Shop’s new owner ‘married’ to customer service

Shop’s new owner ‘married’ to customer service

By Jon Gulliver

Staff Writer

    PRESQUE ISLE — A well-established business in the Star City is under new ownership. Courtney Wetzel purchased Pancsofar’s Bridal Boutique and after a few months of on-the-job training took complete control on Nov. 1.

    PANCSOFAR’S BRIDAL BOUTIQUE new owner Courtney Wetzel checks out some of the inventory at her shop. Wetzel officially took over the business on Nov. 1.

    The 23-year-old Mars Hill resident says it has been an extremely busy first two months.

    “November and December were record sales months in the history of the store,” she said.

    Her first foray into retail has been an exciting time and she said she is enjoying the experience and learning a lot in the process.

    “I have always wanted to own my own business so it was a no-brainer,” Wetzel said. “It was also in an industry I love. My background is more in interior design. People skills are something I have had a lot of training in from an early age. I am learning a lot about the industry.”

    In her role as owner it’s up to Wetzel to decide what the shop stocks and the process is not an easy one.

 “The bridal industry has a couple of national markets every years,” she said. “We typically go to fall market. This past October I was able to go to Chicago. You basically go for four days and watch fashion shows and buy dresses and look at what the lines are out for the next year.”

    It’s at that show you pick out the entire year’s inventory in four days, which Wetzel says can be a little stressful.

    “Most girls would say how fun you get to go to shows and buy dresses for four days, but it’s a little stressful when it’s your business and your life,” she said.

    Wetzel, being not that far removed from her own wedding to Zane, said she felt fairly comfortable in choosing bridal gowns, but wanted some help with mother-of-the-bride dresses so she brought her mom to help. Pancsofar’s previous owner, Barb (Halvorson), and Barb’s sister also attended to help in the purchasing process.

    “More than one opinion aids in the process,” Wetzel said. “It rounds it out better.”

    The bridal shop is the only one north of Lincoln and also serves a good portion of New Brunswick. With a potential client base that big it’s important to have a large inventory, which Pancsofar’s does.

    “We have 300 to 400 bridal dresses,” she said. “We have three different lines of bridesmaid dresses. We have a large inventory of mother of the bride, flower girl, full line of prom and pageant, tuxedo rentals, shoes, wedding accessory and jewelry.”

    As visitors to the shop can see Wetzel is full of enthusiasm for the business, but also realizes Pancsofar’s has a nearly 40-year history of success so she is not trying to make dramatic changes, just improvements.

    “We have picked up a few new lines including Pretty Maids for House of Wu, which was featured in the movie ‘Bridesmaids’,” she said. “We picked up a new bridal line, which is David Tutera for Mon Cheri. We also worked to fill in the gaps of what we think our customers may like.”

    She also entered the business with this philosophy.

    “My biggest priority since I took over — Day Number One — is service,” Wetzel said. “We are a service industry. We have taken an approach that they (the customer) should be catered to from the moment they walk in the door and they have the best service they have ever had.”

    To showcase her inventory, Pancsofar’s Bridal Boutique presents “Night of Bridal Fashion” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 at The Crow’s Nest in Presque Isle. The Total Look, a Presque Isle salon, will be doing hair and makeup for the more than 15 models wearing the attire for brides, mothers, bridesmaids and flower girls. The event is free to the public, but preferred up-front seating is five dollars.

    Pancsofar’s is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m. -5 p.m., Thursday the shop is open until 7 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.