A dress shop that lost its lease two years ago is making a comeback, displacing another business in the process.
Rostas Collections, the women’s clothing store that previously sat on Colesville Road and Fenton Street, is reopening its doors at 8618 Fenton St, Gary Stith, director of Silver Spring’s regional center, said at Monday night’s meeting of the citizens advisory board.
Until recently, that site housed a Jerry’s Subs and Pizza restaurant. However, clothier Ali Rostas owns the building and has decided to resurrect his dress shop there, Stith said.
In a 2004 Washington Post article, Rostas said he had trouble renewing his lease at the dress shop’s former location at 8668 Colesville Rd. He also passed on the opportunity to apply for county grants meant to help small businesses drowning in the wake of downtown’s redevelopment.
Last year, Rostas Collections closed its doors, ostensibly for good. The retail space is now occupied by a T-Mobile cell phone store.
It’s unclear when Rostas asked the local franchisee for Jerry’s to hit the road, or when the clothing store will reopen at its new location. Whether the Jerry’s franchisee plans to grill another cheesesteak elsewhere in downtown Silver Spring is also unknown.
Jerry’s Subs and Pizza is a regional operation, with restaurants in Maryland, The District, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The company has another franchise operation at 8647 16th St.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Rock and Roll Machine.
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I’m giving the slow clap right now.
You know, the aroma of cheesesteak is hard to shake. What the hell is that clothing store going to smell like?
I figured Rostas went out of business because I never saw anyone inside it, and I walk past it twice a day.
I’m still trying to figure out what the deal is with Fashion at Times. I also never see anyone inside it. Also, if it’s fashion at times, what is it during those other times?
Score one for the local business over the chain franchise
David:
Did you know that Jerry’s started as a local business in Wheaton? I guess once local places achieve a certain level of success, we need to start rooting for their failure.
Seriously, has anyone reading this actually bought anything at Rostas in their lifetime? Have you even gone inside?
Ya know.. I’m all about local business… but franchises I find interesting. I don’t know the details about the DTSS franchise, but in general you see a LOT of situations where franchises provide outstanding opportunities to people who otherwise would never be able to own a business. That being said they also dramatically contribute to the genericization of america, which I think is a very bad thing. I wish there were an equal resource-pooling business model that provided the same resources to small business owners without destroying the individuality of businesses…. alas.
Say what you want about chains, but at least they are held accountable by their corporate office and must maintain a certain level of quality and service. This is a level that a lot of independent places in Silver Spring don’t always meet.
I’m with Sligo in wondering just how popular Rostas was. There are a few other small clothing stores in Silver Spring that I’ve been curious about too.
I’ve never been to Rostas either, but I have to imagine that the owner attracts enough customers to stay afloat, which must mean that some folks are OK with the store’s level of quality and service. Given the plethora of stores from American Apparel to the places in City Place, it’s not like Rostas has a monopoly on shmatas. Then again, maybe the owner is in business as a hobby and is wealthy enough to cover a failing enterprise.
I’d like someone to explain to me how all of the many hair and nail places in downtown silver spring can stay in business. Is the start up and overhead costs associated with these businesses particularly low? Is the local demand high enough? I’m not a client so perhaps I’m blind to the demand for these stores.
David wrote:
The same notion applies to Silver Spring’s myriad barber shops and salons. When you find a good barber or hair stylist, you stick with that person to the end. (Unfortunately, my favorite hair stylist recently moved away — to Brooklyn, NY, of all places — leaving me with my current mess. DAMNIT!)
And I do believe salons are a low-overhead (no pun intended) enterprise. No inventory to keep, and because employees can earn fat stacks in tips, most probably make a low hourly wage.
Hair salons seem to be a popular business for immigrants to this country. The shop I go to (Raphael’s) is owned by a woman from Georgia (near Russia) and my barber is Iranian. That relatively new shop near Giant is run by Vietnamese people. Still, I can’t imagine that all of these shops will survive.
As for chains, I often prefer indies, but chains can sometimes be good. However, chains are, alas, not always a guarantee of quality due to corporate control. For example, the Hollywood Video across from Whole Foods has been a shambles almost from day one; I even complained once years ago to corporate headquarters after a nasty run-in with the store manager, and nothing changed (except me — I switched to Netflix and have never looked back).
Raphael’s actually just raised their prices by $2. I talked with the owner, and she said she hated doing it, but cost of living has gone up some. Can’t say I blame her, and I also can’t say I really care – that place gives a FANTASTIC haircut for the price.
We can just turn City Place into a big mall of hair and nail places. Then they can all be concentrated in one place and the storefronts on the street can be used for something else.
Editor’s note: Ick! All that hair on the floor, ultimately swept down into the basement food court … The horror! — JD (Apr 16, 2008)
I must echo the sentiment about Raphael’s. They do a wonderful job on haircuts. $17 is getting up there in price for a haircut but the way I look at it is: Do you want to spend $17 for a great haircut or less for a crappy haircut?
“Do you want to spend $17 for a great haircut or less for a crappy haircut?”
Heck, We Can Do Better, I spent more than twice that much trying out the haircutters at that spa above Lebanese Taverna, and the cut I got was only as good, if not worse, than what I get from Ibrahim over at Raphael’s.
Ibrahim is wonderful. I always get a great cut from him. It’s always tough to find a good barber. Thankfully we have one right in the neighborhood.
Thank you all for the glowing reviews about Raphael’s. I’ve been looking FOREVER for a good place to get a good cut at in the Silver Spring area. I’ve been in the DC metro area for a good 7 years now and I still only get my haircut from my local salon back home in Southern Md when I go to visit my parents. I tried out a few places in College Park when I went to school there and I’ve used Brian’s Barber (the relatively new place next to Giant) a few times but I never really found anything worth not just waiting till I got down the road.I am definitely going to give Raphael’s (and Ibrahim) a shot next time I’m due to get my ears lowered!
Now I just need to find a good PCP under my HMO and a good dentist and I’m set!
Hooray!!! I shopped at Rosta’s for years and was sad to see it go. If you are wondering who shopped there, well ladies from near and far. I used to drive from Baltimore and it was well worth the trip.
Rostas is comming back? Damn shame, more fashion victims destined for Silver Spring with that bit of news. Someone should beat the owner with a Vogue magazine. I don’t want you back!!!!
Walking by the store over by Adega too, WTF fug, fug, fuuuuuug!!!!
Another store I can’t figure out is Diane’s Boutique on the corner of Wayne and Cedar. Nearly every day I drive by there on the way to WholeFoods or the library and seemingly no one is in there. How does it make it?
Mrs. Springvale Roader bought a blouse at Diane’s boutique some years ago. I promptly fell apart, having been made very cheaply. I too question how this store stays in business, but it seems to cater to a loyal Church-lady crowd.
I still wonder about Fashion at Times.
Springvale, your ref to Fashion at Times reminds me of the running joke my wife and I have about Jet Legs.
With every “new retail coming soon” sign that goes up we joke that Jet Legs II is finally here.
Anyone know what is coming in the re-habbed building opposite Discovery? I miss the Carolina kitchen that was in there. I see they have one opening over in PG Plaza. (I go by there every week to go to my secret video haunt: Hyattsville library AV dept. They have an incredible collection of the Criterion Collection of films. Highly rec it. It’s a 2 day rental free.)
I’m a long time customer of Rostas and am very happy to know they will be reopening! It has been very difficult to find the quality clothing and reasonable prices in anywhere else. I travel from Baltimore to shop there and let me tell you it is well worth the drive. Thanks for the update.
Kimberly, maybe you can get together with Nancy and carpool from Baltimore. I hear it’s well worth the drive.
Editor’s note: Woohoo! Rastas road trip! — JD (Jun 5, 2008)
I am a long time fan of Rostas also. It is difficult to find stylish dresses in the day and age. I am pleased to know tht they are reopening the doors. Finally class is on the way back.
Why is that awful place coming back? I was so excited to see it go and was even more elated to have a local T-Mobile store rather than going all the way to White Flint Mall. Rostas won’t last in that Jerry’s location with the new Fillmore. And like Ed I would like to know whats going in that building across from Discovery. Seems like they are trying to lure some higher class retailers with the new facade.
Kibana haircuts are a little pricey, but damn they give a good scalp massage…
we sophisticated mature person who whish to perchase our chothing at Rosta boutique for years misses their elegance and inexpensive oneof a kind garment that we can were no matter the change in fashion and pople will ask were did you buy your blouse or dress from,then you know why we miss rosta,s and waiting and wanting its return to the neighbor soon.thank you.