A pair of air flow enthusiasts blowing out the aroma of chocolate used to draw individuals into a storefront on New Kensington’s Fifth Avenue.
That is when Herman’s Nuts and Chocolates was situated there.
Now, it is women’s apparel from makes identified in Los Angeles and New York that are bringing persons via the door at Chlo’s Boutique.
Kimberly Waltenbaugh got her new retail store opened in time to attract in crowds who experienced occur for the opening of Las Hachas, an ax throwing business throughout the street. She’s also had buyers come from AngelWing, a yoga studio and wellness centre down the road.
An Arnold native and 1981 Valley High graduate, Waltenbaugh, 58, ran Amore, a entire-company salon, in Arnold for far more than 20 yrs. She shut it a few many years in the past.
She opened the boutique “because I’m crazy.”
“With the enterprises expanding in New Ken, I was so thrilled to see New Ken searching the way it is,” she claimed. “There’s no boutiques down there. There is absolutely nothing in this spot like that, in particular what we provide.”
The retailer is named following Waltenbaugh’s daughter, Chloe Kuffel, who is encouraging her mother.
“We ended up sitting around striving to figure out a quirky small pun identify,” Kuffel mentioned. “Everyone phone calls me ‘Chlo’ — clothes, Chlo. Once men and women locate out, they assume it’s really intelligent.”
Waltenbaugh’s all-new inventory spans everyday to dressy and just about official, from dimension zero to plus sizes, for all ages. New stock comes day by day, and rotates for the seasons.
“No suppliers all around in this article have a whole lot of these brand names,” she stated. “My most important problem is finding my inventory. It is coming in slowly but surely.”
And besides for the blue denims, everything is black and white.
“Everything in in this article is a staple in a woman’s closet,” Waltenbaugh reported. “Black and white is timeless. It under no circumstances goes out of model.”
Waltenbaugh, a self-explained “fashionista,” stated she rates anything to be really cost-effective.
“It was priced for the space,” she stated.
Waltenbaugh remaining her job as a payroll supervisor with Allegheny Ludlum in downtown Pittsburgh to open up Amore. Its closing was not for a lack of small business — Kuffel said her mom was occasionally doing work right up until 10 at evening.
“After 20 some yrs, I was burned out,” Waltenbaugh reported. “No weekends, no holiday seasons, no nothing.”
But just after closing the salon, Waltenbaugh stored undertaking nails out of her property to maintain chaotic.
“She does not know how to settle down,” Kuffel said. “This is one thing she desired to do for a whilst. We’re all supporting her. I enjoy fashion, much too, so we decided to go for it.”
Waltenbaugh and her spouse, Donald, place in extended several hours receiving their place next to the new UPMC St. Margaret Family Health and fitness Middle ready for the boutique’s opening.
“I preferred to be open up for Las Hachas’ grand opening,” she reported. “Everybody that arrived in acquired a thing. There was not a single particular person who showed up that did not depart with a bag.”
Waltenbaugh describes Chlo’s Boutique as little and personal.
“I assume I’m heading to outgrow it,” she explained. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Overview staff members author. You can get hold of Brian at 724-226-4701, [email protected] or through Twitter .