Living Rooms downsizing
Owner moving longtime St. John’s business to St. Philip’s
For much of her life, Churchill Square has been Alex Storeytexmo’s home away from home.
Not only was Terrace on the Square the site of Living Rooms, the family business she inherited from her late mother, Dell Texmo, it has been a focal point in her day-to-day life.
“My hairdresser is here, my lawyer is here, my doctor is here, my pharmacist is here and my travel agent is here,” she says. “I don’t want to say goodbye.” But at month’s end, Storeytexmo will shut off the lights and lock the doors at Living Rooms one last time, having made the tough decision to close the shop after 29 years.
Her lease is up and business in the square isn’t what it once was, this past year in particular as 18 nearby businesses and 63 apartments have been left vacant since March’s historic windstorm severely damaged the building on the east side of the square.
Beyond that, there’s a confluence of factors that led to her decision to pull stakes. A challenging economy is obviously affecting customers’ shopping habits and their ability to shop and support local enterprises, but the demographic of her customers is also shifting.
“Our age demographic, we eat, we drink, we travel, we shop online, or we do gift cards,” she says. “I see it and that is me, too. I love to dine out with girlfriends and I’ll cook you something instead of giving you a gift.”
But as hard as it is to bid farewell to the square, this isn’t the end for Living Rooms. Storeytexmo has purchased a bungalow on Thorburn Road in St. Philip’s, where it will be reborn.
“It’s home,” she says. “I’m in Portugal Cove, my dad’s in St. Philip’s and my son goes to Beachy Cove (Elementary), and this little place is right on his bus route.
“It doesn’t look like much right now, but it’s going to look pretty terrific in a few months.”
Once open — hopefully by May 1 — it may not necessarily be called Living Rooms and it will be a much more streamlined and simplified operation.
“If I lost 80 per cent of my inventory, I would still be making the same dollars and cents because I have 20 items that really sell well that there’s a big demand for and I’m recognizing that,” she says, referencing the Gluggle Jug, Emile Henry cookware and Portmeirion dishes among some of the products that sell extremely well.
“Once upon a time you could have this kind of inventory and overhead, but not anymore. You just have to simplify and carry what sells.”
Unlike the Churchill Square location, the new spot won’t offer any café service, but rather operate as a gourmet food takeout.
“I’ll be doing frozen takehome dinners and meals. I’m also going to make sauces, stews, empanadas, pies, hors d’oeuvre, and finger foods,” she says, adding that her lunch menu will consist of four sandwiches and a small selection of fresh soups.
“You can come in, get your groceries, you can get a gift and go on.”
There’s also the possibility she may offer some delivery in the area and teach some small evening cooking classes.
Asked what her mother would think of the move, Storeytexmo knows it would have her mom’s blessing.
“She always said I should be cooking more and doing more of what I love,” she says, pointing out that it wasn’t until she moved home after some years abroad that Dell reopened the café component of Living Rooms.
“I know she wants me to do what’s best for me and my son and the business.”
Another component of downsizing the business is a sizeable reduction in staff. A handful of the 17 employees have been asked to join her in St. Philip’s, but it remains to be seen who will make the move.
“Breaking the news to them was hard and I know it was big to do it and they haven’t missed a step,” she says.
“They’re welcome, they’re cherished and they’re loved and I’d love for them to come, but they’ve got to do what’s best for them, too.”