Bethel shoe repair business alive, well and in demand
BETHEL-- The custom shoe repair services accessible at Bethel Service Plaza are being sought after from coast to coast. Business has been so brisk since the store opened the owners have experienced to move down the road on Stony Hill Road to a place that is larger. There is also a location to supply another place for customers to drop off their shoes. "It is truly about the quality of the work," said Irv Gissen, an area resident who has been getting his shoes repaired at the shop since it first opened. "I was always quite specific about how I dressed for work and business. And I like to bring my clothing and shoes to individuals who understand just how to look after them and recognize quality. They know everything there is to know about shoes, and they never cut corners." A native of Ecuador who started the shop in 2009, Fausto Guamantari, said their work is more than a repair, but a restoration of the customers shoes into near new condition. "We understand more than simply the way to fix a shoe, we understand how shoes are really made," Guamantari said. "We can explain to the customers what it truly is that we'll be doing with their shoes and we supply a warranty for our work." He added that individuals can save a considerable amount of money repairing their shoes instead of simply replaci Mens Nike Air Jordan SC Sale.g http://www.buyblazer.com/lowest-price-for-mens-low-nike-classic-ac-nd-suede-shoes-grey.html.the shoe and throwing away the old pair. "If you purchase a $40 pair of shoes that wears out in a couple of months, that would be more than $160 a year," he said. "But if you replace the soles they can continue for years." He said, the soles used to repair worn out shoes are a much better quality stuff than what came from the factory. Guamantari learned his skills at an early age in Ecuador observing a shoe maker by trade, his dad. By the age of 15, he had opened his own shoe making store in Ecuador before immigrating to the United States. He was, joined by his brother, Felipe Guamantari in the Bethel operation within the first few months due to a high need for their services. Customers send their shoes, sometimes by the dozens, from as far away as California, Texas, Chicago and Washington D.C. Additionally they receive monthly shipments from high-end manufacturing companies to mend shoes which were damaged while they were being made. "A lot of our business comes from word of mouth," Guamantari said. "Once somebody has their shoes mended they tell their family and friends, who also send us their shoes to be repaired. Our web site also drives a lot of company to the store." Besides shoe repair, the company also offers on site shoe-bright services for special occasions, repairs handbags and makes custom belts. Guamantari said sell and they recently began to design their own line of sandals, an aspect of the business they hope to expand upon in the future. "It's something we should investigate, when we have time," he said. .