Outdoor apparel and accessories store Tommy’s Superette opened for business last Saturday at 162 Princess Street.
Co-owner Tracy Isaac says she always wanted to work for herself and had the opportunity to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s in my blood; my father owned his own business, my Uncle Tim had an antique store in Saint John that did very well and my older brother works for himself,” Isaac said.
Tommy’s Superette is a name long-time Saint Johners will remember well. The store was inspired by Isaac’s father’s butcher shop in the North End, which was also called Tommy’s Superette. She and her daughter Zoë Boyd own the business, with Isaac working full-time and Boyd working part-time.
Three generations of Tommy’s Superette entrepreneurs (Image: Submitted)
Both women are very outdoorsy, so opening the store together was a natural fit alongside a booming interest in outdoor activities in the past few years.
“It’s become really popular, there is a new climbing gym opening up in the South End and we have one of them on Rothesay Avenue, but there were really no outdoor stores in the Uptown area,” she said.
After their original Uptown location fell through, the mother-daughter duo ended up with a brighter and more spacious storefront further down on Princess Street.
Mountain Hardwear, Outdoor Research, Girlfriend Collective and Race Face are examples of the variety of brands and gear carried by Tommy’s Superette, with more awaiting shipment.
“I love Saint John and I love Uptown Saint John – it’s a community and it’s small enough that you know everybody, but it’s like a small big city,” said Isaac. “I think there’s a lot that’s going to happen over the next few years in Saint John, we have cranes on our skyline, lots of people are planning on moving to Uptown.”
This story was originally published on Huddle.Today – an Acadia Broadcasting Limited content partner.
