Kress announces it's closing doors

Jason Silvers/Tribune Photo The front of the Kress Tea Room and Pie Pantry, 17 S. Main St., also known as the Kress Emporium and Tea Room, features a sign on the door that informs patrons of the store management's recent decision to close the shop for business as of Saturday. The nearby Village Shoppes, 23 S. Main St., is also closing its doors this weekend.

Two long-time downtown shops are preparing to close for business this weekend.

The last day of operation for the Kress Emporium and Tea Room, 17 S. Main St., and the nearby Village Shoppes, 23 S. Main St., will be Saturday, according to local resident Becky Cowlishaw, who manages both stores. Both buildings that house the businesses are currently owned by former area residents Charles Parsons and his wife, Brenda.

Cowlishaw, who has worked at the stores for a year, said Thursday that several factors led to her decision to close the businesses, which had been experiencing financial woes for the last several months.

"I am kind of sad about it," she said. "I would have stayed, but I just couldn't. It does have to do with financial reasons. I would love to stay, but the money is just not there. I don't even make a salary. I just can't go in the hole any further. It would take me a couple of years to get out of the hole I'm in right now. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it because everybody has been great."

Cowlishaw said sales at both businesses have also been affected by recent street and sidewalk work downtown that is part of the Streetscape Project, an ongoing plan to restore and revitalize portions of downtown Fort Scott. The Streetscape project has only added to the business' financial problems, which were occurring even before the project began, Cowlishaw said.

"Street construction (downtown) has played a part," she said.

Many parts of downtown Main Street have been blocked off recently to foot and vehicle traffic while digging and reconstruction work continues -- a process that is just one reason why the businesses are closing.

Business at both shops also declined when both stores were closed while she underwent a recent surgery, Cowlishaw said.

"Business has been slow since June," she said.

Local resident Belinda Richardson, one of Cowlishaw's employees, agreed with Cowlishaw, saying that the closing of both businesses was the result of a combination of factors.

"Things have just slowed way down," Richardson said. "Unfortunately, it's just not making us any money so we're going to have to (close). The streets being worked on doesn't help, and some of it is financial. There has just not been as much foot traffic. It's a lot of things, not just one particular thing that led to it."

On Aug. 1, in an effort by management to operate both businesses more efficiently, merchandise and other products sold at both stores were combined and offered for sale in the building at 17 S. Main St., with the exception of some treats and beverages that were still being sold at the Village Shoppes, according to a sign posted by management on the front of the building this week.

Before combining both stores' wares in one building, the Kress Emporium offered meals, pastries and pies, coffee, and various antiques to patrons. Over the years, the Village Shoppes had contained several businesses, many of which were in the building at one time, including a fudge shop, a book store, a deli, a consignment clothing store, a coffee shop, and the Kress Tea Room and Pie Pantry.

Merging both shops, along with other efforts made by Cowlishaw and her staff in an attempt to boost business recently, were not successful, Cowlishaw said.

"We wanted to see how that would work, but it didn't," she said. "We also tried for about six months to have it open during the evenings because we were not getting real big daytime numbers. But there was not a good turnout, and that added to some of the financial stress."

Cowlishaw said she doesn't know what the future holds for either business, but she hopes both shops are able to return to the downtown area in the future.

"I've enjoyed what I've done, but you live and learn," she said. "I've learned a lesson. It's just been a really expensive lesson. We've talked about ways to save it and keep it open, and we're still open to ideas."

Concerning the remaining inventory in both stores, Cowlishaw said she has considered organizing a public auction of the items, which include a number of antiques and decorative products. Many of the items in both stores are being sold for half price during a special sale that is taking place through Saturday, Cowlishaw said.

Vendors who supply the antique store with merchandise will most likely transfer several of their items to other stores, Richardson said.