ROCKFORD Brothers Dave and Tom Giamalva locked the doors at Palace Shoe Repair for the final time on Friday, an emotional end to 95 years as a family business.
The brothers, who ran the downtown shop with their father, Lou, have spent the last couple months selling off their remaining inventory of shoes, boots, purses, wallets and other accessories.
“We’ve always known that the end could come,” Tom Giamalva told the Register Star in a March interview. “After this long and working with family, it’s very difficult. I won’t see my dad and my brother every day.”
The shop has been located at 204 N. Main St. since 1958. It opened in 1926 in the 100 block of North Main Street next to the Palace Theater, which was demolished years ago.
ROCKFORD In 2015, Ryan Smiley posed for his high school graduation pictures in front of the Indoor City Market before remodeling construction began. On Saturday, he will officially open his first brick-and-mortar location for his vintage clothing store in that same building.
Smiley s Vintage Supply Co., located at the Indoor City Market, which opened in 2019 at 116. N. Madison St., will host its grand opening Saturday. Smiley is eager to be a part of the revitalization efforts of downtown Rockford.
With roots as an online-only business, the new storefront offers customers the opportunity to purchase clothing and memorabilia from the 1980s and 90s, such as concert T-shirts, Harley Davidson and NASCAR T-shirts, and pro sports merchandise.