Business

<< Previous   of   Next >> Eric Fetters / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Dale Preboski looks through dresses at her store, Beyond the Blue, on Friday. The business is closing soon after more than six years in downtown Everett.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, April 12, 2008 Beyond the Blue hangs it up Dale Preboski, owner of the Everett bridal and dress shop, is wrapping up final special orders before closing her store. By Eric Fetters Herald Writer EVERETT -- Not many boutique stores in downtown Everett attract a line outside waiting for a sale. But when Beyond the Blue Bridal began its final sale this week, that's exactly what happened. "It's a great store. The service was always excellent. I'll be sorry to see it go," said Jenni Holleman of Granite Falls, who was waiting for the doors to open Thursday morning. "I wish people got married more often so they could stay open." Beyond the Blue's owner, Dale Preboski, admits there have been business ups and downs. After all, she opened the store days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. And for much of the next year, construction to remake Hewitt Avenue through downtown Everett pinched traffic and parking near the store. But with a reputation for selling unique, mostly moderately priced wedding dresses and formal gowns, the store succeeded. "Weddings don't turn down with the economy. And we've been really blessed to have repeat customers who've come back again and again," Preboski said. The main reason the former city official and journalist is giving up her business is a desire for a little more free time. "I'm tired. I'm ready to do something different," she said. "I think small-business owners, wherever they're at, end up working seven days a week." As a business that opened when Everett began trying to attract more people to its downtown core, Preboski said she's glad to have been part of the revitalization period. And despite the hard work, she's had fun. "The people who come into our store are happy people," she said. "Many of them have just gotten engaged or know someone who's planning a wedding." Over the years, Beyond the Blue also specialized in offering more modestly-styled wedding dresses for women whose ethnic or religious background preferred that for their ceremonies. The shop also began selling dresses for quinceanera, the traditional Hispanic celebration of a girl's 15th birthday. For a time, Preboski also managed Blue's Brother, a menswear store her husband, Paul Kaftanski, owned in an adjoining space. Preboski said she has offered the business for sale, but hasn't found someone willing to invest and take it over. So the plan is to sell everything in the store in the coming weeks and take care of her customers' final orders. "We're going to be here until we get all of our dresses taken care of," she said. After closing the business, Preboski said she and her husband will travel, but she hasn't made plans yet beyond that. Reporter Eric Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com

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