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B. E. French To Open New Children's Clothing, Gift, Toy Stores Feb. 15

B. E. French To Open New Children's Clothing, Gift, Toy Stores Feb. 15  image
Parent Issue
Day
31
Month
January
Year
1959
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Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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B. E. French To Open New Children’s Clothing, Gift, Toy Store Feb. 15

Restaurant, Bake Shop Part Of Operation

A new children's, clothing, gift and toy store will be opened about Feb. 15 in the building at 213 S. State St., which housed Goodyear's draperies and decorating store business until last week.

The new firm is to be called B. E. French & Co. after its owners, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett E. French of Ann Arbor, who are owners of the Campus Bike and Toy Center and Arbor Hills Hardware.

French said today he has reopened the former Goodyear snack bar at the 213 S. State address and will continue to operate it on a permanent basis. In addition, the store’s Garden Room, where complete dinners will be served, will be reopened about Feb. 15, French said, and “will probably be open for evening meals.”

Manager Named

An enclosed patio-type court behind the Garden Room is to be opened this summer. French named Burnell Anderson of Ypsilanti as manager of the restaurant operation.

It will include a bakery shop for stocking restaurant shelves and for across-the-counter sales, French said. He plans to expand the bakery operation to include the sale of such special order items as children’s birthday cakes.

Both the Garden Room and store are being redecorated and new equipment is to be installed in the store.

It will carry clothing lines for girls up through the subteens and clothing sizes for boys up to seven with some expansion contemplated later on boys’ clothing.

“The store will be a children’s center,” French said, announcing that hundreds of children’s gift items are to be stocked.

The store will have a complete toy department, carrying toy items similar to those French will continue to stock at his Campus Bike and Toy Center of 514 E. William St.

French said the Campus Bike toy line may eventually be shifted to the S. State store, permitting him to add a small hardware line at the E. William store.

To Expand Lines

French’s plan is to expand the general sporting goods lines at Campus Bike and Toy Center.

He is part owner of Toy-town at 35 N. Huron St., Ypsilanti, where children’s clothing lines will also be added about Feb. 15.

French and Paul L. Proud, president-treasurer of Goodyear’s, announced last August that the 213 S. State building was being purchased by French after being owned by Goodyear’s for 20 years.

Goodyear’s had operated its draperies and decorating store at the S. State address since about 1950. Goodyear’s of 122 S. Main St. is undergoing an expansion to accommodate the draperies and decorating business into the main store.