Seven years ago, Jade Noble from Phoenix worked her first shift at Frances Boutique in Central Phoenix.
That day, though ordinary, was one she still remembers. That day her dream began.
“I called my friend that day and said, ‘Wow, I wish this place was mine,” said Noble.
And now the time has come.
On July 28th, Frances owner and founder Georganne Bryant sold the shop to Noble. The 33-year-old entrepreneur is also one of the owners of the Phoenix bar Linger Longer Lounge.
“People have asked, ‘Are you sad’ and no, I am not,” said Bryant. “I’m so grateful to keep it going. I’m happy with everything. Jade is one of … the toughest workers I’ve ever met and I couldn’t be happier because Frances will go on living and it’s someone who.” is well versed in the business and knows the community. It’s a win-win situation. “
What is Franziska?
Frances Boutique in Medlock Plaza on Camelback Road and Central Avenue has been a Phoenix favorite since 2006. The boutique has been voted “Best Boutique” 15 times by Phoenix New Times readers and is according to Bryant. a “modern boutique with vintage charm”. .
The store is simple.
Go through and customers will find handpicked clothing for adults and babies throughout the store. A small Arizona gift shop sits in the back corner with unique gifts for the Arizona local or visiting tourist.
Other standout items – like handcrafted turquoise jewelry, local cocktail mixes, or even a vintage photo booth – adorn the store and 50% of all merchandise is locally sourced.
Frances Boutique’s online store has sold more than 2,500 items since it opened in 2018.
“I don’t give 150 percent”
Bryant said the ownership transfer will give her time to do the things she loves to do: travel and spend time with her family.
Bryant’s husband is eight years older and ready to retire, she said, and the two wanted more time together and their children. The Bryants have two grown children, Patrick, a Colorado freelance photographer, and Aidy, an Emmy-nominated actress best known for her roles on Saturday Night Live.
“I give 150% (usually) and I don’t give 150% so I know it’s time to restart and someone else is putting their stamp on it,” said Bryant.
On April 4, Bryant posted a video on Frances’s Instagram page announcing her decision to retire. In this video she passed on another message: “If there is anyone who has dreamed of owning a boutique, get in touch with me.”
Within a few days, Bryant received 40 inquiries. A month later there were eight official offers to buy the shop.
“I was shocked,” said Bryant, “but I was thrilled.”
Noble’s was one of those offers.
“I couldn’t do it”
Noble started working for Frances Boutique back in 2017, despite the fact that the two bonded in high school. You and Aidy were friends. Noble remembers her first visit to the store – she was a high school graduate at the time.
“There was nothing like it,” said Noble. “There was no room with local manufacturers at the time, so I had never seen anything like it before. It was so unique. I loved it.”
A lover of style and clothing – she is no stranger to turquoise jewelry and patterned, flowing skirts – Noble began her career in retail. After spending 5 years in management for Urban Outfitters, Noble joined Frances. She also tended the bar in the evening and bought the Linger Longer Lounge in 2019 with her partner Manny Tripodis and boyfriend Cal Cronin.
But Noble always stayed close to Frances Boutique. Although she ran the Linger Longer Lounge full time, she visited the store frequently. She remained friends with Bryant and Frances staff.
Over lunch with Bryant and another employee, Sandy Conte, Noble asked about the store. Bryant had just put it up for sale. But buying the store didn’t seem like an option for Noble at the time, who said buying the building and store wasn’t financially achievable.
“I couldn’t do it,” said Noble.
But after finding out that Bryant was selling the store separately from the building, the idea clicked that she could afford to buy the store.
“We sat there and the shop was already up for sale and Georganne was stressed,” said Conte. “The three of us had a random lunch where we laughed and relaxed, and then Jade said, ‘Send me the information, maybe I’ll buy Frances.’ And we all went and it was like wow, ‘that could be the turning point and then it was time. Total kismet. ‘”
How Frances will live on
Bryant has been friends with Stinkweeds Record Store owner Kimber Lanning since Frances opened in 2006. Stinkweeds is right next to Frances, and the two business owners are close friends.In recent years, the two have supported each other at local events in their shared parking lot.
When Lanning found out that Bryant was selling the store, she knew she had to buy the building. Lanning, who opened her record shop at the age of 18, is committed to the local economy.
As the founder and CEO of Local First Arizona, a nonprofit that supports small businesses in Phoenix, Lanning wanted to preserve local ownership of the strip of buildings. She officially bought the building in June.
“Smaller buildings are gobbled up and bogged down for large, huge construction projects,” Lanning said. “This neighborhood is very local, and one reason for that is the affordability of smaller, older buildings. I wanted Frances to go on living. ”
“I will live my own destiny”
Before starting Frances, Bryant was a home mom who loved making jewelry for boutique shops in the Phoenix area. Her mother was an artist, her father a businessman. She kept finding ways to bring together what she had learned from the two of them.
After Bryant established her jewelry locally, she drove to Los Angeles in hopes of selling her wares there. After getting up two days in a row, she gave birth to a new idea: Frances.
“I remember sitting in my car slumped and I took a deep breath and said, ‘I will take my own destiny in my hands. I don’t need LA, I love Phoenix and I’ll never get anyone up, “said Bryant.
She and her husband, both runabouts at the time, bought the building shortly afterwards. Her mission was simple: to buy the things she loved and sell local, hand-picked goods to the Phoenix community.
The shop is named after her grandmother, Frances. When Bryant’s mother went back to college, she spent time with her grandmother after school. Those memories stayed with Bryant.
She especially remembers her grandma’s pizazz. It was not surprising to see her dressed in pink from head to toe – or to walk into her grandma’s kitchen and be greeted by colorful decorations.
“I always felt like she was here with me,” said Bryant with a smile.
Conte, a longtime friend and colleague, said Bryant’s success was due to her unique style and vision.
“It was the first boutique on the block there,” said Conte. “People came in and said, ‘Well that would be perfect in Scottsdale,’ but she knew that north central Phoenix needed something unique, something special. She risked it. And 15 years later she has the largest store in Phoenix. ”
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What’s next for Frances
Although Frances is newly owned, Noble said some things will not change.
She continues to plan on realizing the local focus of the business, including curating local products for the store and returning them to the community.
Over the years, Bryant has focused on helping women. The shop donated Go with the Flow AZ menstrual supplies. Currently, the shop gently collects used bras for The Bra Recyclers, a clothing recycling company that donates bras to women escaping domestic violence.
Noble also plans to stock the store with more clothes. The most important thing, Noble said, is maintaining the shop that the Phoenicians know and love.
“I feel very fortunate and privileged to have the opportunity to run the business in the first place,” said Noble. “It’s a popular business in the community and I hope to keep it as special as it has been for the past 15 years.”
Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @ sofia.krusmark
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