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Patti McPartland-Reilly has wanted her own business for a while now. And she’s finally got it.
McPartland-Reilly earlier this summer opened Jules at 3 Thompson St., a store that caters to a younger crowd and features jewelry, clothes and fun tchotchkes.
“I just love it!” McPartland-Reilly says of being in Winchester. “It’s been awesome.”
McPartland-Reilly says she’s always worked in retail ever since she graduated high school. She worked in big department stores and even opened a flower shop in the North End about 15 years ago.
“Then I had kids and that changed everything,” she says.
But now that the kids are grown up and her sister opened up Frozen Hoagies in Winchester Center, she decided maybe it was time for a new venture. Luckily, a space opened up when The Branch Olive Oil and Spices closed its doors back in February.
“I jumped on it,” McPartland-Reilly says, with a laugh. “I really wanted to get back into it. I didn’t want to sit at home anymore and my husband isn’t going to retire for another 10 years.”
There wasn’t a lot to do in terms of changing the space. McPartland-Reilly painted the walls a light pink and added white shelving. The merchandise has been going like gangbusters.
“The little kids are really invested,” McPartland-Reilly says. “I think we get more high school kids, though. I love that the younger kids can come in and buy something for a little money and still get something great.”
Right now, McPartland-Reilly says she wouldn’t really change a thing. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t got some plans.
“I would love to grow,” she says. “But I love my space. It’s a really great space.”
