Combining funnel cakes and french fries with nautical-themed gifts and decor may not have the same enchanting effect in every town, but in Mystic, Connecticut, the results are awe-inspiring.
“It’s always a good time,” says Laura DeJesus, manage of The BoardWalk. “And never a dull moment.”
Known for stocking more than 5,000 coastal-inspired items and a menu of deep-fried delicacies one would likely find on a seashore strip made of wooden planks, The BoardWalk is a tribute to the carnival-like atmosphere that surrounds places like The Jersey Shore and Virginia Beach.
“We decided to call it The BoardWalk because when you are on vacation and you have good takeout food and souvenir shops and things close to the water, it’s along the boardwalk in most cases,” explains Owner Jim Holley. “So, that’s how we named it.”
Located in Olde Mistick Village — an open-air shopping destination modeled after a colonial market — The BoardWalk is one of 50 unique stores, boutiques, shops and eateries within the complex, which comes complete with a town green, duck pond and gazebo. Nestled among the Mystic Aquarium and I-95 just east of the Mystic River, the shopping village celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2023, according to Old Mystick Village’s website.
Holley, who is also the owner of Franklin’s General Store in the same complex, says he was approached more than 11 years ago and asked whether he had any interest in expanding his reach by adding another store.
“We realized there’s never really been a coastal-themed store in Mystic,” he says. “There were lots of gift stores — really nice stores — but they all had small elements, maybe some nautical pillows, or maybe some nautical souvenirs. But the bulk of the store was kind of a mix of many different things.”
Holley turned his focus to gutting the 40-year-old building, leaving no detail untouched; from new electrical capabilities throughout to new floors and fixtures, the end result was a 2,200-square-foot seaside emporium.
On opening day, his daughter, Laura DeJesus, took the helm managing The BoardWalk while Holley and his wife, Heike, continued to oversee Franklin’s. Although DeJesus had been studying interior design and fine art at the University of New Haven, she decided to pivot and give the family business a try.
“When I was offered the opportunity to manage The BoardWalk, I thought it over for quite a while, and I said, ‘you know what, let me just try it,’” she explains. “It was something new for me to dip my toes into.”
An eye on what works
With white built-in shelves wrapping around the perimeter of the store and cool pops of Caribbean blue framing areas like the cash wrap and other permanent display tables, the nautical feel goes beyond the merchandise.
To maintain the laid-back island vibe of the store, a sound system delivers melodic vibrations that invite customers to stay a while and sing along as they browse the endless collections of wind chimes, apparel, picture frames, postcards, magnets, candy, signs, decor, glassware, wall art, jewelry, accessories, toys and more.
Holley notes the store is the largest distributor in Connecticut for a number of items, including Wicked Tuna gear and apparel. He adds that apparel ranks one of the top-selling departments with brands like Latitude 44, Ocean Beach Company and Magic T-Shirts contributing to the cause.
For jewelry — another front-runner — brands like Cruz Accessories steam to the front of the line with the anklets being a fan favorite.
“Cruz does very, very well for us, especially in the summer,” DeJesus asserts. “The girls love the anklets; they eat them up.”
While endless bins of old-fashioned candy and a wooden sailboat overflowing with saltwater taffy call to children to find their favorites among the more than 300 types of candy, others take notice of the store’s wall art made by coastal artisans like Lisart and Donna Elias Studios.
Holley notes Lisart is essentially a “house brand” for The BoardWalk, as the store has been carrying her work as long as it’s been open. DeJesus says the allure is in the moments she captures in her photography. “She draws images in the sand at her local beaches in Maine. She waits for the tide to come in and at just the right moment, she snaps a picture,” he explains.
In addition to photography, Lisart also provides sea glass work and mermaid ornaments that are laser cut and look like suncatchers, DeJesus notes.
Known for watercolor paintings of beach scenes featuring sunsets, lighthouses, sand dunes and lounge chairs, Donna Elias fits right in with the store’s concept as well.
DeJesus and Holley agree that the variety is what differentiates the store from others nearby.
“We try to appeal to everybody in the group,” DeJesus explains. “So, mom, dad, brother and sister all come in. Our aim is to have something for everybody. In our small space, we really have such a wide variety that can accommodate any age group.”
While apparel and jewelry might call to the trendsetters among the bunch, others delight in finding their name among the wooden magnets and frames by GiftWorksPlus.
DeJesus comments, “You’ll hear people coming in saying, ‘Oh my gosh, they have my name. Mom, they have my name!’”
Tastefully tempting
With so much to see, such as Brass Reminders decals, Ipswich Bay Soap, Paint the Town coasters and ceramics and a variety of home goods, including cutting boards, salt and pepper shakers, wooden signs, candles, lotions and picture frames, it’s almost easy to overlook how the store smells; but DeJesus says that’s nearly impossible.
“I think the No. 1 thing I hear the most is it smells so good in here,” she says with a laugh.
With nearly 30% of sales coming from food service, it’s clear patrons aren’t ignoring the powdered-sugar confections or quick-bite items, like chicken tenders and clam fritters.
Holley says the decision to add the 800-square-foot food station was a bit of a risk as it required a high payroll to get items out the door and into the hands of waiting customers in a timely manner; however, it’s a strategy that began paying dividends about four years ago as the retailer began to turn a profit.
Under a whimsical lemon yellow and Caribbean blue awning, soft pretzels spin lazily in a glass case and green and yellow plastic lemonade cups stand at attention, waiting for a fresh pour.
Meanwhile, the aroma of fresh-popped popcorn wafts through the air while the sizzling sound of grease browns another batch of fried Oreos to perfection.
It’s an irresistible combination that invites patrons to grab a bite, pull up a chair and stay a while longer. For this reason, a front porch full of square tables with umbrellas offers a shady place to rest, sip a slushy or share a snack with friends and family.
And the No. 1 best seller on the food side, according to DeJesus, is the french fries — or galley fries, as they are called at The BoardWalk.
n 2023, more than 4,600 orders found their way into the hands of hungry customers, DeJesus notes. Served with a special mixture of spices that includes salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder, the reason for their popularity is simple: “They’re good,” DeJesus says.
From premium hot dogs to barrel pickles to the finest ingredients for soft-serve ice cream, Holley explains they take great care in ensuring all the ingredients are of the highest quality.
“We spent a lot of time when we opened tasting different brands,” DeJesus says. “We really wanted the best products that we could find.”
Holley says having snacks all made from scratch add another wrinkle to the retail experience because patrons will likely browse — and buy — merchandise while they wait for an order.
The best advice
With more than 40 years under his belt in retail, Holley says the best advice he can share with others is to merchandise thoughtfully and effectively — as it undoubtedly has an impact on your bottom line.
“Aside from personnel, the No. 1 thing that will keep your store selling product is you’ve got to merchandise your store,” Holley stresses. “It’s got to look right. If it’s disheveled and it looks like nobody cares, you’re not going to sell anything.”
He adds that relying on adjacencies to know what should go where also plays a huge role in successful sales.
You can move an item two feet and it will stop selling,” Holley explains. “You can move it back to where it was, and it will start selling again. Placement is so key to figuring out the best overall setup.”
When it comes to employees — another crucial detail in a successful retail business — Holley admits it takes a lot of patience trying on different personalities to find the ones that best suit an establishment.
“The biggest challenge is always finding the right people to represent the store the way we want to represent it with high level customer service and the right attitude and who’s not afraid to work,” Holley asserts.
DeJesus credits her assistant manager, Jennifer White, for being loyal and seeing her through the mixed bag of emotions that come with the job.
“It has its challenges for sure,” says DeJesus. “There are some days where you just want to go off and cry, and there are other days where you’re like, ‘Let’s do this. I’m ready. Bring it on.”
Although long, busy and exhausting days are synonymous with running a retail establishment, DeJesus knows there’s nowhere else she would rather be working than The BoardWalk. She encourages others to take a leap of faith and find their passion — even if it means following a path that veers from that which was originally intended.
“Never be afraid to try something new,” she says. “You never know where it’s going to lead because everything happens for a reason. And I think this was my destiny.”
