Two years after marking its ninth decade in business, Crownover Jewelers is closing its doors. Current owners Andy and Becky Garrett are only the third family to own the business, originally opened in Rochester by Sue Crownover. The Garretts plan to close the downtown Warsaw store by the middle of summer, after selling off the inventory and building. Closing the store was a hard decision, made only after a year of thought and prayer, Becky Garrett said Friday, surrounded by signs announcing “total inventory liquidation” and “entire store on sale.” She cited economic downturn and increased competition from box stores and internet sales, but said it comes down to whether or not the business can support the family. “We need paychecks. If you have a bad week, you have no paycheck,” she said. “When the recession hit, every year it got harder and harder. We gave it the old college try, but decided it was time to throw in the towel and do something different.” It’s especially hard to making a living as a mom-and-pop store selling luxury items, she said. “It’s not the way they used to be,” she remarked. “Small mom-and-pop places will be in the history books soon. They’re the kind of places America was built on, but it’s hard to make a living.” Andy Garrett has worked at Crownover for 25 years and bought the business in 2002. He said it’s “been a good run” and that they consider their generations of clients to be more like friends than customers. He also encouraged residents to continue to shop locally so the money stays in the local economy. The family plans to stay in Warsaw. They’ll begin looking at new opportunities after the building is sold, said Andy Garrett, but they might take a well-deserved vacation first. “Any small business owner can tell you, you’re definitely tied down to your business,” Becky Garrett said. To help with the closing process the couple brought in Darrell Pitt, a friend in the industry who closed his own jewelry store in Kansas City. Becky Garrett noted they sought his help because “we’d never done this before.” Closing a business can be a stressful time with mixed emotions, Pitt said. “You don’t know if you want to wait for the economy to turn around... everybody works for years to keep their store open, but they don’t know how to close their store out.” The family enjoyed operating the business for as long as they did, Becky Garrett said. “We’re very proud to have been an icon in downtown Warsaw,” she said. “It will be missed, we’re sure.”
