Shoe service moves to Indiana Avenue

Ressa’s Shoe Service, a longtime Spokane shoe and boot repair and sales shop, has moved around the corner to 20 E. Indiana.

The shop had been located on the Division Street side of the same block, where a new Sweeto Burrito restaurant building is being constructed.

“I only had two options,” says shop owner Greg Ressa, “Either to sell everything and part out the machinery, or reopen and keep the business going; I wasn’t ready to change jobs.”

Ressa’s Shoe Service now occupies 830 square feet of floor space, which is slightly smaller than the old shop space.

“We had to pack 48 years’ worth of stuff and try to find a place for it in this new one,” Ressa says.

Ressa says he has one full-time employee and one part-time employee.

He says the main business is rebuilding and fixing shoes and boots. He also repairs handbags, belts, tents, and leather goods.

Ressa’s Shoe Service handles Rockport, Wolverine, Thorogood, and Wesco lines of work boots and footwear accessories.

Ressa says the shop repairs all brands of shoes from custom work boots to massed-produced sneakers.

“You would be surprised at how many people have a pair of $10 sandals they want fixed,” he says. “They will put $40 into it to make it last longer because it’s their favorite.”

Ressa says he’s been repairing shoes since he was 10 years old. 

“I bought this business from my cousin in 1989,” he says.

Ressa says the new location is working out well.

“We’re more visible than we were before,” he says “People can see our building now.”

—Mike McLean

Guitar shop opens north of downtown

The Senator Guitar Shop, which offers repairs and lessons in addition to selling musical instruments, has opened in a 1,500-square-foot space at 618 N. Monroe, a few blocks north of downtown Spokane. 

Spokane native and shop owner Taylor Roff says, “We had a kind of soft opening already, and plan for a grand opening with live music soon.” 

He says the shop will sell guitars, bass guitars, and accessories for both. It also will offer minor repair services and lessons for guitar, bass guitar, and drums. 

Roff grew up in Spokane and graduated from Central Valley High School before taking music courses at Spokane Falls Community College and Shoreline Community College, north of Seattle. Having moved back to the area last year, Roff soon set to work on plans for his own guitar shop.  

“I have a real love of music, but it’s hard to make it as a rock star these days,” says Roff. “So I decided to open a store as a way of staying connected to the music scene, and helping others learn how to play.” 

Roff says the shop borrows its name not from a famous guitar model by that name, but rather from a bar operated by his great grandfather. 

“He used to have a bar in Santa Cruz, Calif., called The Senator,” says Roff. “I liked the name, so I decided to use it. I also borrowed his likeness for our logo of the guy in a top hat.” 

 —LeAnn Bjerken

Consignment shop  opens on Monroe

The Lilac Shop, a retail consignment business, has opened on north Monroe Street.

Owner Alyssa Agee claims the business is unique because it is one of Spokane’s first pop-up style, or short-term, retail spaces. 

 “Because we’re a pop-up, the original plan was try things out for a month, but we’re doing so well that I may just extend the lease and stay open through the summer,” she says.

The shop occupies about 1,800 square feet of space at 2209 N. Monroe, in a building just north of Mansfield Avenue. 

Agee says the store specializes in gently used men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, housewares, home décor, and furniture. 

“Spokane already has a great high-end consignment market,” says Agee. “We’re more middle of the road when it comes to pricing, not too high end, but still good-quality used items.” 

In addition to its consignment items, the shop also features pieces for sale by local artists, including pottery, jewelry, candles, and quilted items. 

“Someday, I hope to open a shop that sells only locally made products and artwork, but that’s a ways out yet,” says Agee. 

The shop is open Thursday through Saturday, from noon to 6 p.m. 

—LeAnn Bjerken 

 

Obit Fund develops charitable gift feature

Obit Fund, a Spokane-based startup that offers loved ones the opportunity to create free online memorial pages, says it has added a new feature for online publications, churches, and funeral homes.

Obit Fund, which launched last March, enables users to select from more than 1.5 million charities for friends and family to make a donation in place of flowers.

Garrett Benson, founder of Obit Fund, says the new “plug-in” feature could provide companies with an additional source of revenue at no cost. 

A plug-in is a software component that adds a specific feature or multiple features to an existing computer program.

In this application, friends and relatives are encouraged to donate to a charity honoring their deceased loved one. As part of its service, Obit Fund collects 5 percent of all donations.

The charity plug-in feature is customized to match each company’s branding and is free to incorporate into a site. 

Obit Fund then shares portions of what it collects with the other businesses.

In addition to increased functionality and more features, the new plug-in also enables users to share online obituaries through social media.

 “It’s a hard topic, it’s a tough subject,” Benson says. “But in a short time we’ve seen it’s been a wonderful way for people to connect and honor the memory of a loved one.”

—Kevin Blocker