Lloyd and Ruth Bailey weren’t sure what they would do with the building when they bought the former Harvey’s Dime Store at 510 E. Market St. In the six months it took to renovate the long-vacant, 20,000-square-foot shop, which included tearing out the old, uneven flooring, stripping the wiring and replacing several windows, they decided on a furniture store. The couple opened Brady’s Furniture and Mattress Aug. 31, which offers new furniture such as couches, dining sets and bed frames and mattresses, all at half-off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Their specialty is a custom line of sofas and chairs made by Brill Seating in Elkhart, which can be ordered with a variety of fabrics and seating arrangements. The Baileys also run Concrete Polishing Plus in Warsaw, and Ruth Bailey said Wednesday that doing the flooring for a Fort Wayne owner of three furniture stores is what put the bug in Lloyd’s ear. They’ve seen an increase in customers since what Ruth Bailey described as a pretty soft opening, without advertising and with the delivery truck unfinished. She said many customers appreciate what the store offers, while a few have stopped in just to see what became of the old drug store. She also noted that they get new items in every week, which they display on the store’s Facebook page at facebook.com/BradysFurnitureAndMattress and offer free delivery within 30 miles on orders of more than $400. They also offer no-interest layaway of up to 180 days with 20 percent down. The store is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Its phone number is 574-267-7071.
