 Posted: Thu, Apr 30 2009, 5:22 pm EDT Post subject: Patina Home to close its doors |
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| Patina Home to close its doors
Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:57 PM EDT By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer CRANBURY — Patina Home, the store known for its quaint linens, rugs, furnishings and accessories, will be just another Main Street memory by the end of the month. This downtown shopping staple, 33 N. Main St., which opened in 2006, will be closing its doors following a string of other local business that have fallen prey to the unstable economy. ”It’s significant of the times,” said Jamie Sims, Patina Home co-owner. “We’re just another casualty.” Not only has consumer traffic been dwindling over the past few months, he said, but patrons appeared to be bringing less expensive or fewer items up to the register during check-out. ”It’s a combination of things,” Mr. Sims said. “It’s not what we want to do, but we have to do what we have to do.” * Until the shop closes, all merchandise in Patina Home will be 50 percent off, he said. Charmed by Claire, a jewelry and accessory shop just blocks from Patina Home, will be taking over the lease once the owners have cleared out their discounted stock. News of the closure caused some alarm at Monday’s Township Committee meeting. Mayor Pari Stave asked for Committeeman Richard Stannard to contact the Cranbury Business and Professional Association and invite a representative to an upcoming meeting to discuss some solutions to the recent trend of business closures. Vice-president of the association, Rocco D’Armiento, said Patina Home falls in the ranks of Cranbury’s other failed businesses such as Hannah and Mason’s restaurant, Wright Travel and Lorraine Davis Employment, all of which have closed up shop in the past year and a half. ”Every time one closes up there’s that much less traffic that comes to town,” he said. “They all feed off of each other.” Mr. D’Armiento said that if the township could do anything to help, it would be easing the process of opening a new business. ”It’s very difficult and very expensive to open up a business in Cranbury,” he said. “Just the bonds required for construction are astronomical for a small business.” The association will likely send a representative to speak with the committee, but Mr. D’Armiento said he was skeptical if it would bring about any changes. ”We’ve presented all of our ideas over the years, but our hands are tied,” he said. http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2009/04/30/cranbury_press/news/doc49f9d4d826b3a556866649.txt |
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