Bradly Rakowski and his staff had a cozy spot inside the old comfort station in Lansing's Old Town. But as business picked up for
Bradly's Home and Garden, so did the need for space.
"When Brad and I opened up last March, this was a good size for just starting out," says Store Manager Troy Arient. "We wanted to keep things under control since Brad has a regular full-time job, and I was working full-time as a waiter."
But things changed. After just a few months in business, Arient and Rakowski realized the increasing potential for a shop that defined home living through carefully curated items.
"People loved our style and prices," says Arient. "After the holidays, we got a real good feel for how the shop was going."
That feeling led Rakowski and Arient to jump at the opportunity to move a few blocks west and across the Robert Busby Memorial Bridge to 117 E. Grand River. The shop will open April 28 after undergoing moderate renovations to accentuate the exposed brick, high ceilings and wood floors of the space that's nearly twice the size of their original store. And when their current neighbor relocates later this spring, Bradly's will double their size again by knocking in a door and joining the two spaces into one.
The new location will carry an expanded furniture line and home items that include accessories, candles, soaps and lotions, jewelry, and pieces for the garden. Glassworks by
Craig Mitchell Smith Glass will also be retailed through Bradly's for the very first time.
"We're really excited about the new shop," says Arient. "We had no plans to leave our old space for at least two years, but when we saw that everything was just going so well and that the opportunity was there, we just reached out and grabbed it with both hands."
Arient recently came on full-time with the shop. Plans are to add one or two part-time staff in the coming year.
Source: Troy Arient, Store Manager, Bradly's Home and Garden
Writer: Ann Kammerer, Development News Editor
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