4th Coast Outfitters opens men’s boutique
Finding something new and unique in men’s fashion isn’t easy in Juneau. Gabriel Rivera wants to change that.
His new men’s boutique on Seward Street, 4th Coast Outfitters, aims to be a “one-stop shop” for Juneau men looking to stand out. Everything in there, from the colorful socks, blazers and bucket hats, to the Chinese-made, fur-lined shoes, is hand-picked by the 30-year-old transplant from Florida.
Rivera wants Juneau guys to have a place to find something different, whether for a night out or another day at the office.
“I want it to basically evolve to be an extension of myself. Everything in here has a relationship to something I do or I like,” he said.
The Puerto Rico-born Rivera is a veteran of skateboarding shops and event promotion. He wants 4th Coast to bring a community vibe to a men’s apparel shop. Like a barbershop or a skate shop, it’s as much a space to hang out as it is a shop. He wants his customers feel comfortable working with him to get what they need.
It’s a boutique style inventory; Rivera only buys clothes in small quantity, usually only with one of each in different sizes.
“Once it’s gone, it’s gone, so it’s going to bring some exclusivity. So you’re not grabbing something and walking down the street to see everyone wearing the same thing,” he said. “You might see a gentleman smaller than you, or a gentleman bigger than you, but nobody your same size will be wearing that.”
He’s brimming with ideas for fun, shop-related events. A summertime backlot movie night in the parking lot behind the shop. Record Jam Tuesdays, where customers can bring their own records in to spin while they shop.
“Along with the shop and a place for gentlemen in Juneau to have a place besides Freds (Fred Meyer’s) and Costco to go shop, I want this to be a place for the community at large to come, hang out and do stuff,” Rivera said.
4th Coast hasn’t yet had a grand opening, but it is open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday right now. Rivera said once summer comes around, the shop will be open seven days a week.
Vintage Fare closes for good
Plumbing problems at the Nugget Mall have kept both Vintage Fare Café and Espresso and Peter’s Oriental closed since October. With no fix to the issue in sight and legal issues between the mall and an insurance company showing no sign of resolving anytime soon, Vintage Fare owner Pennie Peterson has decided to close the 30-year-old café for good.
Peterson made the announcement in an emotional Facebook post on the Vintage Fare page in early February. Closing the café for the holiday season crippled the business, Peterson explained, and after 15 weeks waiting for either an insurance company or the mall to pay for a plumbing fix, she decided to close the café for good.
Both Vintage Fare and Peter’s would have to remodel their existing kitchen to reopen under new codes, putting the repairs somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000 — a prohibitively-high number, Peterson told the Empire in December.
“I live in this amazing community that has suffered with me during this time. So now I accept the bittersweet end of Vintage Fare Café and Espresso and must move forward and start the next chapter of my life,” she wrote.
It’s been a trying time to wait for a legal resolution to the plumbing situation in her store, Peterson added. After hitting “rock bottom” in the last few months, she’s decided to “start the next chapter” in her life.
The plumbing issues meant Peterson didn’t have running water, a requirement for food prep businesses. Both Peter’s Oriental and Vintage Fare been offered a different location for rent, mall manager Elizabeth Clayton said when speaking to the Empire Thursday.
“I have met with mall management, insurance companies, lawyers, and contractors, yet the problem has yet to be fixed,” Peterson said in her Facebook post. “For this reason, I have been unable to reopen my doors for business and serve the community and help the employees that are in limbo. This has financially, emotionally and physically destroyed Vintage Fare Café, its employees and my life while they are “working on it”. Meanwhile I continue with mounting expenses, but I am without income and have exhausted all resources. My dedicated employees lost their jobs and that deeply hurts me. This situation devastates me. The past several months has been haunting.”
Peter’s Oriental holding hope plumbing fix comes
Peter’s Oriental was also forced to shutter in October, but the business is still holding out hope it can reopen in its current location. Signs have been posted at Peter’s since the plumbing issues started stating that the business will be closed indefinitely.
Clayton said Peter’s has been offered a new location to rent and a new rental space is an expense the business is still considering.
The Nugget Mall is in receivership, so it essentially doesn’t have an owner. Acting as a “receiver,” or a substitute owner, is Seattle-based real estate brokerage firm Capital Pacific, which is currently trying to market the mall to potential buyers for $14,310,000.
A new buyer hasn’t yet emerged and the legal situation with mall plumbing hasn’t changed since the Empire last wrote about the situation in a Dec. 28 article.
• Biz Briefs is a roundup of local business news. Have a news item to contribute about your business? Contact reporter Kevin Gullufsen at 523-2228 and kgullufsen@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @KevinGullufsen.
