Shopping for the holidays is in full swing, and Park City’s retail options have never been better. As always, we at Chin-MacQuoid-Fleming-Harris want to support local businesses first, so we’ve put together a sampling of three of our favorite locally-owned and operated stores. You’ll find beautiful and unique gifts for everyone on your list, as well as support a family who lives and works in our hometown.
Clothe yourself in Grace
Grace Clothiers, located at 751 Main Street, is true to its name. The fine clothing collections offered are hand selected by owner Laura Montecot-Fruth to bring every age, size, and taste the joy of knowing they look their best. “I love fashion, and I love the way it can express the inner beauty of a person,” says Montecot-Fruth. “My staff and I have only one focus: to best serve our customers by showing them clothing and accessories they truly look wonderful in.” Laura doesn’t dream of owning a big chain of stores; she dreams of the smile that comes to a customer’s face every time they look at something they purchased at Grace Clothiers.
Joys of Toys at J.W. Allen
J.W. Allen & Sons Toys & Candy, located at 1675 Redstone Center Dr., has been every child’s dream store for over a decade. Owned and operated by Parkite John Allen for over a decade, he loves to watch kids fall in love with traditional toys again. “With so much Internet and high-tech play, sometimes going back and setting up animals or dinosaurs or knights or army men and just getting back to that imaginative play is meaningful to kids. It never grows old, really.” Now a destination for those who value Allen’s customer service and his efforts to stock unique items, this is a must-do experience for anyone with children on their holiday gift list.
Make yourself Right at Home
Right at Home, located at 1745 Bonanza Drive, has been the go-to home décor store for locals for over 20 years. The brainchild of three long-term Parkites, Marion Boland, Eileen Mulane, and Cindy Matsumoto, this store started out as furniture resale, but today has the most gloriously eclectic collection of interior decoration imaginable. You’ll find everything from handmade tree ornaments to estate-quality bedroom sets. You can literally spend hours looking through their inventory discovering treasures that will add that unique touch you’ve been looking for. “I’ve seen some of the most elegant homes in Park City decorated almost exclusively by Right at Home, and I’ve seen some of the most humble studio apartments come to life by adding the one-off gems that can be found there,” said Ann MacQuoid.
Before you open Amazon.com on your computer or head down Parley’s Summit to visit a mega-mall, we at Chin-MacQuoid-Fleming-Harris would like to encourage you to check out the retail outlets locally owned and operated by Parkites. You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy local, and that’s kind of the same!
