Plaza loses two retailers, COVID partly to blame: ‘We don’t want to fight it anymore’
The Country Club Plaza is losing two retailers. But a year-long pop-up has opened.
Longtime men’s apparel store Pinstripes is closing with a retirement sale starting later this week.
Mister Guy had operated in the space, at 601 W. 48th St., since late 1976 before closing its area locations in late 1993. Trent Slusher and Jack Ring, who had worked for the Mister Guy chain since 1963, then took over the Plaza location.
They will have a retirement sale starting Thursday through Nov. 18 (by invite but they won’t turn anyone away). Items will include men’s suits, sport coats, sportswear, pants, shirts, shoes, sweaters, ties, and coats and jackets. They also are selling their fixtures and furniture.
“This is very difficult to talk about. I’m 79, this is my whole life,” Slusher said.
The lease is up in January and the partners decided not to renew it.
“Age is probably the biggest factor. Then the environment of COVID has hurt us desperately,” Slusher said. “There are five big office buildings within walking distance and they used to be filled. Now everyone is working from home. We don’t know when it will end. We don’t want to fight it anymore.”
In a statement, Kasey Vena, general manager of the Plaza, said, “We wish them the best.”
▪ Designer swimwear shop Nani Nalu Beachwear Boutique has closed after six years on the Plaza. It signed a new one-year lease in February.
“It was COVID-related. No one is traveling. We made a deal to decrease our rent during COVID, but the property taxes went up so much that our rent was actually higher than pre-COVID,” said Jennifer Cermak, founder and owner. “We were ready to try again. It’s beyond devastating.”
The shop, at 421 W. 47th St., opened in late 2014. Cermak will concentrate on her store in the Minneapolis-area.
In a statement, the Plaza’s Vena said: “The disproportionate, unfair tax increase has unfortunately negatively impacted our tenants who are already challenged by COVID. We will continue to exercise all legal options regarding this matter.”
▪ Kindred, a locally owned collective boutique, has opened a pop-up in the former Baldwin space at 422 Nichols Road. It has women’s clothing and accessories from a dozen vendors. The lease is for one year.
It also has locations in Independence Center and Oak Park Mall.
The Plaza currently has about two dozen empty spaces. Helzberg Diamonds, which opened in late 1948, also is closing.
But locally owned Rally House recently expanded with a one-year pop-up on 47th Street by Shake Shack. Bruu Cafe plans to open before the end of the year.
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM.