Today’s Focus on Wallingford is featuring Wallingford's own, Ultra Coin Laundromat! With a convienent location on North Main Street Extention and welcoming customer service, Ultra Coin is the best laundromat service our town has to offer! Not only is it immaculate, but also up to date and comfortable. Recently I got together with Chris and talked shop. Read what he had to say, below!

"Ultra coin Laundromat is a family owned business that opened in 2000. Initially, it was started by my mother and her best friend. I took over the business about five years ago and have done my best to maintain the high quality service they started but have added my own touches to the place. I grew up in Wallingford, graduated from Lyman Hall High School, and I'm happy to be raising my kids here as well.  We are very involved in the community.  Ultra Coin sponsors a team in the Wallingford Girls' Softball League and that team even made it to the championship game last year! We are also a proud sponsor of an adult softball team. Ultra Coin's biggest focus is on cleanliness and the happiness of our customers. We offer a friendly, family-oriented environment, complete with an iPad center with games to entertain the children and two big screen televisions with plenty of seating.  Our laundromat has 24 washers, 26 dryers and plenty of folding tables. We are located near multiple shopping destinations and have over 12 cameras for added safety.  We are proud to say that Ultra Coin was voted "2015 Best Laundromat in New Haven County". We hope to continue this tradition throughout the years to come!"

Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s Focus on Wallingford! Keep your eyes peeled to see our next post and if you’re interested in having your business featured feel free to contact us HERE!

Today’s Focus on Wallingford is featuring Hometown Garden Center owned by Agnes and Justin Royea. The Royea’s have become great friends of mine in recent years. Justin also owns a Wallingford landscaping company called Q-River, LLC and a few winters ago when New England was “drowning in snow” Justin dug out Impressions when it seemed no other plow could! Since then I’ve hired his team to do the studio’s plowing and landscaping. I’m never disappointed in the service they offer. When I found out he and his wife owned Hometown Garden Center, I definitely had to pop my head in!

I specifically decided to feature Hometown Garden Center in the month of December because of the awesome Holiday related items they have. One extra special treat that they have to offer (on the days that aren’t 60 degrees and blindingly sunny) is hot cocoa and a bonfire area you can cuddle up in after shopping. I sat down with Justin and Agnes to see what else they had to say about their business, you can read about it below!

"Hometown Garden Center started out as a little dream between two people who really wanted a place to call their own; a place that people could rely on a good deal, honest smile and handshake.  

It all began with a borrowed lawn mower and trailer.  A weekend warrior, as some would say, is how we started out in the landscape industry. We had a plan and a model that allowed for a rapid growth but with that there is always bumps and changes along the way.  In any business you have to learn to adapt to what the consumer needs and wants.  We had an increase of customers looking for specialty landscape supplies and ornamental trees. The need for these items made us want a place we could take the customer so that they could see and touch the supplies we would be using on their property.

After spending countless weekends going to other garden centers, we finally decided it was time to do it on our own. Five years ago a friend had a property that would be available for lease and it seemed the right fit for our hometown vision. We had a cleared lot and a used trailer we purchased and brought to the site.

Fast forward to today, from that little trailer that is still there, we now have three greenhouses and display walkways and patio with a fire pit and much more.  The winter holidays are especially fun for us because we get to share our love for festive decorations and just seasonal cheer.  Christmas trees, planters and wreaths are all displayed each with their own style and character.  We have a little hayride that Santa goes on with our customers on weekends and we have the famous Wallingford's "Talking Rudolph". After Vinny's Garden Center closed we were able to relocate Rudolph to his new home with us, so that all his older patrons could create that tradition for their little ones. 

We want people to be comfortable coming to us in all four seasons for any landscape need they may have. If you have questions about any of our services do not hesitate to stop in and say hello. We want you to feel welcome and also excited to turn your landscape to an escape all year long!!!! Wishing you all the best in the New Year!"

Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s Focus on Wallingford! Keep your eyes peeled to see our next post and if you’re interested in having your business featured feel free to contact us HERE!

Today may be Black Friday but tomorrow is Small Business Saturday! In lieu of our favorite studio project, Focus on Wallingford, we wanted to remind you of some of our favorite local businesses. On behalf of ourselves and these places, we want to thank you for your business and loyalty! Shopping local not only benefits your town but families and people who are just like you and doing something they love for work. Although it may cost a little more at times, you can't put a price tag on the added customer service and knowledge of these business owners. Enjoy these few weeks of the holiday season and the new year! Don't forget to shop local tomorrow and all year long.

You heard right, Focus on Wallingford is back! There’s so many businesses to feature we weren’t sure where to begin so we went with one of our favorite places, which is located right in the center of it all. The Dressing Room is a high fashion boutique with great prices and customer service. Its storefront is right on the corner of Main and Center Street at the top of the hill. The owner, Chris and I, have become friends while working on a number of projects together and I admire her love for fashion, approach to client relationships and work ethic. We met up with Chris and asked her to tell us a little about her store, read below!

“With 25+ years of business experience both in the corporate world and as a business owner, it is a joy to incorporate my love of fashion, my passion to empower women and my creativity into The Dressing Room Boutique. I have worked in the world of finance with a fortune 100 company as well as in the position of CFO for an insurance brokerage that my husband founded. I then followed my passion into the world of fashion and currently am the CEO of CM Clothing, Inc. which includes my clothing line Gogirlwrapperz, my retail store The Dressing Room Boutique and my online store The Dressing Room 24-7. www.thedressingroom24-7.com. I just recently partnered with Shoptiques.com which is a global e-commerce site of the best boutiques from all over the world. Just last week we shipped our first order to the UK!

I discovered Wallingford when my oldest daughter Ashley, was attending Choate Rosemary Hall. I loved the charm of the town and have come to love the multi-generational families that live here. It is a privilege to have earned the trust of so many women who come to us to dress them for some of the most important and memorable days of their lives. Whether it’s a wedding, anniversary, reunion, gala or any special occasion where any old dress just won’t do. Our customers know they can rely on us to put them in something that makes them feel beautiful.

In 2012, I was able to expand the store when the frame shop next door went out of business. We were able to double the square footage of the store, add dressing rooms and expand our formal wear offerings. Now half of the store is dedicated to sportswear, jewelry, accessories and shoes and the other half dresses and gowns. We carry everything from denim to evening gowns and all things in between.

One of the things I love about being a business owner is collaborating with other businesses and organizations in town to promote each other and improve the community. Recently we held our 6^th Annual Fundraiser in collaboration with The Rotary for the Liberty Bank Thanksgiving Day Project. We put on a Fashion Show and donate a portion of all sales to feed the homeless at Thanksgiving. It was a huge success and a record breaking year. I am thrilled to be able to make a nice donation to such a great cause.

We have some fun events coming up in the month of December with the Holiday Stroll in conjunction with Wallingford Center Inc. and a fun ladies night we are hosting with local Fashion Blogger and makeup artist Jenna Poitras. Just a few of the fun things we will be participating with other folks and organizations in the near future.

Please stop in just to introduce yourself, browse around and let us help you in any way we can. Our saying is “Enter as Strangers and Leave as Friends.” 

Make sure to poke your head into The Dressing Room this holiday season and keep an eye on the blog to see what other Wallingford businesses we feature in the coming weeks! 

If you are a Wallingford business owner and interested in being featured in FOW in the coming weeks, feel free to contact us HERE.

Death isn't necessarily a topic many people are comfortable talking about and funerals are even less of a discussed matter. Matthew Bailey, the current owner of B.C. Bailey Funeral Home provides knowledge and comfort to help ease your mind during difficult times. He has followed in the footstpes of his father and grandfather and has seen what needs to be done to make a hard times a little easier. I have known Matthew for a few years and appreciate his friendship as well as his approach to business. (Sidenote: his family portrait is hanging in the Impressions lobby after our spring refresh!) You can read a little bit about what Matt had to say about B.C. Bailey below!

"The B.C. Bailey Funeral Home is Wallingford longest continually operated company. Carl W. Bailey bought the Griswold Funeral Home on Center Street in 1912. He renamed the business C.W. Bailey Funeral Home and ran it until his death in 1944. Benjamin C. Bailey followed in his father's footsteps taking over the business and changing the name to B.C. Bailey Funeral Home and moving the firm to South Elm Street in 1952. Ben ran the funeral home until his retirement in1977. Ben's son Robert took over the business after his father's retirement and ran it for 46 years. He and his family lived above the funeral home on South Elm Street. Except for the years attending college and four years in the United States Air force, he lived continuously in Wallingford. He married Darlene Cannata and they raised 3 children, Michele (Chaudhry), Michael, and Matthew. 

Matthew currently serves as president of the company and continues the family legacy of service to people during their time of need. After serving the community for over a century, Matt says his family has seen many changes in the nature of funeral service. "When we started, there was not even a crematory located in the State of Connecticut. In the rare case that someone chose cremation, we would have to drive to Ferncliff Cemetery in New York. Today, we have more families that select cremation over traditional burial."

Also changing is the way society approaches religion and "traditional" services. "We also are the first firm in the area to embrace having Certified Celebrants on staff for those families who are not part of a church or would like something other than traditional services." This provides an unique opportunity for families to have a meaningful, personalized life tribute that allows them to begin the healing process, even if they do not wish to embrace traditional styles of services. 

Matt attributes the length of the families presence and long term success to having a professional and caring staff and putting the needs of client families first. "At the end of the day, when people see the sign in front of our firm, my name is on it. That's a lot of pressure to make sure you are taking care of people as best as possible. I have no more valuable possession than my name and good reputation.""

Thank you for reading today's FOW and as always, make sure to comment below or contact me here if you are interested in having your Wallingford buisiness feautred!