Richard York of Patchogue Shoes, 97-year-old store, closing soon as village's oldest retailer
Lisa Barreto choked back tears as she stood just inside the door of a Patchogue shoe store on Wednesday.
"I’m going to miss you," the Holbrook resident and longtime customer of Richard York of Patchogue Shoes told the owner of the nearly century-old store that will close soon.
An avid walker, Barreto stopped by while wearing a pair of Easy Spirit walking/running shoes that she had bought at the store.
"This is where I buy all my shoes. … He’s very nice. He helps me," Barreto, 73, said of Richard Siegel, the store’s third-generation owner.
Richard York of Patchogue Shoes, which will close soon after 97 years of operation, is the oldest retailer in the village. News of the impending closing has spurred longtime customers to call and visit to express how much the store has meant to their families for generations.
"I haven’t been quite brought to tears yet, but close," said Richard Siegel, 70.
The shoe store was temporarily closed Monday through Wednesday as the Siegel family prepared for the start of a going-out-of-business sale on Thursday that likely will last until the store closes permanently in late October or early November.
With about 4,200 pairs of shoes for adults and children and one longtime employee, the store carries brands such as Easy Spirit, Rockport, Florsheim, Clarks, New Balance and Stride Rite.
What Richard Siegel will miss the most about the store is interacting with the customers, he said.
He remembers whose grandparents and children got measured for new footwear, who needed a wide or narrow width, and who needed new shoes for a milestone, such as a big job interview or the first day of school.
"My grandfather said always treat a customer like a guest in your home. So that’s basically what we do," he said.
Competition in the shoe business has grown in the internet age, which also has brought about the increase in vendors — the shoe brands — selling their products directly to consumers online, he said.
While his shoe store’s sales numbers aren’t as high as they were in the "heyday" of the 1970s through 1990s, business is still steady, he said.
The biggest factor in his decision to retire was a desire to spend more time with his four grandchildren, two adult children and wife, he said. His wife, Robin Siegel, a retired elementary school teacher, is looking forward to their next chapter, she said.
The grandchildren "want to be able to do stuff with him. I have a whole list for him to do at home," she joked.
Siegel’s grandfather David opened the shoe store on North Ocean Avenue with his wife, Carrie, in 1927.
The store was not named as an homage to anyone, since there is no Richard York.
David Siegel just thought the moniker had a nice, retail-friendly ring to it, Richard Siegel said.
"There was a lot of department stores around at the time … just like your Lord & Taylor, Abraham & Straus, all these different people’s names. So, he just decided to pick a name that he thought sounded good," he said.
A few years after the store’s founding, David and Carrie Siegel relocated the shop to its current location, 14 S. Ocean Ave.
Their son, Robert Siegel, joined the business when he left the Army after World War II, Richard Siegel said.
After Richard Siegel graduated from what is now LIU Post in 1975, he began running the store with his father, Robert, grandmother and six employees. Robert Siegel bought the South Ocean Avenue building in the 1970s, Richard Siegel said.
The possibility of Richard and Robin Siegel’s two adult children taking over the family business wasn’t an option, he said.
"They have their own careers and their own families. And I’m very proud of them," he said.
The shoe store is an iconic business in the village, Patchogue Mayor Paul V. Pontieri Jr. said.
He is concerned about what will fill the vacancy after the store closes, he said.
"There’ll never be anything of the quality of Richard York, but you hope it’s something that fits in in the downtown," he said.
The Siegels briefly considered selling the shoe business outside the family, he said.
"From what I’ve been told, it may not be as valuable sold as it is just from having a going-out-of-business retirement sale," Richard Siegel said.
He is selling the three-story building — each level is 3,000 square feet — and has received several offers for it, he said.
As Richard Siegel looks forward to retirement, he hopes his customers know how much they have meant to his family.
"Thank you to all our loyal customers for 97 wonderful years," he said. "We’ll miss you, too."
Lisa Barreto choked back tears as she stood just inside the door of a Patchogue shoe store on Wednesday.
"I’m going to miss you," the Holbrook resident and longtime customer of Richard York of Patchogue Shoes told the owner of the nearly century-old store that will close soon.
An avid walker, Barreto stopped by while wearing a pair of Easy Spirit walking/running shoes that she had bought at the store.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Richard York of Patchogue Shoes will close this fall after 97 years of operation.
- The shop is the oldest retailer in Patchogue.
- David Siegel, a traveling salesman, opened the shoe store on North Ocean Avenue with his wife, Carrie, in 1927, before relocating it to 14 S. Ocean Ave. a few years later.
"This is where I buy all my shoes. … He’s very nice. He helps me," Barreto, 73, said of Richard Siegel, the store’s third-generation owner.
Richard York of Patchogue Shoes, which will close soon after 97 years of operation, is the oldest retailer in the village. News of the impending closing has spurred longtime customers to call and visit to express how much the store has meant to their families for generations.
"I haven’t been quite brought to tears yet, but close," said Richard Siegel, 70.
The shoe store was temporarily closed Monday through Wednesday as the Siegel family prepared for the start of a going-out-of-business sale on Thursday that likely will last until the store closes permanently in late October or early November.
With about 4,200 pairs of shoes for adults and children and one longtime employee, the store carries brands such as Easy Spirit, Rockport, Florsheim, Clarks, New Balance and Stride Rite.
What Richard Siegel will miss the most about the store is interacting with the customers, he said.
He remembers whose grandparents and children got measured for new footwear, who needed a wide or narrow width, and who needed new shoes for a milestone, such as a big job interview or the first day of school.
"My grandfather said always treat a customer like a guest in your home. So that’s basically what we do," he said.
Competition in the shoe business has grown in the internet age, which also has brought about the increase in vendors — the shoe brands — selling their products directly to consumers online, he said.
While his shoe store’s sales numbers aren’t as high as they were in the "heyday" of the 1970s through 1990s, business is still steady, he said.
The biggest factor in his decision to retire was a desire to spend more time with his four grandchildren, two adult children and wife, he said. His wife, Robin Siegel, a retired elementary school teacher, is looking forward to their next chapter, she said.
The grandchildren "want to be able to do stuff with him. I have a whole list for him to do at home," she joked.
What’s in a name?
Siegel’s grandfather David opened the shoe store on North Ocean Avenue with his wife, Carrie, in 1927.
The store was not named as an homage to anyone, since there is no Richard York.
David Siegel just thought the moniker had a nice, retail-friendly ring to it, Richard Siegel said.
"There was a lot of department stores around at the time … just like your Lord & Taylor, Abraham & Straus, all these different people’s names. So, he just decided to pick a name that he thought sounded good," he said.
A few years after the store’s founding, David and Carrie Siegel relocated the shop to its current location, 14 S. Ocean Ave.
Their son, Robert Siegel, joined the business when he left the Army after World War II, Richard Siegel said.
After Richard Siegel graduated from what is now LIU Post in 1975, he began running the store with his father, Robert, grandmother and six employees. Robert Siegel bought the South Ocean Avenue building in the 1970s, Richard Siegel said.
The possibility of Richard and Robin Siegel’s two adult children taking over the family business wasn’t an option, he said.
"They have their own careers and their own families. And I’m very proud of them," he said.
The shoe store is an iconic business in the village, Patchogue Mayor Paul V. Pontieri Jr. said.
He is concerned about what will fill the vacancy after the store closes, he said.
"There’ll never be anything of the quality of Richard York, but you hope it’s something that fits in in the downtown," he said.
The Siegels briefly considered selling the shoe business outside the family, he said.
"From what I’ve been told, it may not be as valuable sold as it is just from having a going-out-of-business retirement sale," Richard Siegel said.
He is selling the three-story building — each level is 3,000 square feet — and has received several offers for it, he said.
As Richard Siegel looks forward to retirement, he hopes his customers know how much they have meant to his family.
"Thank you to all our loyal customers for 97 wonderful years," he said. "We’ll miss you, too."
Tory N. Parrish covers retail and small business for Newsday. She has worked at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Observer-Dispatch in Utica, N.Y.
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Newsday Live Music Series: Long Island Idols Newsday Live presents a special evening of music and conversation with local singers who grabbed the national spotlight on shows like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent,""The X-Factor" and "American Idol." Newsday Senior Lifestyle Host Elisa DiStefano leads a discussion and audience Q&A as the singers discuss their TV experiences, careers and perform original songs.
