The Paul’s Hat Works teams cuts their grand opening ribbon with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. Photo by David H.
Earlier this morning, the ladies of Paul’s Hat Works (6128 Geary) opened their second location. But it’s not in the neighborhood, or even in San Francisco. It’s all the way in Louisville, Kentucky.
Paul’s Hat Works owners Abbie Dwelle, Wendy Hawkins, Olivia Griffin, and Kirsten Hove bought the 95 year old business on Geary back in 2009, and since then have spent time marketing the store and finding new opportunities to put a hat on every head. They even managed to get a fedora on President Obama!
In a blog post last August, the owners wrote about why they decided to expend the business:
Our dream as a team here at Paul’s Hat Works is to be successful and profitable enough so that the four of us, and our current and future employees, can make a healthy enough income to support ourselves and our families. In order to do this, we have to keep growing, taking risks, and expanding.
They launched an indiegogo campaign to raise funds for a new venture and after much research, decided on Louisville as home for their second location:
We have been doing pop up shops in Louisville, Kentucky, for the past two years during the week leading up to the Kentucky Derby; the foremost hat event in the United States. Selling our beautiful straw hats in Louisville has been so successful, and so well received by the folks over there, that we want to explore this option much further.
The store, located at 1319 Story Avenue in Butchertown, opened this morning. Festivities included a visit from Mayor Greg Fischer for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
“Should be a hit at Derby!” Fischer tweeted about the store.
Our cub reporter David H. went east to help open the new store and snapped some pics of the big day.
Congratulations to the women of Paul’s Hat Works and to Lousville residents, who now have a much better chance of being fashionable about town – and for looking spiffy for the Derby in May.
Sarah B.
The exterior of the new Paul’s Hat Works in Louisville, KY located at 1319 Story Avenue. Photo by David H.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer presents the owners of Paul’s Hat Works with a city proclamation. Photo by David H.
I don’t know that it is workable, but you might try to work with the golf courses and country clubs to create a new market for your hats. There are many men and women who stayed in the sun too much in their younger years, and are now paying for it through their dermatologists. Some of the treatments are surgery, liquid nitrogen, blue-light, and most of all THE DOCTOR’S RECOMMENDATION FOR WEARING A HAT for activities in the sun!
Best of luck with your business!