cuff was a pretty dynamic, go-getter type of retailer."

The pair has put in long hours preparing for the opening. De Roo also has spent a lot of time marketing their business through their website and social-media networks including Facebook and Twitter.

"I've worked like a hamster on a wheel," she said.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Couple trading Midtown corner for Mexico

2010-01-26T06:17:27Z

Sacramento will be losing more than the most eclectic greeting card shop in town when Etc. closes next week.

The city is also losing a one-of-a-kind neighborhood gathering spot. Owners Jeff Heald and Abdon Legrand — with help from a glittery, life-size chrome man standing sentry outside the shop — have welcomed shoppers and passersby to the corner of 21st and L streets for two decades.

The pair are closing their shop — previously known as Postcards Etc. — and moving to Mexico. They plan to open a new business: Café Como No (Cafe Why Not) in Punta de Mita, near Puerto Vallarta, said Heald, 57.

Heald grew up in the Sacramento area. However, 47-year-old Legrand grew up on the Gulf of Mexico in Tampico, Mexico. The couple, who have been together 28 years, want to return to Legrand's home country after vacationing there for 15 years.

The store has officially closed, but the pair are allowing customers in as they pack up. The store's last day is Monday. In the midst of a going-out-of-business sale, the pair said saying goodbye to friends in Sacramento is taking an emotional toll.

"We are overwhelmed at this point," Heald said, adding that it's become hard to talk about the impending move. "It's very bittersweet, because this has been a great, great run."

"We are going to miss people very much," Legrand said.

The store sold scented candles, gift items and local art in a part of Midtown known as Lavender Heights for its concentration of gay-owned businesses.

The store also sold cards. Lots and lots of cards.

There were handmade cards, Sacramento landmark cards, cowboy cards, Spanish language cards, Bat Mitzvah cards and gay-themed cards. The cards were unique, which made regular customers out of people like Midtown resident George Raya. He was at the store Sunday to buy cards and talk to Heald and Legrand.

"I'm into cards," Raya said. "I'm 60. I'm in that generation that believes in cards. Not just computer (e-mailed) cards. To me, that doesn't do it."

Heald and Legrand also have supported the gay community and local nonprofit causes for years. They've supported the Capitol Crossroads Gay Rodeo Association's rodeos and other events and fundraisers, Raya said.

"They've been around forever," said Raya, who's lived in Sacramento 46 years. "They were pillars. You went there for community news."

The silver mannequin sparkled on Sacramento summer days. During Sacramento's lesbian and gay-pride event, the Rainbow Festival, the chrome man held a rainbow-colored flag. He wore a Christmas stocking cap throughout the winter holidays. On other days, he'd just been lei'd.

He was actually the store's second mannequin. "Bob 2," or "Silver Bob," as he was also known, will now make his home at the Sacramento Art Complex, 2110 K St., in a suite belonging to artist Alister Oliver.

"More people ask about Bob than us," Legrand laughed Monday near closing time. "If you want to see Bob, that's where you have to go."

Heald and Legrand often set up a table, chairs and a shade umbrella outside the store, located at a well-traveled crossroads.

"They were super friendly. If you walked by, it was just natural to sit and talk with them for a while," Raya said. "There were two of them. So one could gossip and the other could work. And there was always someone there chatting them, because it was a friendly neighborhood spot."

The owner of another Lavender Heights business is reportedly talking with them about taking over greeting card sales in his own space. But the chrome man has already left that once-distinct corner as Heald and Legrand prepare to head south of the border.

"Sacramento doesn't have another place like Etc.," Raya said.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff writer for the Sacramento Press.

Beekeeping shop buzzing after 25 years

2010-01-17T05:11:03Z

Among many local beekeepers, Nancy Stewart is the queen bee, and her shop, Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies, is the hive.

Stewart has spent a quarter of a century selling bees, local honey and all sorts of equipment needed to raise Apis mellifera ligustica in Sacramento backyards.

And she has dispensed plenty of advice, starting with the fact that Sacramento city regulations allow two hives on any size lot.

Now 72, Stewart gets help at the shop, 2110 X St., from her daughters, Pam Hill and Donna Stewart, and her retired husband Fred — an operation Brian Fishback, president of the Sacramento Area Beekeepers Association, compared to a colony of honeybees.

"The workers all have the same goal in mind, and that is to work together in harmony, revolve around their queen, and affect the world in the sweetest way," he said.

Nancy Stewart sells Italian honeybees, handmade beekeeping suits, hives or bee boxes and other supplies. The full set up to get started could run $350 to $500, which includes a queen and three pounds of bees, which would cost $100 separately. After that, maintaining a healthy hive usually costs about $30 a year, she said.

Stewart opened her business on Jan. 15, 1985, after taking an interest in the bees her husband had been raising in their backyard for a decade. She was between jobs at the time.

The more she learned about bees, the more they fascinated her. All the worker bees are female. The males, or drones, are needed only to inseminate the queen, she said. Stewart became somewhat attached to the bees.

"If you're around them very much, they become cute. They have little triangular heads. If you lift the lid (of the bee box), they are all looking at you," Stewart said. "It sounds strange, but that's the truth. An awful lot of hobby beekeepers feel like they're pets."

The family keeps two hives behind the store and a few more than that in their Sacramento backyard. They use the hives to store bees for sale in the spring and to teach customers.

Bees and beekeeping have become very popular in the last four years, in Sacramento and elsewhere, following reports of a rising number of honeybees leaving hives or colonies, known as colony collapse disorder.

"I think there's a growing recognition that bees are very compatible with urban settings. They do very well in the city," she said.

Stewart doesn't have any plans to stop working at the shop and retire any time soon.

"Not me," she laughed. "We talk about it. But it's more fun than staying home."

Bookstore showcases Sac's "Living Library"

2010-01-07T05:46:05Z

Behind every good book is a writer with something to say and a talent for saying it.

Booksellers like Peter Keat know this. They make a living finding these people and making their voices more accessible on the shelves of bookstores.

But not all the great stories are written down.

Starting this month, Keat and his tiny staff at Time Tested Books are offering a series of monthly talks and lectures from Sacramento's living and breathing cultural icons, thinkers and experts — and people who have just led intriguing lives. The free series, which will be held every third Sunday, is called the Sacramento Living Library

"We wanted to straddle the line between books and people," Keat said, standing behind the counter of his store at 1114 21st St. "There are legendary people here in Sacramento who are a storehouse of information and culture, knowledge and expertise."

The series begins Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. with a rare appearance by Tower Records and Books founder Russ Solomon, now owner of R5 Records & Video, discussing the companies he created and the music business. Sacramento journalist David Watts Barton, who is editor-in-chief at Sacramento Press, will be interviewing Solomon. Doors open at 6 p.m.

"I don't think (Solomon's) spoken that much in public, and we knew there were a lot of people out there who'd be interested in what he had to say," Keat said.

The series also will feature a panel of former Sacramento mayors Heather Fargo, Anne Rudin, Burnett Miller and Phil Isenberg; architect David Mogavero; wine expert Darrell Corti; and journalists Peter Schrag and Ginger Rutland. Midtown Monthly Editor Tim Foster will host the rest of the series.

Keat has operated Time Tested Books since 1981 — originally, in a small space just down the block, at the corner of 21st and L streets. Today, the store sits in a retail loft converted from a garage that housed Lehr Auto Electric from 1947 until 1980.

More than 10,000 books fill wooden bookcases lining walls and sitting on wheels in the middle of the room, which is dominated by exposed brick walls and a wooden ceiling supported by trusses. As many as 40,000 more books sit in storage. The store is warmed with rich wool rugs, a six-foot totem pole and a cozy reading area created with a pair of wooden chairs, a small table and an antique floor lamp.

Keat fell in love with books and second-hand bookstores before he was even in high school. He began collecting books, starting with some of his favorite authors: Leo Tolstoy, Fredric Brown and Henry Miller. He collected so many, he decided it was best to go into business trying to sell some of them.

"I had a shopkeeper mentality and a lot of books," he said. "I've always been kind of a recycler and concerned about conservation, and I have an appreciation for the past."

The store is filled with books on just about every subject, from arctic exploration and science fiction to children's books and detective novels. Time Tested Books emphasizes the arts, humanities, history and politics, Keat said.

Rare and collectible books include a $100, turn-of-the-century "Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales" illustrated by W. Heath Robinson, a first-edition "Silver Chief: Dog of the North" by Jack O'Brien, and "Arnold: The Education of a Body Builder" by both Arnold Schwarzenegger, before he became California governor, and Douglas Kent Hall. Among the store's oldest books is a $200 two-volume set, "The Ancient History" by M. Rollin, published in 1826.

Keat builds the bookstore's stock via his own reading tastes, book reviews and customer recommendations. He's gone to hundreds of second-hand bookstores throughout the world and perused hundreds of thousands of books.

He and his staff worked together to come up with the idea for the Living Library series to highlight Sacramento culture and some of the people who create it, as well as draw people into the store.

"Sacramento has kind of viewed itself, until recently, as a cultural backwater. That isn't the case at all," Keat said. "It has a rich historical tradition and a rich cultural tradition that have been overshadowed in the past. This is an opportunity to highlight that it shouldn't be."

Family business passes 100-year mark

2010-01-06T04:29:39Z

Family legend has it that Russian Czar Nicholas II was hot on the heels of the Anapolskies when the clan's grandmother shepherded the children out of the country.

The situation was much the same for other Jewish families in 1904 Russia. On Tuesday, descendants of the immigrants, who settled in Sacramento, celebrated the longevity of a downtown business that has remained in the family for more than 100 years.

Three generations of brothers, as well as a wife-husband team, have run the business for the last century. The business has changed over the years to become Sacramento's oldest family-operated pawn shop, California Loan & Jewelry Co. The current owners, brothers Larry and Warren Anapolsky, raffled away $30,000 in diamonds and gold Tuesday afternoon as the culmination of a year-long celebration.

"I'm very proud that my grandfather could start a business that today we are still running," said Warren Anapolsky, standing in the shop at 916 J St. "It's a very important tradition for me that we are able to carry this on."

In 1904, Leah Anapolsky led seven grandchildren to New York. Mystery surrounds the fate of the parents, who never left Europe. A small yet solid woman, Anapolsky told her oldest grandson, David, to go as far west as he could, find a place for the family and send for them, Larry Anapolsky said.

Then in his 20s, David Anapolsky considered San Francisco, then headed to Sacramento. Most of the family were tailors. Anapolsky opened a tailoring business in 1906 and slowly sent money to bring the others west.

"He found this was the best place to start up a clothing business," said Larry Anapolsky, 59. "It was a new frontier."

Three years later, twins William and Joseph Anapolsky opened a used merchandise store, New York Second Hand Store, at 1014 Third St., near what is now known as Old Sacramento.

"It wasn't Old Sacramento then," laughed Larry Anapolsky. "That was Sacramento."

An old photo of the first store shows their grandfather William in the doorway and a storefront sign advertising "Hats, Clothing, Shoes & Gents Furnishings, BOUGHT and SOLD." Another sign proclaims, "Revolvers a Specialty."

"In those days, the true, old second-hand stores dealt with everything from Timex watches and razors to pocket watches and suitcases. Virtually anything that had value," Larry Anapolsky said. "It would almost be a store that was the equivalent to a flea market."

In 1922, the twins' brother Julius opened a men's outfitter or "haberdashery" called Julius Clothing, also still in the family. Others later opened Capitol Clothing, which is not still run by the family, said Warren Anapolsky, 60.

In the mid-1940s, the second-hand store also began operating as a pawn shop, loaning money to people with goods for collateral, unless the loan and interest were paid back within a deadline. From 1942 to 1964, the family sold many goods to Mexican immigrants coming to work in the region under the Bracero Program.

William and Joseph both died in 1947. William's sons, Sol and Milton, took over the store and renamed it California Loan and Jewelry Co. The boys' father and their Uncle Milton continued to sell "everything under sun" and offer more pawned-goods loans. Sol's wife, Bernice (mother to Larry and Warren), joined day-to-day operations after Milton died in 1952.

The only robbery the brothers could recall almost ended their father's life. In 1961, Sol Anapolsky was shot twice in the doorway as he tried to flee during the crime. Witnesses followed the gunman and tipped police off to his location, and Anapolsky survived.

The store moved three times to various locations on K and J streets, before settling across from Cesar Chavez Plaza, where it still sits. The store shares the block with another pawn shop, taco and teriyaki spots, a Christian Science Reading Room on one end and the redeveloped Citizen Hotel on the other.

Today, more than 90 percent of the merchandise is jewelry — new, consigned, pawned or reset. Their father sent both boys to the Gemological Institute of America as they got involved in the store about 40 years ago. Electronics such as stereos, clocks and transistor radios were slowly phased out, as were other goods that became obsolete, including typewriters and cameras.

"We look at things that have value, and if we think we can sell it later on, we'll take it," Warren Anapolsky said. "Every pawn shop finds its own niche. We've been lucky to find our niche with jewelry."

The front of the shop is filled with jewelry for sale in glass cases. Guitars, which have always been a strong seller, line one wall. A back storage area holds items in pawn. A dark and drafty basement holds a Corvette, a Porsche and a black 1906 Studebaker physician's buggy acquired two years ago.

Over the years, the shop has taken in and sometimes sold exotic and pricey items. Those include books, such as a rare copy of "Songs of Innocence," hand-written and illustrated by William Blake and later sold for $500,000 at Sotheby's; a Renoir painting; and a 1973 Miami Dolphins Superbowl ring, Warren Anapolsky said.

Their father worked in the shop until his death in 1979, and their mother until well into her 80s. She stopped working only days before her death in 1999.

The shop is poised to be taken on by a new generation when the time comes. Larry's and Warren's children — three girls — haven't shown an interest. But a young cousin, 24-year-old Adam Anapolsky, has been working in the store in his free time since he was 13. A recent graduate of UC Santa Barbara, he is now working there full time. He said he would feel "a lot of pride" to be able to continue the family business now being taught to him.

Warren and Larry said their family has passed down a tradition of integrity in business.

"We treat customers the way we want to be treated — with honesty and fairness," Warren Anapolsky said. "For a business to last 100 years, you have to have a lot of those elements."